Prangins
Origin of the name Prangins
The name appears in the form «Prengins» between 1135 and 1185. The origin of the name is not explained by the sources consulted.
Founding of Prangins
None of the sources consulted says who founded the village or when. Prangins enters history in the 12th century: the place is attested between 1135 and 1185 and is the seat of a lordship of the same name from 1154. This lordship is conquered by the House of Savoy in 1293. Today the municipality includes the hamlets of Bénex and Promenthoux.
History of Prangins
1135-1185. First mention of the place in the form «Prengins».
1154. Prangins is the seat of the lordship of the same name.
before 1236. The church dedicated to Saint Pancras is a parish church.
1293. The lordship is conquered by the House of Savoy.
1671. The church becomes a parish church again, until 1834.
1723. The banker Louis Guiguer acquires the barony of Prangins.
1732-1739. Louis Guiguer has the present castle built.
1757-1761. The church is demolished and rebuilt on another site by Jean-Louis Bovet the elder.
1764. The village has 341 inhabitants.
1814. The castle is sold to Joseph Bonaparte.
1860. The bell tower of the church is rebuilt by Louis Wenger.
1974. The castle is bought by the cantons of Vaud and Geneva to house the French-speaking branch of the Swiss National Museum.
1998. Opening of the French-speaking branch of the Swiss National Museum in the castle.
2000. The municipality has 3'133 inhabitants; the chemical industry has become the main employer and 80% of the working population commutes outside the municipality.
2008. Prangins becomes part of the new district of Nyon, created by the Vaud territorial reorganisation that came into force on 1 January 2008.
Population of Prangins
| 1764 | 341 |
| 1850 | 440 |
| 1900 | 754 |
| 1950 | 858 |
| 1970 | 1'466 |
| 1990 | 2'559 |
| 2000 | 3'133 |
| 2025 | 4'243 |
Historic sites in Prangins
Prangins Castle. Built in 1732-1739 for the banker Louis Guiguer, Baron of Prangins since 1723, the castle was sold in 1814 to Joseph Bonaparte. Bought in 1974 by the cantons of Vaud and Geneva, it has housed the French-speaking branch of the Swiss National Museum since 1998.
Prangins church. The former church of Saint Pancras, a parish church before 1236 and again between 1671 and 1834, was demolished and rebuilt on another site in 1757-1761 by Jean-Louis Bovet the elder. Its bell tower was rebuilt in 1860 by Louis Wenger.
Hamlets of Bénex and Promenthoux. The municipality includes these two hamlets; fine estates stretch below the village terrace towards the lake.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Prangins »
- Wikipédia, « Prangins »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Prangins
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