Pampigny

Origin of the name Pampigny

The name Pampigny is said, according to one source, to go back to a Gallo-Roman personal name, "Pempenius" (still to be cross-checked). The place appears under very varied forms over the centuries: "Pimpinengis" (still to be cross-checked), then "Pampiniacum", "Panpinie", "Pampignie", "Pagpignie", "Pampigniez" and "Pampignyer" before settling into "Pampigny". These successive forms suggest an origin of the place name in "-acum", a Latin suffix designating an estate or rural property, which is common for localities of the Vaud plateau originating from a Gallo-Roman settlement.

Founding of Pampigny

No source consulted documents a founding act or an identifiable founder for Pampigny. Traces of occupation dating from the Roman period and the early Middle Ages have been uncovered within the commune's territory (still to be cross-checked), suggesting an ancient origin for the site, probably as a rural estate. The village then develops in the Middle Ages under the authority of the lords of Cossonay, who grant its seigneury as a fief to local vassals.

History of Pampigny

Roman period and early Middle Ages. Traces of occupation from these periods are discovered within the commune's territory (still to be cross-checked, details not specified).

1016. First documented mention of the place under the name "Pimpinengis" (still to be cross-checked, information based on only one source consulted).

1141. The place is mentioned under the Latin form "Pampiniacum".

1228. The place appears under the form "Panpinie". The then lord of Pampigny pays homage to Jean de Cossonay, whose vassal he is (still to be cross-checked).

1232-1335. The name of the place successively evolves through the forms "Pampignie" (1232), "Pagpignie" (1235), "Pampigniez" (1324) and "Pampignyer" (1335), reflecting the gradual written changes towards the current name (still to be cross-checked).

around 1400. The seigneury of Pampigny passes by marriage to the de Moudon family (still to be cross-checked).

1439. Jean de Menthon, co-lord of Aubonne, acquires the seigneury of Pampigny (still to be cross-checked).

1536. The Pays de Vaud, to which Pampigny belongs, is conquered by Berne; the village comes under Bernese administration.

1560. The de Mestral d'Aruffens family becomes owner of the seigneury of Pampigny and remains so until the Vaud Revolution (still to be cross-checked).

1688. The windows of the present château of Pampigny bear this date, indicating a construction or renovation phase of the building (still to be cross-checked).

1737. Gabriel-Henri de Mestral, who had had the present château built, leaves Pampigny for the château of Saint-Saphorin; a steward is thereafter placed in charge of managing the properties on site (still to be cross-checked).

1798. Following the Vaud Revolution and the French invasion, the Pays de Vaud becomes the canton of Léman within the Helvetic Republic.

1803. With the Act of Mediation, the canton of Léman becomes the canton of Vaud, fully integrated into the Swiss Confederation; Pampigny is now part of it, attached to the district of Cossonay.

1934. Excavations uncover the remains of Pampigny's first medieval château, which occupied the top of the knoll before the church was built (still to be cross-checked).

1836/1837. The commune of Pampigny buys back the château (for 22'000 francs according to one source) and converts it into a school building (exact amount still to be cross-checked).

1983. The château stops housing the communal school, a function it had fulfilled since the mid-19th century (still to be cross-checked).

2006. The district of Cossonay is dissolved as part of the reorganization of Vaud districts; Pampigny is attached to the new district of Morges.

2018. The population of Pampigny and five neighbouring communes approves the merger project by vote (still to be cross-checked).

1 July 2021. Pampigny merges with Apples, Bussy-Chardonney, Cottens, Reverolle and Sévery to form the new commune of Hautemorges. Pampigny becomes a locality of this new commune.

Population of Pampigny

Population of Pampigny

1900	650
1970	445
2000	827
2009	989
2018	1'114
2019	1'103
2020	1'129

Historic sites in Pampigny

Pampigny Château. Built at the foot of the knoll that overlooks the village, on the site of an earlier seigneurial residence. The present building, constructed for the most part in the 18th century by Gabriel-Henri de Mestral (windows dated 1688 still in place), shows the classic layout of a residence of the period: a main dwelling block extended by two side wings (precise architectural details still to be cross-checked). Bought back by the commune in 1836/1837, it served as a school building until 1983 (still to be cross-checked). Together with the neighbouring church and rectory, it is listed as a Swiss cultural property of regional importance.

Saint-Pierre Reformed church. Single-nave building whose origins are said to go back to the 15th century, with a facade redone in 1736 and medieval wall paintings preserved inside (precise dating still to be cross-checked). It stands atop the knoll that once overlooked the village, on the spot where, according to one source, a first medieval château stood before the present church was built (still to be cross-checked). Together with the château and the adjacent rectory, it is listed as a Swiss cultural property of regional importance.

Pampigny village core. The village as a whole is said to enjoy protected status under Swiss built heritage rules (still to be cross-checked). The village centre retains several farmhouses characteristic of the 18th and 19th centuries (still to be cross-checked).

Remains in Pampigny

Remains from the Roman period and the early Middle Ages. Traces of Roman and early medieval occupation have been discovered within Pampigny's commune territory, without their exact nature or precise location being documented in the sources consulted (still to be cross-checked).

Remains of the first medieval château. Pampigny's first château, of the fortified medieval type, occupied the top of the knoll now topped by the church. Traces of this building were uncovered during excavations carried out in 1934 (still to be cross-checked).

Sources

• Wikipédia (français) - Pampigny
• Wikipedia (deutsch) - Pampigny
• Wikipedia (English) - Pampigny
• Swiss Castles - Château de Pampigny
• Commune de Hautemorges - page Pampigny

Other villages near Pampigny

• Sévery (VD)
• Mauraz (VD)
• Cottens (VD)
• Chavannes-le-Veyron (VD)
• Grancy (VD)