Peney

Origin of the name Peney

Peney is attested in 1228 as the seat of a parish. The origin of the name is not explained by the sources consulted. The inhabitants are called Peneyrons and nicknamed « Vuètevatses », « those who watch the cows » in Vaud patois.

Founding of Peney

Peney is a hamlet about one kilometre south-east of Vuitebœuf, on the territory of that municipality. No source consulted names a founder. In the Middle Ages Peney was an important village, from 1228 the centre of a vast parish reaching up to Sainte-Croix, while Vuitebœuf was only a dependent chapelry and a mere hamlet. Over time Vuitebœuf overtook Peney: at the beginning of the 20th century a new church built in Vuitebœuf replaced the church of Peney, of which only the bell tower survives.

History of Peney

1228. Peney is mentioned as the centre of a vast parish, centred on the church of Saint-Pierre, reaching up to Sainte-Croix; Vuitebœuf is a dependency.

1540. Vuitebœuf ceases to belong to the parish of Peney and now depends on that of Baulmes.

1876-1878. Tenders are collected for repairs to the church and cemetery of Peney.

1904. A new church, the work of the architect Charles-François Bonjour, is built in Vuitebœuf to replace the church of Peney; stones from the old church are reused in its construction.

1907. The church of Saint-Pierre in Peney is demolished, except for its bell tower; a Gothic window from a wall of the nave is dismantled and rebuilt into the wall of the tower.

Historic sites in Peney

Peney public park. Large public park in the middle of which stands the medieval tower, former bell tower of the church of Saint-Pierre, a reminder of the time when Peney was the parish centre of the area.

Remains in Peney

Bell tower of the former church of Saint-Pierre. Sole remnant of the parish church mentioned in 1228 and demolished in 1907. The arcades of its upper storey are Romanesque, a sign of an early construction. A Gothic window from a wall of the nave was rebuilt into it during the demolition.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Vuitebœuf »
• Archeoplus, « Vuiteboeuf (VD) »
• Wikipédia, « Vuitebœuf »
• Archives cantonales vaudoises, Panorama, archives communales de Vuiteboeuf, G 67, « Soumissions pour les réparations à effectuer à l'église et au cimetière de Peney » (1876-1878)
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »

Other villages near Peney

• Vuitebœuf (VD)
• Bullet (VD)
• La Mothe (VD)
• Essert-sous-Champvent (VD)
• Orges (VD)