Envy

Origin of the name Envy

The place name Envy is attested for the first time in 1216 in the form Envi, both according to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland and according to Wikipedia. The sources consulted do not, however, offer a clearly established and verified etymology for this name (to be cross-checked).

Founding of Envy

No source consulted specifies a founding act or a single founder for Envy. The hamlet probably developed, like several neighbouring villages, in the orbit of the priory of Romainmôtier, on which it administratively depended in the Middle Ages under the authority of a mayor. Its first documented written trace dates back to 1216 (Envi), but traces of human occupation much older than this exist in its territory: the Bellaires forest has yielded numerous remains of ironworking activity spanning from the 4th century BC to the 6th century AD, though no direct continuity can be established between this early occupation and the medieval hamlet mentioned in 1216 (to be cross-checked).

History of Envy

4th c. BC - 6th c. AD. Occupation attested by numerous remains of ironworking activity found in the Bellaires forest, in the territory of Envy.

Middle Ages. Envy depends on the priory of Romainmôtier, under the authority of a mayor.

1216. First known written mention of the place, in the form Envi.

1536-1798. After the Bernese conquest and the Reformation, Envy is attached to the Bernese bailiwick of Romainmôtier; the community is administered by the assembly of communiers. Recurring conflicts with Romainmôtier concern the management of communal property.

1798. After the fall of the Ancien Régime and the creation of the canton of Vaud, Envy becomes an independent municipality, attached to the district of Orbe.

1764-1960. The population of Envy experiences moderate fluctuations: from a small agricultural community of about sixty inhabitants in the 18th century, it reaches a peak of about 90 inhabitants in the mid-19th century before declining in the 20th century (see population trend).

1970s. During a land consolidation, the triangular enclosure at the place called Condémines, probably a former livestock pen, is destroyed before it could be studied in detail.

1970. The municipality of Envy merges with that of Romainmôtier to form the new municipality of Romainmôtier-Envy, ending its autonomous political existence after at least seven and a half centuries of documented history. One source (Wikipedia in German) places this merger precisely on 1 January 1970; the other sources mention only the year (exact day to be cross-checked).

2006. During the reorganization of the Vaud districts, Romainmôtier-Envy (including Envy) becomes part of the new district of Jura-Nord vaudois, which replaces the former district of Orbe.

Population of Envy

Population of Envy

1764	58
1798	61
1850	90
1900	88
1950	40
1960	45

Historic sites in Envy

The hamlet of Envy. Small agricultural hamlet located in the immediate vicinity of Romainmôtier, on which it depended administratively and religiously before the 1970 merger. No monument classified as of national or cantonal significance is specifically listed for Envy in the sources consulted; its architectural heritage remains modest and poorly documented independently of that of Romainmôtier.

Bellaires forest. Wooded area in the territory of Envy that has yielded numerous remains attesting to early ironworking activity (see the Remains section). The site is of archaeological interest, documented notably by the Revue historique vaudoise.

Remains in Envy

Ironworking remains of the Bellaires forest. The Bellaires forest has yielded numerous remains linked to iron production activity spanning from the 4th century BC to the 6th century AD, that is, from the end of the Iron Age to the early Middle Ages. These remains attest to occupation and metallurgical exploitation of the territory over nearly a millennium.

Triangular enclosure of Condémines. An enclosure structure of triangular shape, identified at the place called Condémines, in all likelihood functioned as a livestock pen. It was destroyed in the 1970s during a land consolidation, before it could be the subject of a thorough study; its precise dating remains uncertain (to be cross-checked).

Legends of Envy

No documented local legend. None of the sources consulted (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, Wikipedia FR/DE/EN, official website of the municipality of Romainmôtier-Envy) mentions a legend specific to Envy. Unlike Romainmôtier, whose monastic past may have generated legendary tales, no such element has been noted concerning the hamlet of Envy.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse - Germain Hausmann, « Envy »
• Wikipédia (français) - Romainmôtier-Envy
• Wikipédia (anglais) - Envy, Switzerland
• Wikipédia (allemand) - Envy VD
• Site officiel de la commune de Romainmôtier-Envy
• Revue historique vaudoise, « Chronique archéologique », 1979, p. 239-240 (citée par le DHS)

Other villages near Envy

• Romainmôtier (VD)
• Juriens (VD)
• Premier (VD)
• Croy (VD)
• Bretonnières (VD)