Monnaz

Canton of Vaud · District: Morges · Since the merger of 1 July 2011, Monnaz no longer forms an independent municipality. In 2009, the last year recorded before its integration into Échichens, it had 396 inhabitants, following marked population growth since the mid-20th century.

Part of the municipality of Echichens

Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Monnaz

The name Monnaz appears in written documents as early as the late 12th or very early 13th century: the attested old forms are Monna (before 1200) and then Muna (1221), with some sources placing this second mention rather around 1213. The Vaud toponymic suffix -az (or -oz) is not pronounced, so the name is locally said Monne. The exact origin of the name remains debated: one source mentions a Celtic root meaning water, but this hypothesis has not been cross-checked elsewhere and should be treated with caution.

Founding of Monnaz

No founding act or single founder is documented for Monnaz. The earliest traces link the place to the regional ecclesiastical organization: toward the end of the 12th century, a document of dues owed to the chapter of Lausanne already mentions a deacon in post at Monnaz, a sign of a small rural community organized around a chapel. The seigneury of Monnaz itself is only clearly attested from 1453 onward; it then depended on the neighbouring seigneury of Montricher. The village thus developed gradually as a small rural and seigneurial entity, with no precise founding episode or identifiable founder reported by the available sources.

History of Monnaz

late 12th century. A document of dues owed to the chapter of Lausanne cathedral mentions a deacon in post at Monnaz, one of the very first written traces of the place.

before 1200. The place is mentioned in the form Monna in the written record.

1221. The name appears in the form Muna; other sources place a comparable mention around 1213.

14th century. Probable construction of the château of Monnaz, whose medieval origin is mentioned by several sources without a precise date.

1453. The seigneury of Monnaz, then depending on that of Montricher, is clearly attested for the first time. The village chapel is at this time affiliated with the parish of Joulens.

1536. The Bernese conquest of the Pays de Vaud brings about the Protestant Reformation; the parish of Monnaz is attached to that of Morges. The village enters the Bernese bailiwick of Morges, where it will remain until 1798.

1580. Guillaume de Vuillermin acquires the seigneury of Monnaz.

1680. Construction of the Protestant church of Monnaz, in all likelihood financed by the local lord, Gabriel de Vuillermin (sometimes spelled Willermin).

1754. The château and the seigneury pass to the Golowkin family, linked to a Russian ambassador; the sources vary on the exact details of this transfer (count or countess Golowkin, embassy in Paris or in Holland).

1764. The village has 106 inhabitants.

1798. End of Bernese rule and disappearance of the bailiwick of Morges with the creation of the canton of Vaud.

1846-1864. The parish of Monnaz is temporarily attached to that of Vufflens-le-Château, before returning to the orbit of the parish of Morges.

1850. The village has 159 inhabitants.

1880. The church of Monnaz is largely rebuilt by the architect Henri André.

1900. The village has 139 inhabitants.

1925. The church receives new stained-glass windows made by René Martin.

1950. The village has 108 inhabitants.

1981. Drawing up of a zoning plan for the village.

1984. Construction of a new communal house (town hall).

1987. Creation of a local show entitled Le Rire du Diable.

1998. The Protestant church undergoes a new renovation.

2000. The village has 279 inhabitants.

2006. Creation of a second local show, Les Garluts.

2009. Last population figure before the merger: 396 inhabitants, following strong population growth since the 1950s.

2011. On 1 July, Monnaz merges with Colombier, Échichens and Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges to form the new municipality of Échichens; Monnaz becomes a village of this municipality rather than an independent municipality.

2012. The Protestant church of Monnaz undergoes a new restoration.

Population of Monnaz

106

1764

159

1850

139

1900

108

1950

279

2000

396

2009

Historic sites in Monnaz

Protestant church of Monnaz. Built in 1680, in all likelihood at the expense of the local lord Gabriel de Vuillermin, this small church was largely rebuilt in 1880 by the architect Henri André, fitted with new stained-glass windows in 1925, and then renovated again in 1998 and in 2012.

Château de Monnaz. Probably of medieval origin (14th century), the château has changed hands several times, notably in 1754 when it passed to the Golowkin family. Modernized over the centuries, it retains a characteristic façade adorned with a panelled arch in the Bernese style. The sources do not fully agree on whether the original medieval building survives or whether it was replaced by a later manor house.

Path linking Monnaz to Vufflens-le-Château. A path with, according to one source, 229 steps is said to link the village of Monnaz to the neighbouring village of Vufflens-le-Château. This information could not be cross-checked in the other sources consulted and should be treated with reservation.

Sources

Other villages near Monnaz

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