Fenil-sur-Corsier

Origin of the name Fenil-sur-Corsier

The origin of the name is not explained in the sources consulted, which give no dated early mention. The place appears there as the « lieudit Fenil » (place called Fenil); the locality today bears the official name Fenil-sur-Corsier.

Founding of Fenil-sur-Corsier

Fenil-sur-Corsier is a locality in the municipality of Corsier-sur-Vevey, on the right bank of the Veveyse. The sources consulted do not say when or by whom the place was first inhabited; its early history merges with that of the municipality. The place is above all marked by the Pont de Fenil, built in 1902-1903 for the road and the railway from Vevey to Châtel-Saint-Denis, and then by the creation of an industrial zone which, since 1990, has provided more than 700 jobs in construction, engineering and tobacco.

History of Fenil-sur-Corsier

1798. Like the whole municipality of Corsier, the place belongs to the district of Vevey.

1902-1903. Construction of the Pont de Fenil over the Veveyse, a steel truss arch bridge designed by the engineer Adrien Palaz for the road and the metre-gauge Vevey-Châtel-Saint-Denis railway.

1904. Inauguration of the Pont de Fenil on 4 March.

1969. The unprofitable railway stops running over the bridge.

1974. The municipalities buy back the bridge, now reserved for road traffic.

1990. The industrial zone at the place called Fenil has provided, since this year, more than 700 jobs in construction, engineering and tobacco.

2008. On 1 January, together with the whole municipality of Corsier-sur-Vevey, the locality moves from the district of Vevey to the new district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut.

Historic sites in Fenil-sur-Corsier

Pont de Fenil. Steel truss arch bridge on masonry piers, between Corsier-sur-Vevey and Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz, built in 1902-1903 and inaugurated on 4 March 1904. It is 230 metres long, has three spans (57, 84 and 57 metres), weighs 602 tonnes of steel and reaches a height of 85 metres above the Veveyse. Designed by Adrien Palaz, with Victor Ryncki supervising the works, it was built by Vago & Champion (masonry) and Conrad Zschokke (steelwork). Originally a road and rail bridge, it has been reserved for road traffic since 1974.

Fenil industrial zone. Business zone which, since 1990, has changed the economic structure of the municipality, until then based on wine-growing and farming, providing more than 700 jobs in construction, engineering and tobacco.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Corsier-sur-Vevey »
• Inventaire fédéral ISOS, « Corsier-sur-Vevey »
• Structurae, « Pont de Fenil »
• Wikipedia (en), « Corsier-sur-Vevey »
• Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
• geo.admin.ch, Recherche de lieux (swisstopo)

Other villages near Fenil-sur-Corsier

• Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz (VD)
• Jongny (VD)
• Corsier-sur-Vevey (VD)
• Les Monts-de-Corsier (VD)
• Blonay (VD)