Collonges
Origin of the name Collonges
First mentioned in 1239 in the form « Colunges ». The old village of Arbignon, which Collonges succeeded, appears in the 11th-12th centuries in the form « desertum Alpinonis ». The origin of the name remains unexplained.[1]
Founding of Collonges
The territory, which rises from the right bank of the Rhône to the Dent de Morcles, has been inhabited since Roman times. The present village took the place of the old village of Arbignon, probably abandoned because of the floods of the Aboyeu stream. From the 13th to the 17th century the d'Arbignon family held the main lordship there. Collonges then belonged to the government, later the district, of Saint-Maurice. Collonges later formed with Dorénaz a parish, and briefly a municipality, of Outre-Rhône, before the two communities separated and disputed several territories, including the hamlet of Alesse.[1]
History of Collonges
1st-3rd century. A settlement is attested on the municipal territory, according to remains from the Roman period.[1]
11th-12th century. The old village of Arbignon is mentioned in the form « desertum Alpinonis ».[1]
1239. First mention of Collonges, in the form « Colunges ».[1]
13th-17th century. The d'Arbignon family holds the main lordship over the locality.[1]
1476-1798. Collonges belongs to the government of Saint-Maurice.[1]
1639. Construction of the Sainte-Anne chapel.[1]
1723. The Sainte-Anne chapel becomes the church of the new parish of Outre-Rhône, uniting Collonges and Dorénaz. Until then Collonges belonged to the parish of Saint-Sigismond in Saint-Maurice.[1]
1802-1816. Collonges and Dorénaz form a single municipality, called Outre-Rhône.[1]
1808-1953. Several successive bridges replace the ferry used to cross the Rhône.[1]
1841. After disputes between the two communities, the hamlet of Alesse is finally assigned to Dorénaz.[1]
mid-19th century. An anthracite mine is worked, and worked again during the First World War.[1]
1866-1873. Embankment works on the Rhône.[1]
around 1900. The economy relies on livestock farming and fruit growing, especially cherries.[1]
1936. Adoption of the municipal coat of arms, reportedly partly based on that of the d'Arbignon family.
Population of Collonges
Sources and references: [1][2]
| 1850 | 408 |
| 1900 | 402 |
| 1920 | 433 |
| 1960 | 301 |
| 2000 | 488 |
| 2025 | 865 |
Historic sites in Collonges
Sainte-Anne church. Chapel built in 1639, which became in 1723 the church of the parish of Outre-Rhône, shared by Collonges and Dorénaz.[1]
Arbignon and the Aboyeu. Site of the old village of Arbignon, mentioned in the 11th-12th centuries and probably abandoned because of the floods of the Aboyeu stream. The d'Arbignon family was the main lordly family of the place from the 13th to the 17th century. The municipality is a shareholder of Forces motrices de l'Aboyeu SA.[1]
The Rhône, the ferry and the bridges. Long crossed by ferry, the Rhône was spanned by several successive bridges between 1808 and 1953, then embanked from 1866 to 1873.[1]
Dent de Morcles. The municipal territory rises from the floor of the Rhône valley up to the Dent de Morcles.[1]
Remains in Collonges
Roman-period settlement. Remains of settlement dating from the 1st-3rd centuries AD have been uncovered on the municipal territory.[1]
Anthracite mine. An anthracite mine was worked in the mid-19th century and again during the First World War.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Collonges » (Bernard Monnet, version du 20.01.2004)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Collonges
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