Estavannens
Origin of the name Estavannens
The village is recorded in 1231 as « Extavanens », in a deed of Count Rudolph III. The name is said to denote the estate of a certain Stabadin and his descendants, a Germanic settlement romanised towards the end of the 10th century.[1][2][3]
Founding of Estavannens
Estavannens is split between two cores, Estavannens-Dessus and Estavannens-Dessous, on the right bank of the Sarine. The village belonged to the county of Gruyère, a Savoyard fief since the homage of 1244, until the count's bankruptcy in 1555, and then to the Fribourg bailiwick. For church matters it belonged to Broc before becoming a parish in 1578. In the 19th century, straw plaiting supplemented livestock farming. Estavannens is today a village of the municipality of Bas-Intyamon (merger of 1 January 2004).[1][2]
History of Estavannens
1231. « Extavanens » appears in a deed of Count Rudolph III.[1][2]
1244. Count Rudolph paid homage to Peter of Savoy, and the county remained a Savoyard fief for nearly three centuries.[2]
1369. Rudolph IV of Gruyère freed several families from mortmain.[1]
1388. The enfranchisement was extended to all the communities of the castellany.[1]
1396. The inhabitants received new liberties, including a right of possession over the commons.[1][2]
1413. A charter of Count Anthony I confirmed the franchises.[2]
1555. Estavannens passed to Fribourg, which attached it to the new bailiwick of Gruyères. Some inhabitants rebelled.[1][2]
1578. The village left the parish of Broc and formed its own, which included Grandvillard until 1614.[1][2]
1635. The church, built from 1619 to 1633 in place of the chapel, was consecrated.[1][2]
1843. An avalanche from Les Chaux killed four young people, in 1843 (or 1841). The survivor built an oratory in thanksgiving.[2][3]
1846. The Dâ chapel, dedicated to Notre-Dame de Compassion, replaced the oratory, in 1846 (or 1844-1845).[1][2]
1897. A new presbytery was built in front of the church's porch tower.[2]
1904. Enney station, on the Châtel-Saint-Denis-Montbovon line, now served Estavannens.[1]
1909. The primary school, in the Heimatstil style, went up halfway between the two cores.[2]
1956. The first poya festivals were held. They have returned at irregular intervals ever since.[1]
1998-1999. The parish church was restored.[2]
2003. On 11 September, the municipal assembly accepted the merger by 103 votes to 0.[5]
2004. On 1 January, Estavannens joined Enney and Villars-sous-Mont in the municipality of Bas-Intyamon.[1][5]
Population of Estavannens
Sources and references: [1][2][5]
| 1811 | 192 |
| 1850 | 246 |
| 1860 | 208 |
| 1900 | 258 |
| 1920 | 342 |
| 1950 | 313 |
| 1970 | 258 |
| 2000 | 280 (or 299 legal population on 31.12.2001) |
Historic sites in Estavannens
Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. The late Gothic church, built from 1619 to 1633 in Estavannens-Dessus, succeeded a chapel recorded from the 14th century. Its sacristy dates from around 1762. It is listed in the inventory of cultural property (category B).[1][2][4]
Dâ chapel. The chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Compassion, at the edge of the forest, received a porch around 1906 and was restored in 1991-1992. A lime tree and a cross stand beside it.[2][4]
Presbyteries and inn. The old presbytery dates from 1698 in its masonry part, was altered around 1760 and restored in the 1980s. The new presbytery is from 1897. The Auberge des Montagnards goes back to the third quarter of the 18th century.[2]
Fountains and farmhouses. The site, listed in the federal inventory of heritage sites, keeps fountains of 1869 and 1873, an old sawmill of 1854 in Estavannens-Dessous and a farmhouse with lintels dated 1596 and 1755, restored in 1979.[2]
Remains in Estavannens
Fossard d'Enbas cemetery. Two Early Iron Age (Hallstatt) burial mounds were uncovered there in the late 2010s. The area has also yielded Bronze Age pottery and a Gallo-Roman grave.[2]
Dairy and cheese house. The dairy and cheese house from the second half of the 19th century has gone, replaced by a new building.[2]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Estavannens » (Marianne Rolle, version du 07.07.2025)
- Inventaire fédéral des sites construits d'importance nationale (ISOS), « Estavannens » (3e version, mai 2023)
- Commune de Bas-Intyamon, « Histoire de la Commune »
- Office fédéral de la protection de la population, « Révision Inventaire PBC 2021 : Liste cantonale Canton de FR » (état au 1.1.2026)
- Conseil d'État du canton de Fribourg, message n° 96 accompagnant le projet de décret relatif à la fusion des communes d'Enney, Estavannens et Villars-sous-Mont (30.09.2003)
Other villages near Estavannens
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