Grandvaux

Origin of the name Grandvaux

The village's name is attested in writing in the form «de Gravaz» in 1250, then «Grandvaulx» in 1445, a form close to the current name. This evolution suggests a link with the words «grand» (great) and «vaux» (valleys, slopes), referring to the relief of the Lavaux hillside on which the village is built. However, no source consulted gives a definitive, documented etymological explanation; this interpretation would deserve to be cross-checked against a work specialised in Vaud toponymy.

Founding of Grandvaux

The territory of Grandvaux belonged, in the Middle Ages, to the large parish of Villette (also called the Grande Communauté or general municipality of Villette), one of the four parishes of Lavaux placed under the authority of the bishop of Lausanne. Between 1134 and 1138, the Saint-Saturnin church served six localities, including Grandvaux, Cully, Épesses, Forel, Riex and Villette. The development of viticulture in the region was strongly encouraged by the bishops of Lausanne and by Cistercian abbeys (Hautcrêt, Montheron, Hauterive), which received or acquired land in the region from the 12th century onwards; the counts of Gruyère thus sold their rights over Grandvaux to Hautcrêt abbey in 1270. In 1274, the lords Guillaume and Jean d'Ecublens ceded their own rights to the bishop of Lausanne, who became the main lord of the place despite the rival claims of the counts of Genève. Grandvaux obtained liberties and franchises in 1282 and constituted, within the large parish of Villette, a «quarter» (communal subdivision) endowed with a degree of local autonomy. It was only in 1824 that the former large parish of Villette was officially divided into several distinct municipalities; the definitive act of partition, dated 11 August 1826, created the municipality of Grandvaux, whose authorities were sworn in on 5 December 1826.

History of Grandvaux

Roman period. Traces of Roman occupation have been reported on the territory of Grandvaux; one source mentions the locality «Le Muret», but this precise location would deserve to be cross-checked against further archaeological work.

1134-1138. The Saint-Saturnin church, at the heart of the large parish of Villette, serves six localities of the Lavaux hillside, including Grandvaux.

1250. First attested written mention of the place, in the form «de Gravaz».

1270. The counts of Gruyère sell their seigneurial rights over Grandvaux to Hautcrêt abbey.

1274. Guillaume and Jean d'Ecublens cede their rights to the bishop of Lausanne, who becomes the main lord of the place.

1282. Grandvaux obtains liberties and franchises.

1445. The place is mentioned in the form «Grandvaulx».

1536. The Bernese conquest of the Pays de Vaud incorporates Grandvaux into the bailiwick of Lausanne.

1635. Restoration of the village's temple (church).

1764. The village has 401 inhabitants.

1798. End of the Ancien Régime; Grandvaux, which then has 340 inhabitants, is attached to the district of Lavaux.

1824. The former large parish of Villette is administratively divided into several distinct municipalities.

1826. The definitive act of partition (11 August) officially creates the municipality of Grandvaux; its authorities are sworn in on 5 December.

1837. Grandvaux ceases to be a religious filial of the parish of Villette.

1862. Opening of Grandvaux railway station on the Lausanne-Bern line.

1999. Launch in Grandvaux of the annual «Village de l'étiquette» event, a wine label design competition held every year in September.

2005. A first merger project for the Lavaux municipalities is rejected in a vote on 27 February, notably due to resistance from the population of Grandvaux.

2007. The Lavaux terraced vineyard, of which the territory of Grandvaux forms part, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

2009. A new merger project is approved in a vote on 17 May.

2011. On 1 July, Grandvaux merges with Cully, Épesses, Riex and Villette to form the new municipality of Bourg-en-Lavaux; Grandvaux becomes a locality of this municipality.

Population of Grandvaux

Population of Grandvaux

1764	401
1798	340
1850	623
1900	677
1950	799
1980	1'272
2000	1'937
2009	2'014

Historic sites in Grandvaux

The village and its lanes. Grandvaux is built on a steep slope above lac Léman, with a maze of lanes, stairways and wine-growers' houses packed tightly together, typical of the traditional built environment of the Lavaux vineyard. The village is listed in the Swiss inventory of sites of national importance to be protected.

The Maillardo House. This house is known for its late Gothic windows dating from the 16th century, a remarkable witness to the village's old architecture.

The Grandvaux temple. The village's church (temple), whose restoration is documented in 1635, remains one of the historic landmarks of the village centre.

Le Signal de Grandvaux. The highest point of Grandvaux's historic municipal territory, away from the lake, towards the Jorat; it marks the extent of the village's territory between lake and forest.

Grandvaux railway station. A stop on the Lausanne-Bern line, opened in 1862, it bears witness to the village's early integration into the Swiss railway network.

The terraced vineyard (UNESCO). Part of Grandvaux's territory belongs to the Lavaux terraced vineyard site, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2007, a living cultural landscape shaped by viticulture since the Middle Ages.

Remains in Grandvaux

Roman remains. Occupation during the Roman period is reported for the territory of Grandvaux; one source mentions a precise site (the locality «Le Muret»), but this information, resting on a single source consulted, would deserve to be cross-checked against a dedicated archaeological study before being regarded as definitively established.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, Grandvaux
• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, Bourg-en-Lavaux
• Wikipédia FR, Grandvaux (Vaud)
• Wikipédia EN, Grandvaux
• Wikipédia EN, Bourg-en-Lavaux
• Wikipédia EN, Grandvaux railway station
• Commune de Bourg-en-Lavaux, Un peu d'histoire
• Villette-Lavaux.ch, Histoire de la grande paroisse de Villette
• Lavaux UNESCO, Lavaux et ses patrimoines
• MySwitzerland, Grandvaux, village of labels
• Charles Christian Rochat, « Grandvaux à la recherche de son passé », éd. Municipalité de Grandvaux (ouvrage papier, non consulté directement en ligne)

Other villages near Grandvaux

• Villette (VD)
• Chenaux (VD)
• Aran (VD)
• Cully (VD)
• Riex (VD)