Reverolle

Canton of Vaud · District: Morges · About 410 inhabitants (last known figure for Reverolle as an independent municipality, as of 31 December 2020, according to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland). Since the merger of 1 July 2021, the population is no longer counted separately but is included in that of the municipality of Hautemorges.

Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Reverolle

The exact origin of the name Reverolle is not established with certainty by the sources consulted. One hypothesis traces the name back to the Latin word roboretum, which designates an oak grove or oak wood; this explanation could only be cross-checked with a single source and therefore remains to be cross-checked. What is well documented, however, is the sequence of successive written forms of the name: Ruuilora (sometimes transcribed Ruvilora) in 1177, at the very first known mention of the place, then Revirola in 1223, Riveroula in 1228, Riverulaz in 1281, Reverola in the 17th century, and finally Reverolle, a form that became fixed from the 19th century onward. The village's current coat of arms, which shows three gold acorns on an azure field, between a silver chevron, could echo, in a purely visual way, the hypothesis of an oak wood at the origin of the name, but this type of so-called "canting" coat of arms is not in itself historical proof of the etymology; this link therefore remains to be cross-checked.

Founding of Reverolle

Like most villages at the foot of the Vaud Jura, Reverolle does not appear to have been founded by a single, dated founding act: it is a rural settlement born gradually in the early Middle Ages, on a terrace located between Lake Léman and the foot of the Jura. The village enters written history in 1177, the date of its first known mention, at a time when its church fell under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Grand-Saint-Bernard congregation, while the village itself was, temporally, under the seigneury of Colombier. The parish of Reverolle was formally recognized in 1228. After the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, the parish was attached to that of the neighbouring village of Apples. Under the Bernese regime established after the conquest of the Pays de Vaud in 1536, the village passed successively under the authority of several seigneuries: first that of Vullierens, then that of Allinges, then that of Martines, and finally, from 1793, that of the Mestral-Arruffens family, the last before the fall of the Ancien Régime. On the wider administrative level, Reverolle was part, from 1539 to 1798, of the Bernese bailiwick of Morges.

History of Reverolle

1177. First known written mention of the village, in the form Ruuilora (or Ruvilora depending on the spelling). The church then fell under the Grand-Saint-Bernard congregation, while the village depended on the seigneury of Colombier.

1223. The name of the place appears in the form Revirola.

1228. Reverolle is formally recognized as a parish. The name then appears in the form Riveroula.

1281. The village's name is attested in the form Riverulaz.

1453. A census mentions 8 hearths in Reverolle, that is, 8 households or families.

1536. The Bernese conquest of the Pays de Vaud puts an end to the Savoyard-regional Ancien Régime and brings the village under Bernese administration.

16th century (Reformation). The now Reformed parish of Reverolle is attached to that of the neighbouring village of Apples.

1539-1798. Reverolle is part of the Bernese bailiwick of Morges.

1793. The seigneury of Reverolle passes to the Mestral-Arruffens family, after having belonged successively to the seigneuries of Vullierens, Allinges and then Martines under the Bernese regime.

1798. Fall of the Bernese Ancien Régime; the region passes through the canton of Léman before entering the Helvetic Republic, then the canton of Vaud.

1803. Reverolle is attached to the district of Morges (the former district, distinct from the current district created in 2006). The population then stands at 185 inhabitants.

1867. Opening of a school in Reverolle.

1926. Birth in Reverolle of Henri-Ferdinand Lavanchy (1926-2012), who would later become co-founder of the temporary work group Adecco. This information could only be cross-checked with a single source and remains to be cross-checked.

1961. The school in Reverolle becomes the seat of the Chaniaz intermunicipal school, a school complex shared with several neighbouring municipalities.

1992. In the federal vote on Switzerland's accession to the European Economic Area (EEA), the inhabitants of Reverolle reportedly approved it with 93.7% of the votes, an exceptionally high rate for Switzerland. This anecdote could only be cross-checked with a single source and remains to be cross-checked.

31 August 2006. The reform of the Vaud districts abolishes the former district of Morges and creates a new, larger one, to which Reverolle is attached.

November 2018. The voters of Reverolle and five neighbouring municipalities (Apples, Bussy-Chardonney, Cottens, Pampigny, Sévery) vote in favour of a merger project.

1 July 2021. The merger comes into effect: Reverolle ceases to exist as an independent municipality and becomes a locality of the new municipality of Hautemorges, together with Apples, Bussy-Chardonney, Cottens, Pampigny and Sévery.

Population of Reverolle

8 hearths

1453

185

1803

204

1850

198

1900

133

1950

323

2000

343

2010

411

2020

Historic sites in Reverolle

The church of Reverolle. First mentioned in 1177 in connection with the Grand-Saint-Bernard congregation, the church of Reverolle became the seat of a parish recognized in 1228. After the Reformation, the parish was attached to that of Apples. The current building reportedly dates largely from the 18th century, information that could only be cross-checked with a single source and remains to be cross-checked. It remains today the visual landmark of the village.

The Chaniaz intermunicipal school. A school opened in Reverolle in 1867. In 1961 it became the seat of the Chaniaz intermunicipal school, a school complex shared with several neighbouring municipalities, evidence of the earlier intermunicipal cooperation well before the administrative merger of 2021.

The vineyards between Clarmont and Bussy-Chardonney. Until its merger, Reverolle remained a predominantly agricultural and wine-growing municipality, with agriculture and vineyards covering about 81% of the area of its territory. Its vineyards extend across the hillside between the neighbouring localities of Clarmont and Bussy-Chardonney, in the landscape typical of the foot of the Vaud Jura.

Sources

Other villages near Reverolle

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