Delley-Portalban
Origin of the name Delley-Portalban
The name joins those of the two former municipalities, Delley, recorded in 1342 as « Deler », and Portalban, recorded in 1166 as « Portubanni ».[3][4]
Founding of Delley-Portalban
Since 1 January 2005 Delley-Portalban has united the municipalities of Delley and Portalban, on the south shore of Lake Neuchâtel. The Grand Council approved the merger by a decree of 18 November 2004. The two villages were already linked: the eastern part of Portalban-Dessous belonged to Delley, and they had formed a single parish since 1858. The municipality had 904 inhabitants in 2010.[1][2][3][4]
History of Delley-Portalban
3600-2450 BC. Off Portalban, the lakeside settlement of Delley-Portalban II is occupied for more than a thousand years, from the end of the Middle Neolithic to the Final Neolithic. Five lakeside sites have been identified off the village.[4]
1166. First mention of Portalban, as "Portubanni", and of its chapel of Saint-Jacques, which has since disappeared.[4]
1268. The d'Agnens family acquires the lordship of Delley, which includes Portalban.[3]
1488. The church of Delley is built. It is rebuilt in 1713.[3]
1506. Humbert de La Molière sells his share of the lordship of Portalban to the Council of Fribourg.[4]
1679. The Castella family buys the lordship of Delley. In the early 18th century they build a country house there, flanked by two pavilions in 1774-1776.[3]
1778-1798. Many women in Portalban work from home for the Fabrique-Neuve in Cortaillod, a printed calico factory.[4]
1858. Delley and Portalban break away from the parish of Saint-Aubin and form a parish together.[3][4]
1858. The first of the lakeside sites at Portalban is identified.[4]
1868-1891. Correction of the Jura waters. Before this work, trade with Neuchâtel (livestock, printed calico, salt) kept the port of Portalban busy.[4]
1900. On the lake shore, a hoard of twenty-one coins, nineteen of them gold, struck between AD 15 and 80, is found by chance.[4]
1957. Delley builds a municipal complex housing the administration and the primary school.[5]
1962-1979. Fifteen systematic excavation campaigns explore the Delley-Portalban II site. It has become one of the reference prehistoric settlements in Switzerland.[4]
1971. A campsite opens. Tourism helps the service sector grow.[3]
1983. A harbour for small boats is built.[3]
2004. On 18 November the Grand Council adopts the decree on the merger of the municipalities of Delley and Portalban.[2]
2005. The municipality of Delley-Portalban comes into being on 1 January.[1][2]
Population of Delley-Portalban
Sources and references: [1][7]
| 2010 | 904 |
| 2025 | 1'349 |
Historic sites in Delley-Portalban
Municipal administration. The seat of the municipality is in Delley, route de Portalban 2.[6]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Delley-Portalban » (version du 15.09.2016)
- État de Fribourg, Recueil systématique (RSF 141.1.2), « Liste chronologique des fusions, divisions et changements de nom des communes »
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Delley » (Marianne Rolle, version du 26.09.2016)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Portalban » (Denis Ramseyer et Marianne Rolle, version du 28.09.2016)
- Service des biens culturels du canton de Fribourg, Recensement cantonal des sites construits d'importance régionale et locale (SCRoL), « Delley », février 2026
- Commune de Delley-Portalban, « Administration »
- 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 Delley-Portalban
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