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Cugy

Canton of Fribourg · District: Broye · 2'067 inhabitants (31.12.2025)
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Cugy

The village appears between 968 and 985 as « Cuzziaco », then as « Cubizasca » in 1079, « Cuzei » in 1142 and « Cugiez » or « Cugié » around 1230. Two explanations are put forward: a word for a forest dweller, or the estate of a minor Roman noble named Cupidius, « Cupidiacus ».[1][2]

Founding of Cugy

Cugy lies in the Estavayer-le-Lac enclave and includes the village, the hamlet of Grange-des-Bois and the Moulin de Glâne. A Roman road ran west of the village. Its parish no doubt existed before the year 1000. From the 12th century the small lordship is a fief of the « Cuzie » branch of the lords of Estavayer, then comes under Montagny from 1329 and Fribourg from 1477. Farming, with livestock, cereals and tobacco, still employed one in five workers in 2000. Since 2005 the present municipality has united Cugy and Vesin.[1][2]

History of Cugy

968-985. Tiepoldus and Salicus give an allodial estate at Cugy to Eginolfus, bishop of Lausanne. Emperor Henry IV confirms the gift in 1079.[1][2]

1142-1230. The Cistercian abbey of Montheron owns a grange at Cugy from 1142 and the right of presentation to the church, confirmed in 1177 by a bull of Pope Alexander III. In 1230 it hands its rights and property to the abbey of Hauterive.[1][2]

1313. The church of Saint-Martin is consecrated.[1]

Vers 1321. The lords of Estavayer-Cugy build their castle.[3]

1329. Conon, co-lord of Estavayer, cedes his rights over the mayoralty of Cugy-Vesin to his nephew Guillaume de Montagny.[2]

1338. People from Payerne set fire to part of the village.[1]

15th-18th centuries. The lordship passes to Guillaume d'Avenches, then to the de Glâne, Bonstetten, Féguely, Lanthen-Heid and de Reyff families.[1][2]

1536. Fribourg attaches Cugy to the bailiwick of Estavayer.[1][2]

1549-1550. The castle is altered in 1549, and the Château de La Cour is built in 1549-1550.[3]

1556-1576. The avoyer of Estavayer has a leper house built at the place called « Pot de fer », paid for by Cugy, Montet, Vesin and Aumont. In 1576 plague ravages Cugy and Vesin.[5]

1586-1734. The parish shrinks: Nuvilly and Aumont break away in 1586, Montet in 1663 and Seiry in 1734.[1][2]

Late 18th century. The Château de La Cour, owned by the Reyff family, houses a school run by Father Nicolas Lhoste, a monk expelled from the abbey of Bellelay.[2]

1798-1848. Cugy belongs to the district of Estavayer. In 1848 it is attached permanently to the Broye district.[1][2]

1851. The municipality buys the castle, which now houses the primary school.[2][3]

1878 (ou 1877). Cugy gets a station on the Payerne-Yverdon line. Work on the track in 1875 had turned up Roman iron objects.[1][2][3]

1906-1912. Charles-Albert Wulffleff rebuilds the church of Saint-Martin in 1906-1907. Frédéric Broillet builds the presbytery, dated 1912.[1][3]

1959. The Union agricole de la Broye, now ACB Agri, moves its head office to Cugy. It builds a grain silo there in 1983.[1][3]

1965-1975. The Alduc SA dial factory operates in the village.[1]

2001. The A1 motorway now crosses Cugy's territory.[1]

2005. On 1 January Cugy merges with Vesin and keeps its name, under a decree of 15 June 2004.[1][4]

Population of Cugy

Sources and references: [1][6]

Population of Cugy
1811380
1850480
1900738
1930633
1950696
1970779
1990796
2000875
20252'067

Historic sites in Cugy

Church of Saint-Martin. Consecrated in 1313 and replaced by a new church in the 16th century (or in 1665), it was rebuilt in 1906-1907 by Charles-Albert Wulffleff and restored in 1998.[1][3][5]

Castle. The castle of the lords of Estavayer-Cugy, built around 1321, was altered in 1549 and 1717. Owned by the municipality since 1851, it houses the primary school.[2][3]

Château de La Cour. Built in 1549-1550, it has kept its barn dated 1801.[3]

Inns and farmhouses. The Ange inn is dated 1805, built for the judge Jacques Bersier. The « Petit Château » became the Croix d'or inn in 1868. The Franex farmhouse, dated 1830, was restored in 2003-2006, and the Berchier farmhouse dates from 1844.[3]

Remains in Cugy

Roman road. A Roman road ran west of the village. Iron objects from that period were found in 1875 during the building of the railway.[2]

Pot de fer leper house. The leper house of 1556 stood at the place called « Pot de fer », where a chapel also stood. A cross still marks the spot.[5]

Sources

  1. Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, « Cugy (FR) » (Marianne Rolle, trad. Arno Aeby, Version vom 26.09.2016)
  2. Commune de Cugy, « Histoire de Cugy » (Jean Bugnon)
  3. Service des biens culturels du canton de Fribourg, Recensement cantonal des sites construits d'importance régionale et locale (SCRoL), « Cugy », février 2026
  4. État de Fribourg, Recueil systématique (RSF 141.1.2), « Liste chronologique des fusions, divisions et changements de nom des communes »
  5. Commune de Cugy, « Histoire de Vesin »
  6. Service de la statistique du canton de Fribourg (SStat), « Population des communes, de 1900 à 2025 » (T01-02-03), population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025

Localities of the municipality with a page

Other villages near Cugy

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