Ollon
Origin of the name Ollon
Name origin: the name Ollon appears in a late copy of King Sigismund's endowment of the abbey of Saint-Maurice, whose original is said to date from 515. Early forms: « Aulonum » after 1018 (uncertain identification), then « Olonum » in 1025-1031. The name is said to derive from the Gaulish « aballo- », « apple » or « apple tree » (to be cross-checked).
Founding of Ollon
The territory of Ollon was settled early and durably: without a proven unbroken occupation, the area was frequented from the Neolithic to the early Middle Ages, especially the hill of Saint-Triphon. In the Middle Ages the bishop of Sion held rights there, while the hospice of the Great St Bernard and the hospitals of Villeneuve and Saint-Maurice owned property. The sources consulted name no founder: the commune was formed from twenty-three villages and hamlets (including Antagnes, Arveyes, Chesières, Huémoz, Panex, Saint-Triphon and Villars-sur-Ollon), long divided into twelve dizains, each with its own purse, burghers and council of heads of family.
History of Ollon
Neolithic. Potsherds and stone objects at Le Lessus, on the hill of Saint-Triphon.
Bronze Age. Numerous burials at Le Lessus, graves at Charpigny and Derrière-la-Roche; settlement and metalworkers' workshops at Le Signal.
Late Iron Age. Graves with brooches near La Combaz; late La Tène burials and pits at Le Lessus.
4th century. A milestone in the name of Emperor Licinius is set up at the foot of the hill of Saint-Triphon.
515. Presumed date of the original of Sigismund's endowment of the abbey of Saint-Maurice, whose late copy mentions Ollon.
1179. First mention of the church of Saint-Victor.
Late 12th century. Construction of La Roche castle.
13th century. The House of Savoy gradually establishes itself in Ollon; in the 12th and 13th centuries the vidomnat belongs to the de la Tour family.
1244. The existence of the parish is confirmed.
1345. The fief of La Roche passes to the Rovéréa family, which keeps part of the lordship until 1768.
1475-1798. During the Burgundian Wars, allies from Upper Valais burn the castles of Saint-Triphon and La Roche; Bern seizes Ollon and makes it one of the four mandements of the government of Aigle.
Late 15th century. The church choir is rebuilt by the master mason Jacques Perrier and decorated with murals of Christ and the twelve apostles.
1528. The general assembly adopts the Reformation, preached by Guillaume Farel from 1527 (preaching: to be cross-checked).
1554-1832. The salt spring of Panex is worked.
1792. Construction of the town hall.
1798. Ollon joins the Lemanic Republic on 24 January and the Constitution of the Helvetic Republic on 15 February; the commune belongs to the district of Aigle.
1857. Opening of the Simplon line with a station at Saint-Triphon; the first guesthouses and grand hotels appear from 1856.
1867. Opening of the Ollon-Chesières road.
1874. End of the division of the commune into twelve dizains.
1901-1913. Bex-Villars railway (1901, extended to Bretaye in 1913) and Aigle-Ollon-Monthey line (1907): Villars-Chesières becomes a sought-after winter and summer resort.
Population of Ollon
| 1313 | 202 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 1'982 |
| 1850 | 2'875 |
| 1900 | 3'428 |
| 1950 | 4'006 |
| 1980 | 4'429 |
| 2000 | 6'257 |
| 2025 | 8'302 |
Historic sites in Ollon
Church of Saint-Victor. Mentioned in 1179, with a bell of 1413 and a nave partly rebuilt in the mid-17th century. The choir, rebuilt in the late 15th century by the master mason Jacques Perrier, is decorated with murals of Christ and the twelve apostles. The Licinius milestone has been placed there.
La Roche castle. Built in the late 12th century, burned in 1476 and long abandoned, it was restored by the de Rovéréa family in the 16th century. A private foundation has used it as a venue for cultural events since 1983. It was listed as a historic monument in 1976 (to be cross-checked).
Hill of Saint-Triphon. Major archaeological site (Le Lessus, Charpigny, Le Signal, Les Fontenailles), seat of a former castle burned in 1476; the tower and the ruins of the chapel of Saint-Blaise are listed in the inventory of cultural property of national significance (to be cross-checked).
Town hall. Building of 1792.
Villars-Chesières. Mountain part of the commune which, thanks to the road of 1867 and the railway, became one of the most sought-after winter and summer resorts in the Vaud Alps.
Remains in Ollon
Le Lessus site. Neolithic potsherds, Bronze Age graves, late La Tène burials and pits, Roman coins and graves; quarrying at Le Lessus in the 19th and 20th centuries destroyed many remains.
Copper hoards of Le Signal. Traces of settlement and metalworkers' workshops of the Middle and Late Bronze Age, with hoards of copper ingots probably kept as raw material reserves.
Milestone of Licinius. Roman milestone from the early 4th century AD, found at the foot of the hill of Saint-Triphon and placed in the choir of Ollon church.
Blocks of Villy. Above the hamlet of Villy, blocks of yellow Jura limestone reused in a recent wall may be Gallo-Roman remains.
Legends of Ollon
Farel driven out of Huémoz. According to popular tradition, the reformer Guillaume Farel was driven out of the village of Huémoz by volleys of stones and pans during his first sermon (to be cross-checked).
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Ollon »
- Wikipédia, « Ollon »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Ollon
Missing information, or do you have a source? Suggest a correction or addition. Every submission is checked before it's published.
Suggest a change