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Villages / Vaud / Montmagny

Montmagny

Canton of Vaud · District: Broye-Vully · 180 inhabitants in 2009, the last known estimate before the 2011 merger
Part of the municipality of Vully-les-Lacs
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Montmagny

The name Montmagny first appears in written documents of the 13th century, in the Latin form « Mons Manniaco » (or « Manniaco »), then in 1458 in the form « Montmagniel ». The element « Mont- » refers to the village's position, built on the heights of the Mont Vully. The second element could derive from a Gallo-Roman personal or estate name in -(i)acum, possibly linked to an owner bearing a name such as Magnius; this etymological hypothesis is confirmed by only one source consulted and would deserve to be cross-checked by specialised toponymic studies.

Founding of Montmagny

There is no document attesting a planned foundation or a single founder for Montmagny: the village developed gradually on the Vaud slope of the Mont Vully, perhaps as early as Gallo-Roman times if one follows the toponymic hypothesis mentioned above. During the Middle Ages, the whole Vully region, on which Montmagny depended, belonged to the House of Savoie and the Savoyard castellany of Cudrefin. Montmagny then shared its communal and parish organisation with the neighbouring village of Constantine, with which it formed only a single municipality throughout the Ancien Régime, while showing signs of relative communal autonomy as early as 1393 and 1496. After the conquest of the Pays de Vaud by Berne in 1536, the region came under the authority of the bailiwick of Avenches. It was not until 1811 that Montmagny administratively separated from Constantine to become a fully independent municipality, until the 2011 merger.

History of Montmagny

Bronze Age. Excavations carried out in 1872 at the place called Bois Rosset, on the territory of Montmagny, uncover bronze bracelets and rings, attesting to an early occupation of the site; the sources consulted do not further specify the dating or the exact nature of the site.

13th century. First known written mention of the village, in the Latin form « Mons Manniaco » (« Manniaco »).

1393 / 1496. Documents attest a relative communal autonomy of Montmagny within the entity it then formed with Constantine.

1458. The village is mentioned in the form « Montmagniel ».

1536. The conquest of the Pays de Vaud by Berne brings the Vully region, and Montmagny with it, under the authority of the bailiwick of Avenches; the territory had previously belonged to the Savoyard castellany of Cudrefin.

1550. The hearth register records 15 hearths in Montmagny.

1669. Foundation, according to only one source consulted, of a bourgeois society called « abbaye des bourgeois » in Montmagny; this information would deserve to be cross-checked.

1798. Under the Helvetic Republic, Montmagny is temporarily attached to the canton of Fribourg.

1803. The Act of Mediation brings Montmagny back into the canton of Vaud, within the district of Avenches.

1811. Montmagny administratively separates from Constantine, with which it had formed a single municipality since the Ancien Régime, and becomes an independent municipality. It then has 163 inhabitants.

1850. The population reaches 223 inhabitants, a historic maximum for the municipality.

1872. Archaeological excavations at the place called Bois Rosset uncover bronze bracelets and rings.

1920. Viticulture occupies about 11 hectares of the municipal territory.

1928-1929. Faced with pressure deemed insufficient in the fire hydrants in case of fire, the General Council votes, by 30 votes to 6, for the construction of a water tower, built in 1929; it remains today one of the village's visual landmarks.

1981. The village school closes its doors.

1990. The population, having fallen to 129 inhabitants, reaches its known historic minimum; the vineyard area shrinks to 4.5 hectares.

2006. The dissolution of the district of Avenches brings Montmagny into the new district of Broye-Vully.

1 July 2011. Montmagny merges with the municipalities of Bellerive, Chabrey, Constantine, Mur, Vallamand and Villars-le-Grand to form the new municipality of Vully-les-Lacs. Jacques Loup, syndic (mayor) of Montmagny, is the last holder of this office before the merger.

Population of Montmagny

Population of Montmagny
155015 hearths (households)
1811163 inhabitants
1850223 inhabitants
1860201 inhabitants
1900191 inhabitants
1950171 inhabitants
1990129 inhabitants
2000156 inhabitants
2004172 inhabitants
2009180 inhabitants
2010178 inhabitants

Historic sites in Montmagny

Montmagny water tower (1929). Built in 1929 after a vote by the General Council (30 votes to 6) prompted by pressure deemed insufficient in the fire hydrants in case of fire, this water tower with its recognisable shape has become one of the village's visual landmarks, on the heights of the Mont Vully between Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Morat. It is open to the public seasonally (April to October depending on the year).

Old village core. The centre of the village is said, according to only one source consulted, to preserve rural houses dating from the 17th to the 19th century; this information would deserve to be cross-checked by other heritage surveys before definitive publication.

« Abbaye des bourgeois » (1669). A bourgeois society called « abbaye des bourgeois », founded in 1669 according to only one source consulted, is said to have preserved collections related to local history; this information could not be cross-checked against other sources and would deserve verification.

Viewpoint of the Mont Vully. Located on the Vaud slope of the Mont Vully, between Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Morat, the village offers a panoramic viewpoint characteristic of the region, one of the scenic attractions of the Vully.

Remains in Montmagny

Bronze bracelets and rings from Bois Rosset. In 1872, excavations carried out at the place called Bois Rosset, on the territory of Montmagny, uncovered bronze bracelets and rings. These objects attest to an early occupation of the site, but the sources consulted specify neither the exact context of the discovery (settlement, burial or other) nor the current place of conservation of the pieces.

Sources

Other villages near Montmagny

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