Mauraz
Origin of the name Mauraz
The name appears in 1324 in the form «Moraz», then in 1547 in the form «Moura». Its origin is not established: it might derive from the name of a Roman landowner or from hypothetical fortifications, «muraz» meaning «wall» in the local patois (to be cross-checked).
Founding of Mauraz
The village, made up of two groups of houses, grew up around two mills, a fulling mill and a sawmill, attested in 1685, at the confluence of the Veyron and the Morand. In the Middle Ages the place depended on the abbey of Romainmôtier, then became part of the lordship of Montricher. The municipality itself was born of an initiative of its inhabitants: on 28 December 1719, five of them asked the baron of Montricher for permission to form an association of commoners, which was granted, although the lord kept the lands, the forests and the rights of citizenship. Having no forests, the municipality lived on the income from its mills and the entry fees paid by new citizens.
History of Mauraz
Middle Ages. The place depends on the abbey of Romainmôtier, then becomes part of the lordship of Montricher.
1324. First written mention, in the form «Moraz».
1536-1798. Under Bernese rule, Mauraz belongs to the bailiwick of Morges.
1547. The name appears in the form «Moura».
1584. Casting of the bell that today strikes the hours above the chapel.
1685. Two mills, a fulling mill and a sawmill are attested.
1716. A head of the village community is mentioned.
1719. On 28 December the municipality is recognised by the baron of Montricher, who reserves the rights of citizenship.
1772. Construction of the school.
1798-2006. Mauraz belongs to the district of Cossonay.
1837-1838. The village, otherwise always part of the parish of Pampigny, exceptionally belongs to that of L'Isle.
1920. Closure of the school, demolished in 1933.
1926. Adoption of the coat of arms: a crenellated fess evoking a wall, the supposed remnant of a vanished fortress.
1944. Construction of the chapel, which receives the bell of 1584.
1972. Closure of the last mill.
1997. The sawmill is destroyed by fire.
2008. With the new territorial organisation of Vaud, Mauraz joins the district of Morges.
Population of Mauraz
| 1803 | 43 |
| 1850 | 97 |
| 1900 | 70 |
| 1950 | 40 |
| 1980 | 39 |
| 2000 | 48 |
| 2025 | 74 |
Historic sites in Mauraz
Chapel and bell of 1584. The chapel, built in 1944, carries a bell cast in 1584 that strikes the hours. This bell is said to have belonged to «Dame Loïse de Sipierre et de Toisi», lady-in-waiting to the Queen of France (to be cross-checked).
Confluence of the Veyron and the Morand. The village formed where the two streams meet; from at least the 17th century their power drove two mills, a fulling mill and a sawmill. The last mill closed in 1972 and the sawmill burned down in 1997.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Mauraz » (version allemande)
- Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, « Alphabet des communes vaudoises : Mauraz »
- Wikipédia, « Mauraz »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Mauraz
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