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La Brillaz

Merger 2001 Canton of Fribourg · District: Sarine · 2'239 inhabitants (31.12.2025)
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name La Brillaz

The municipality took the name of a place that belonged to none of the three villages: La Brillaz designates a chapel and a forest lying mostly on the territory of Prez and only partly on that of Lovens. The choice caused controversy. The origin of the place name is uncertain. The linguist Wulf Müller, former editor of the Glossaire des patois de la Suisse romande, links it to the verb « broyer », from the Frankish « brekan » (to break, to reduce to pulp, to make mud), which the waterlogged forest would make plausible. In the local patois « brè » means « juice, liquid ».[1][2]

Founding of La Brillaz

La Brillaz has united Onnens, Lovens and Lentigny since 1 January 2001. The Grand Council voted the merger decree on 16 November 2000 and, in the same session, amended the law on administrative districts. The parish of La Brillaz was created on the same day as the municipality. The three villages had known frictions, because of differing municipal and parish boundaries and separate schools. The municipal administration is in Lentigny.[1][2][3][4]

History of La Brillaz

1848. The new division into districts under the Radical regime places Lentigny, Lovens and Onnens in the same district, Sarine, for the first time.[2]

1926-1927. The chapel of La Brillaz is built, mainly thanks to a gift from Marie Guisolan-Meunier (1859-1925).[2][5]

2000. On 16 November the Grand Council adopts the decree merging Lentigny, Lovens and Onnens.[3][4]

2001. On 1 January the municipality and the parish of La Brillaz replace those of the three villages.[2][3]

2013. On 28 May the Council of State approves the merger plan of the prefect of Sarine, which places La Brillaz in the « Sarine-Ouest » project with nine other municipalities.[6]

2015. On 8 March the ten-way merger is rejected in a consultative vote in Avry and Matran.[6]

Population of La Brillaz

Sources and references: [7]

Population of La Brillaz
20252'239

Historic sites in La Brillaz

Municipal administration. It is located in Lentigny, route d'Onnens 11.[1]

Chapel of La Brillaz. Lying, like the forest of the same name, mostly on the territory of Prez, it gave the municipality its name.[2][5]

Sources

  1. Commune de La Brillaz, « Histoire »
  2. Commune de La Brillaz, « Historique » (Jean-Marie Barras et Christine Barras, octobre 2023)
  3. État de Fribourg, « Liste chronologique des fusions, divisions et changements de nom des communes » (RSF 141.1.2), législation fribourgeoise
  4. Grand Conseil du canton de Fribourg, Bulletin officiel des séances, tome CLII (2000), répertoire
  5. Commune de Prez, « Histoire »
  6. Conseil d'État du canton de Fribourg, message 2018-DIAF-32 accompagnant le projet de décret relatif à la fusion des communes de Corserey, Noréaz et Prez-vers-Noréaz (30.04.2019)
  7. Service de la statistique du canton de Fribourg (SStat), « Population des communes, de 1900 à 2025 » (T01-02-03), population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025

Localities of the municipality with a page

Other villages near La Brillaz

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