Grolley
Origin of the name Grolley
Grolley appears in 1137-1138 in the name of a witness, « de Groslerio ». This Latin form has not been explained.[1]
Founding of Grolley
Grolley grew up on the road from Fribourg to Payerne. A noble family of the same name lived here in the 12th century, and the La Rosière estate later served as the seat of several lineages. The village belonged to the parish of Belfaux until 1802 and long lived from cereals and livestock. In the 20th century the army and oil depots arrived. Grolley is now part of the municipality of Grolley-Ponthaux (merger of 2025).[1]
History of Grolley
1137-1138. The village is first recorded, as « de Groslerio ».[1]
12th century. A noble family bears the name of Grolley.[1]
1354. A chapel is recorded in the village.[1]
1442. Grolley is one of Fribourg's Old Lands, in the Hospital banner.[1]
15th century. The chapel is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. At the end of the century Grolley becomes a chaplaincy.[1]
1546. A castle rises at La Rosière, near the old fortified house.[1]
1749. The manor of the patrician Chollet estate is dated to this year.[1]
1759-1760. The chapel burns down and is rebuilt the following year.[1]
1798-1848. Grolley belongs to the district of Fribourg.[1]
1802. The inhabitants break away from Belfaux and form their own parish.[1]
1847. On 7 January, women of the village confront a free corps from Estavayer. Louis-Joseph Schmid makes a lithograph of it.[1]
1856. A first school is built. A school centre replaces it in 1972.[1]
1876. The station opens on the Fribourg-Yverdon line.[1]
1910. The present church is consecrated.[1]
1970. The army opens its Motor Vehicle Park, which becomes the Grolley Army Logistics Centre in 2012.[1]
1980s. Housing estates and industrial zones enlarge the village.[1]
2000. Corsalettes joins Grolley. The Grand Council had passed the merger decree on 22 March 2000.[1][3]
2015. In September a first merger with Ponthaux fails in Grolley by 16 votes.[2]
2024. On 3 March the voters of Grolley accept the merger with Ponthaux by 684 votes to 228.[2]
2025. Grolley and Ponthaux together form the municipality of Grolley-Ponthaux.[1][2]
Population of Grolley
Sources and references: [1]
| 1811 | 206 |
| 1850 | 345 |
| 1860 | 400 |
| 1900 | 378 |
| 1950 | 484 |
| 2000 | 1'473 |
| 2010 | 1'676 |
| 2020 | 2'021 |
| 2024 | 2'075 |
Historic sites in Grolley
Church. Consecrated in 1910, it serves the parish created in 1802, when Grolley left Belfaux.[1]
Chollet manor. Manor house of a patrician estate, dated 1749. It keeps Rococo painted canvases of exceptional quality.[1]
La Rosière. An early 19th-century manor stands on the site of the old fortified house and castle.[1]
Station and Army Logistics Centre. The 1876 station serves the Fribourg-Yverdon line. Nearby, the Army Motor Vehicle Park opened in 1970 has become the Grolley Army Logistics Centre.[1]
Remains in Grolley
Fortified house and castle of La Rosière. La Rosière had a medieval fortified house, then a castle built in 1546. The families de Grolley, d'Avenches, Mayor, Praroman and Schrötter lived there. Both buildings have disappeared.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Grolley » (Marianne Rolle, version du 23.09.2025)
- Conseil d'État du canton de Fribourg, message 2023-DIAF-39 accompagnant le projet de décret relatif à la fusion des communes de Grolley et de Ponthaux (07.05.2024, version allemande)
- État de Fribourg, « Liste chronologique des fusions, divisions et changements de nom des communes » (RSF 141.1.2), législation fribourgeoise
Other villages near Grolley
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