Mont-la-Ville
Origin of the name Mont-la-Ville
First written mention in 1140 as «in Monte Villa». The origin of the name is not explained by the sources consulted.
Founding of Mont-la-Ville
The area has been frequented since the end of the Palaeolithic: the Freymond shelter, at the Mollendruz, was occupied temporarily from the end of the Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic (10'000-5500 BC), then permanently in the Neolithic. None of the sources consulted says who founded the village or when; it is mentioned in 1140 and in the Middle Ages belonged to the land of Les Clées.
History of Mont-la-Ville
10'000-5500 BC. The Freymond shelter, a large rock shelter at the Mollendruz, is occupied temporarily from the end of the Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic.
Neolithic. Permanent occupation of the shelter.
1140. First mention as «in Monte Villa».
Middle Ages. Mont-la-Ville belongs to the land of Les Clées.
1416. Mont-la-Ville and Cuarnens together have 96 hearths.
1536-1798. Under Bernese rule the village belongs to the castellany of Les Clées.
1764. The village has 254 inhabitants.
1798. Mont-la-Ville is assigned to the district of Cossonay.
1825. The present church is built.
1838. The chapel of Saint-Michel becomes a parish seat; the parish is abolished in 1845 and restored in 1857.
1851. The school is built.
1900. The municipality reaches 447 inhabitants.
1962. A water reservoir is built.
1970s. A Nordic sports centre opens at the Mollendruz.
1983. A municipal tax is introduced.
2006-2008. The law on territorial organisation, in force from 1 September 2006, abolishes the district of Cossonay; the municipality becomes part of the district of Morges, effective 1 January 2008.
Population of Mont-la-Ville
| 1416 | 96 hearths (households), with Cuarnens |
| 1764 | 254 |
| 1798 | 309 |
| 1900 | 447 |
| 1950 | 351 |
| 2000 | 328 |
| 2025 | 504 |
Historic sites in Mont-la-Ville
Church (temple) of Mont-la-Ville. Built in 1825, it succeeded the chapel of Saint-Michel. It holds a bell from 1500 and stained-glass windows by Pierre Chiara and Charles Clément (1950) (to be cross-checked).
School of 1851. Built in 1851 and attributed to the architects Krieg and Rossier; it served as a model for the school of Marchissy (to be cross-checked).
Mollendruz road and pass. The municipality stretches along the Mollendruz road; a Nordic sports centre opened there in the 1970s.
Hamlet of Chaume. Besides the village, the municipality includes the hamlet of Chaume and scattered farms; farming dominates, with five alpine pastures.
Remains in Mont-la-Ville
Freymond shelter (Mollendruz rock shelter). Large rock shelter occupied temporarily from the end of the Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic (10'000-5500 BC), then permanently in the Neolithic. It holds the oldest traces of human occupation in the territory of Vaud and is listed as a cultural property of national importance.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Mont-la-Ville »
- Wikipédia, « Mont-la-Ville »
- Wikipedia (EN), « Mont-la-Ville »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
Other villages near Mont-la-Ville
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