Orbe

Origin of the name Orbe

The name appears around 280 in the form "Urba", then in 1179 in the phrase "versus Orbam"; the river is mentioned in 916 as "fluvio Urba". The name is thought to go back to a pre-Roman form of unexplained origin (to be cross-checked). The old German name is "Orbach".

Founding of Orbe

The site lies at a strategic crossroads between the routes from the Jura to the Alps and from the Rhine to the Rhône; in Roman times a large villa stood on the Boscéaz plateau. In the early Middle Ages two settlements, "villa Tavellis" (church of Saint-Germain) and "villa Tabernis" (church of Saint-Martin), controlled the river crossing. In 888 Orbe was a royal estate and a residence of the Burgundian rulers, with a mint. After 1032 it passed to Count William II of Burgundy (1076), then partly to the Montfaucon-Montbéliard family (around 1168); around 1235 Amadeus III of Montfaucon-Montbéliard fortified the town, whose round keep dates from 1233. After the Burgundian Wars Orbe became in 1484 a common bailiwick of Bern and Fribourg, until 1798.

History of Orbe

Roman period. Large villa of Boscéaz, whose mosaics form one of the most important Roman ensembles north of the Alps.

around 280. First mention, in the form "Urba".

early Middle Ages. Two settlements, "villa Tavellis" (church of Saint-Germain) and "villa Tabernis" (church of Saint-Martin), control the river crossing.

888. Orbe is a royal estate and a residence of the Burgundian rulers, with a mint.

1076. The place passes to Count William II of Burgundy.

around 1168. Part of Orbe passes to the Montfaucon-Montbéliard family.

1233. Construction of the round keep.

around 1235. Amadeus III of Montfaucon-Montbéliard fortifies the town.

1416. The town has 266 hearths (households).

1475. First capture of the town by the Confederates during the Burgundian Wars.

1476. Charles the Bold receives Swiss envoys in Orbe.

1484-1798. Orbe forms a common bailiwick with Échallens, ruled by Bern and Fribourg.

1511. Birth in Orbe of the reformer Pierre Viret.

1531. Guillaume Farel arrives; on 6 May Pierre Viret preaches for the first time in his home town.

1554. The town adopts the Reformation.

1798. The town has 1'662 inhabitants.

1848. A brewery is founded.

1871. The mills are bought.

1894. Opening of the Orbe-Chavornay railway, presented as the first fully electrified line in Switzerland.

1901. The Peter chocolate factory opens, raising the population by more than 1'000 in ten years.

1907. A strike requires army intervention.

1989. The opening of the A1 and A9 motorways speeds up development.

2009. Nestlé invests in Nespresso capsule production in Orbe.

Population of Orbe

Population of Orbe

1416	266 hearths (households)
1798	1'662
1850	1'923
1900	2'080
1950	3'565
1980	3'985
2000	5'139
2010	6'242
2025	8'008

Historic sites in Orbe

Roman mosaics of Boscéaz. The mosaics of the Gallo-Roman villa of Orbe-Boscéaz, protected in pavilions, form one of the most important Roman mosaic ensembles north of the Alps.

Old town. The old town, perched above the Orbe, keeps traces of its medieval past and of its role as capital of the common bailiwick of Orbe-Échallens.

Orbe-Chavornay railway. Opened in 1894, this short line is presented as the first fully electrified railway line in Switzerland.

Remains in Orbe

Gallo-Roman villa of Boscéaz. Large Roman estate whose mosaics are among the most remarkable north of the Alps.

Round keep. Round tower built in 1233, the main surviving part of the castle fortified by the Montfaucon-Montbéliard family around 1235.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Orbe (commune) »
• Wikipédia FR, « Orbe (Vaud) »
• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Vaud »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »

Other villages near Orbe

• Montcherand (VD)
• Agiez (VD)
• Arnex-sur-Orbe (VD)
• Valeyres-sous-Rances (VD)
• Bofflens (VD)