Eclépens
Origin of the name Eclépens
The place is mentioned in 814 in the form «Sclepedingus» (another source writes «Sclependigus»), then «Sclépens» in 1147 and «Eclépens» in 1453 (forms of 1147 and 1453 to be cross-checked). The etymology is not explained by the sources consulted.
Founding of Eclépens
The area has been occupied since prehistory: three grouped sites, from the Late Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age, were discovered in 1973 along the route of the gas pipeline, and the Mormont hill hosted a vast site of the Helvetii around 100 BC. In Roman times the Lausanne-Orbe road passed over the Mormont. The village appears in written records in 814, when Emperor Louis the Pious gave the chapter of Lausanne a «villa» (estate) located at «Sclepedingus»; in 1011 King Rudolph III gave a manse there to the monastery of Romainmôtier. In the Middle Ages a family of Eclépens, which died out in the 14th century, held the village as a fief of the lords of La Sarraz, to whom it later reverted.
History of Eclépens
Late Neolithic-Late Bronze Age. Three grouped prehistoric sites, discovered in 1973 along the route of the gas pipeline.
around 100 BC. On the Mormont, a site of the Helvetii contains more than 200 pits holding various deposits; it is presented as a sanctuary, but its interpretation remains enigmatic.
Roman period. The Roman road from Lausanne to Orbe passes over the Mormont.
814. Louis the Pious gives the chapter of Lausanne an estate at «Sclepedingus»: first written mention.
1011. King Rudolph III gives a manse to the monastery of Romainmôtier.
1228. The parish of Saint-Pierre, dependent on the chapter of Lausanne, is mentioned.
14th century. The Eclépens family, which held the village as a fief of the La Sarraz, dies out; the village reverts to the La Sarraz.
1536-1798. Under Bernese rule, Eclépens belongs to the bailiwick of Romainmôtier; at the Reformation the church becomes an annex of La Sarraz.
1623. Break-up of the lordship of La Sarraz: Eclépens falls to Albert de Gingins; on his death his elder son keeps Eclépens and the younger becomes co-lord (date of the break-up to be cross-checked, 1626 according to other articles).
17th century. The Entreroches canal, a waterway carrying notably salt, wine and millstones, crosses the marshes of Eclépens (works 1638-1643 according to one source, to be cross-checked).
around 1673-1675. Works on the church.
1709. The cadet branch of the Gingins rebuilds the château d'En-Bas.
1786. The former parsonage, the lord's residence, is rebuilt and becomes the château d'En-Haut.
1798-2006. Eclépens belongs to the district of Cossonay.
1802. The Bourla-Papey insurgents invade the château d'En-Haut and destroy the feudal title deeds there.
1838-1978. Berger spinning mill and cloth works, driven, like other factories, by the Bay d'Eclépens canal.
1855. Opening of the Lausanne-Yverdon railway line, with a station at Eclépens; the Lausanne-Vallorbe line follows in 1870.
1894-1954. Barraud brick and tile works.
1953. Opening of the cement works.
1985. Creation of a collection and identification centre for special waste.
2006. Start of the archaeological excavations on the Mormont.
2008. With the new territorial organisation of Vaud, Eclépens joins the district of Morges.
Population of Eclépens
| 1416 | 32 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 242 |
| 1798 | 328 |
| 1850 | 495 |
| 1860 | 567 |
| 1900 | 477 |
| 1950 | 426 |
| 2000 | 904 |
| 2025 | 1'202 |
Historic sites in Eclépens
The Mormont. A limestone hill overlooking the village, with its rocks and chamois. In Roman times it was crossed by the Lausanne-Orbe road, and it holds a protohistoric and Iron Age archaeological site listed as a cultural property of national importance (to be cross-checked).
Church of Saint-Pierre. The parish is mentioned from 1228; the church depended on the chapter of Lausanne. Having become an annex of La Sarraz at the Reformation, it underwent works around 1673-1675.
Châteaux d'En-Bas and d'En-Haut. The château d'En-Bas was rebuilt in 1709 by the branch of the Gingins co-lords; the château d'En-Haut is the former parsonage, the lord's residence, rebuilt in 1786 and invaded in 1802 by the Bourla-Papey. Both residences were sold in the 19th century to the de Coulon family of Neuchâtel.
Remains in Eclépens
Helvetian sanctuary of the Mormont. Located in the municipalities of Eclépens and La Sarraz, the site excavated since 2006 dates from the end of the Late Iron Age, around 100 BC. More than 200 pits have yielded varied deposits, including a group of bronze vessels, together with numerous post holes and a few hearths. Presented as a sanctuary of the Helvetii, it remains enigmatic: evidence of cult practices sits alongside ordinary activities such as meat consumption or food storage, and its extent exceeds that of known Iron Age sanctuaries.
Remains of the Entreroches canal. The Entreroches canal, a 17th-century waterway, passed through the marshes of Eclépens; the Mormont gorge preserves a few remains of it.
Prehistoric sites of the gas pipeline. Three grouped sites, occupied from the Late Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age, were discovered in 1973 during the construction of the gas pipeline.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Eclépens »
- État de Vaud, Archéologie cantonale, « Sites fouillés : une sélection »
- Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, « Alphabet des communes vaudoises : Eclépens »
- Wikipedia (en), « Éclépens »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Eclépens
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