Luins
Origin of the name Luins
The place is recorded in 1115 as «Luins». None of the sources consulted explains the origin of the name.
Founding of Luins
None of the sources consulted says who founded the village or why. Luins is recorded in 1115, and its church of Saint-Pierre, mentioned from the 12th century, belonged to the priory of Payerne. Its wine-growing tradition is old: when the lordship of Prangins was divided around 1234, the Cossonay branch received Luins, which had to supply it with wine. The municipality includes the street village of Luins, the hamlet of Combes, several isolated houses and part of the former municipality of Le Vernay.
History of Luins
1115. First mention of the place as «Luins».
12th century. The church of Saint-Pierre is recorded; it belongs to the priory of Payerne.
around 1234. When the lordship of Prangins is divided, the Cossonay branch receives Luins, which must supply it with wine.
1398. Jeanne de Cossonay grants a charter of liberties to Luins.
after 1398. Luins passes to the lords of Mont-le-Vieux.
16th century. After the Reformation, the church becomes a dependency of the parish of Begnins.
Bernese period. Luins belongs to the bailiwick of Nyon, but justice is administered in Rolle, where the village sends a magistrate. The municipality is run by a Council of six members.
17th century. The lordship passes to the de Watteville family.
1674. The church of Saint-Pierre is rebuilt.
17th-18th centuries. The castle is built with materials from the medieval town.
1798. Luins joins the district of Rolle, to which the municipality belongs until 2006.
1896-1897. Restoration of the church of Saint-Pierre.
late 19th century. School merger with Vinzel.
1929. Start of land consolidation.
1952-1953. Further restoration of the church of Saint-Pierre.
1964. Construction of the Lausanne-Geneva motorway, which crosses the municipality; Luins remains wine-growing and agricultural while developing as a residential place.
2008. Luins becomes part of the new district of Nyon, created by the 2006 territorial reorganisation.
Population of Luins
| 1764 | 154 |
| 1850 | 180 |
| 1900 | 266 |
| 1950 | 231 |
| 1980 | 226 |
| 2000 | 322 |
| 2025 | 640 |
Historic sites in Luins
Church of Saint-Pierre. Recorded from the 12th century and owned by the priory of Payerne, it became a dependency of Begnins after the Reformation. Rebuilt in 1674, it was restored in 1896-1897 and 1952-1953.
Luins Castle. Castle of the 17th-18th centuries, built with materials from the medieval town.
Street village and hamlet of Combes. The street village, in the heart of the La Côte vineyards, and the hamlet of Combes form the municipality's settlement, together with several isolated houses.
Remains in Luins
Former medieval town. The medieval town of Luins has disappeared; its materials were reused to build the castle in the 17th-18th centuries.
Legends of Luins
The malakoff. According to an oral tradition, Swiss soldiers from Geneva and the Vaud Côte who fought before Sevastopol, defended by the Malakoff fort, during the Crimean War (1853-1856), took to frying slices of cheese in a pan at their bivouac; back home, they are said to have kept meeting to eat them, hence the name «malakoff» given to this dish. It is now a speciality of several villages of La Côte, including Luins (to be cross-checked).
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Luins »
- Dizionario storico della Svizzera, « Vinzel »
- Wikipédia, « Malakoff (gastronomie) »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Luins
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