Monlési

Origin of the name Monlési

Name origin: Abram de Pury renamed the property « Mon Lési », that is « Mon Loisir » (My Leisure).

Founding of Monlési

Monlési lies in the territory of the former municipality of Boveresse, now in the municipality of Val-de-Travers (merger of 1 January 2009). The estate grew out of purchases of meadow and forest plots from 1680 by Samuel de Pury, receiver of the Vautravers. His heir Abram de Pury had the house built in 1755 and renamed the property « Mon Lési » (Mon Loisir). In summer he received his many relatives and friends there, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The house was rebuilt after a fire in 1799.

History of Monlési

1680. Samuel de Pury, receiver of the Vautravers, begins buying the meadows and forests that will form the estate.

1755. Abram de Pury, heir to the estate, has the house built and names the property « Mon Lési ».

1764. Pierre-Alexandre Du Peyrou writes from Monlési to Jean-Jacques Rousseau (letters of 9 and 13 September).

1765. Another letter from Du Peyrou to Rousseau dated from Monlési (25 September).

1766. Du Peyrou again writes to Rousseau from Monlési (31 July).

1778. On 14 July Du Peyrou writes from Monlési to the Marquis René Louis de Girardin and to Marie-Thérèse Levasseur.

1799. The house is rebuilt after a fire.

Historic sites in Monlési

The country house. House with side gables divided into three parts: the owners' residence to the east, the tenant farmer's flat in the centre, stable and shed to the west. A small bell turret was used to call the workers, and an avenue of old trees leads to the estate. It is listed in the inventory of cultural property (KGS 10108).

The Glacière de Monlési. Ice cave at about 1'100 to 1'120 m above sea level, some 1.3 km north of the house. Cold winter air enters through a high opening and stays trapped in summer; the ice forms mainly from seeping water that freezes. With about 6'000 m3 it holds the largest volume of ice of the Jura ice caves. It is reached by a path and a ladder.

Sources

• Inventaire suisse des biens culturels d'importance nationale et régionale, « Ferme No 1201 (Monlési, Boveresse) » (KGS 10108)
• Electronic Enlightenment, « Monlési »
• SwissEduc, « Glacière de Monlési »
• « Les glaciers du Jura » (visinand.ch)
• geo.admin.ch, carte nationale (Monlési, Glacière de Monlési)
• État de Neuchâtel, arrêté du 4 février 2026 homologuant le recensement cantonal de la population au 31 décembre 2025

Other villages near Monlési

• Boveresse (NE)
• Prieuré Saint-Pierre de Môtiers (NE)
• Môtiers (NE)
• Fleurier (NE)
• Saint-Sulpice (NE)