Jorat-Menthue
Origin of the name Jorat-Menthue
The new name is set by the agreement: «Le nom de la nouvelle commune est Jorat-Menthue». The Menthue is the river whose right bank Villars-Tiercelin overlooks from the heights. Its course already appeared, as a wavy fess, in the arms this village adopted in 1923. The river is also spelled Mentue: the cantonal archives prefer this spelling, local usage keeps Menthue, and both appear on national maps and old cadastral plans.[1][5]
Founding of Jorat-Menthue
Montaubion-Chardonney, Peney-le-Jorat, Sottens, Villars-Mendraz and Villars-Tiercelin form Jorat-Menthue on 1 July 2011. The project first included six communes, but Poliez-Pittet withdrew in 2009. The arms bear «cinq sapins de l'un à l'autre, trois et deux» on a field crossed by a wavy fess. The territory covers part of the central Jorat, a high plateau on which Peney-le-Jorat and its hamlets stand. In the Middle Ages the land there belonged mostly to Church lords. The Cistercian abbey of Hautcrêt held Peney and one half of Villars-Mendraz, whose other half went to the priory of Lutry. Montaubion-Chardonney and Villars-Tiercelin came under the Lausanne cathedral chapter, through the castellany of Dommartin. The Jorat forests were the other shared asset: Villars-Mendraz still owned woods on the land of Peney, Montaubion-Chardonney and Villars-Tiercelin. This closeness did not lead to administrative unity, and until 2006 the five villages were spread over several districts.[1][5][6][8][9]
History of Jorat-Menthue
1134-1143. Albert de Dommartin gives Peney to the Cistercian abbey of Hautcrêt. The monks set up a grange there, with an oven and a mill, and the village grows around it.[1][6]
1141-1453. The names enter the records: Peney («Pinoy») in 1141 or 1143, Sottens («Sotens») in 1147, Villars-Tiercelin («Vilar Ticelin») around 1215, Chardonney («Chardenai») in 1223, Villars-Mendraz («Villarmendra») in 1453.[5][6][7][8][9]
1151. The Goumoëns open their Jorat woods to Hautcrêt. Similar rights of use are granted to the people of Villars-Tiercelin in 1233, then to those of Peney and Villars-Mendraz in 1247.[5][6]
1312. A chapel of Notre-Dame is recorded at Sottens, a daughter church of Chapelle-sur-Moudon. Deconsecrated at the Reformation, it later houses the poor and disappears in 1843.[5][7]
1536-1798. Bern divides the territory between several units: Sottens and Villars-Mendraz in the bailiwick of Moudon, Villars-Tiercelin in the mandement of Dommartin, in the bailiwick of Lausanne, Peney in that of Oron from 1557.[6][7][8][9]
1752. The boundary of Villars-Mendraz is fixed before the bailiff Samuel Egger. It has not changed since.[1][5][8]
1794. Peney-le-Jorat becomes the centre of a pastoral suffragancy, detached from Dommartin. It becomes a full parish only in 1840.[1][6]
1798-2006. Three districts share the territory: Moudon for Sottens and Villars-Mendraz, Oron for Peney-le-Jorat, Echallens for Villars-Tiercelin.[6][7][8][9]
1931. On 23 April the Sottens transmitter, the country's first high-power transmitter, is inaugurated. It ceases all activity on 5 December 2010.[1][5][7]
2008. Six communes launch a merger project in July. Working groups and a steering committee begin work in October.[1]
2009. In April Poliez-Pittet leaves the project, which continues with five.[1]
2009-2010. From December 2009 to January 2010 the steering committee reviews the working groups' final reports.[1]
2010. The five general councils adopt the merger agreement on 15 March.[1]
2010. Simultaneous votes of 13 June: the voters of all five communes accept the merger.[1]
2010. The Grand Council adopts the merger decree on 12 October.[2]
2011. Jorat-Menthue becomes a commune on 1 July.[1][2][3]
Population of Jorat-Menthue
Sources and references: [4]
| 2025 | 1'564 |
Historic sites in Jorat-Menthue
Administrative seat. The commune's seat is in Peney-le-Jorat. While the premises in Peney-le-Jorat were being renovated, Sottens was to house the administration and polling office for a time.[1]
Sottens national transmitter. A cultural property of national importance, it broadcast radio on medium wave, whose power reached 500 kW in 1978. Shortwave was added in 1971. The great antenna was demolished in 1989.[1][5][7][10]
Church and parsonage of Peney-le-Jorat. They were built in 1795, the year after the suffragancy was created.[1][6]
Church of Villars-Tiercelin. Built in 1794 in the centre of the village, after repeated requests from the inhabitants. The earlier church, recorded in 1225, had burned down and been rebuilt in 1536.[5]
Granaries of Sottens and La Cassine farm (Villars-Tiercelin). Two granaries in Sottens and the La Cassine farm are listed as cultural properties of regional importance.[10]
Sources
- État de Vaud, Conseil d'État, exposé des motifs et projet de décret no 318 sur la fusion des communes de Montaubion-Chardonney, Peney-le-Jorat, Sottens, Villars-Mendraz et Villars-Tiercelin (juin 2010)
- Grand Conseil du canton de Vaud, « Décret sur la fusion des communes de Montaubion-Chardonney, Peney-le-Jorat, Sottens, Villars-Mendraz et Villars-Tiercelin » (12 octobre 2010)
- État de Vaud, « Fusions de communes en chiffres (2025) »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
- Commune de Jorat-Menthue, « Historique »
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Peney-le-Jorat » (Olivier Frédéric Dubuis, version du 04.01.2017)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Sottens » (Emmanuel Abetel, version du 04.01.2017)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Villars-Mendraz » (Gilbert Coutaz, version du 04.01.2017)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Villars-Tiercelin » (Marianne Stubenvoll, version du 04.01.2017)
- Office fédéral de la protection de la population, Inventaire PBC, liste cantonale VD (état au 1.1.2026)
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Jorat-Menthue
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