Saconnex d'Arve
Origin of the name Saconnex d'Arve
The origin of the name has not yet been explained. The place was reportedly once called « Saconnex delà d'Arve ». After 1544 it took the name « Saconnex-Vandel ».[1]
Founding of Saconnex d'Arve
The hamlet, now in the municipality of Plan-les-Ouates, joins Saconnex-Dessus and Saconnex-Dessous along the old road from Compesières to La Chapelle. It gave its name to the de Sacconay family, attested from the 12th century, which later settled on the right bank of the Rhône. Count Amédée II of Genève had a castle built at Saconnex-Dessus, at the place called La Tour: a quadrilateral of about 52 by 30 metres, surrounded by a moat and flanked by four round towers. Who founded Saconnex d'Arve is not known.[1][2][3]
History of Saconnex d'Arve
12th century. The de Sacconay family, originating from the place, is attested. It later settles on the right bank of the Rhône.[1]
1299-1301. Count Amédée II of Genève has a castle built at Saconnex-Dessus, at the place called La Tour.[1]
1536. The castle is plundered by the Bernese.[1]
1544. After a lawsuit, Marin de Ternier must cede the lordship and the castle to Hugues Vandel, a burgher of Genève. The place takes the name « Saconnex-Vandel ».[1]
1589. Occupied by Savoy during the wars with Genève, the castle burns down.[1][3]
1590. The Council of Genève orders it dismantled. The ruins then serve as a quarry.[1]
1652. The lordship is raised to a county.[1]
Around 1759. Arare, Saconnex-d'Arve and Vers are the only inhabited areas of today's municipality of Plan-les-Ouates.[3]
1785. The Montfalcon estate, formed from the early 18th century, belongs to the de Montfalcon family.[3]
1820. Two towers of the castle are still standing, against three in the 18th century.[1]
1842. Construction of the fountain of Saconnex-d'Arve-Dessous, roofed in 1883.[3]
1898. The de Montfalcon family donates a plot halfway between the two hamlets for a school.[3]
Late 19th century. The Montfalcon family has a cast-iron Virgin placed on top of the last tower. It is said to come from the church of Compesières.[1]
1985. The Guillerme-Pastori farmhouse from Bachet-de-Pesay (Lancy), enlarged with tufa taken from the castle ruins, is moved to the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum.[1]
2015. The hamlet's school closes. Date uncertain.
Historic sites in Saconnex d'Arve
Maison forte de la Tour. House older than the Montfalcon estate, imitating the Haute-Savoie houses of the 16th and 17th centuries. Altered and extended in the 18th century.[3]
Montfalcon estate. Estate formed from the early 18th century, owned by the de Montfalcon family in 1785.[3]
Fountain of Saconnex-d'Arve-Dessous. Fountain built in 1842 and roofed in 1883.[3]
Remains in Saconnex d'Arve
Tower of the former castle. Of the castle of 1299-1301, only the eastern tower remains at the start of the 21st century, without its battlements and topped by a cast-iron Virgin. It is protected as cantonal heritage.[1][3]
Castle tufa at Ballenberg. Tufa taken from the ruins was used to enlarge the Guillerme-Pastori farmhouse, now at the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Saconnex d'Arve » (Dominique Zumkeller), version du 29.05.2012
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Plan-les-Ouates » (Jacques Barrelet), version du 25.01.2011
- Commune de Plan-les-Ouates, carte « Découverte de Plan-les-Ouates », patrimoine historique
- Office cantonal de la statistique (OCSTAT), Mémento statistique du canton de Genève 2026, tableau Population résidante par commune, en 2025
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de swisstopo (Saconnex-d'Arve-Dessus et Dessous, coordonnées approchées)
Other villages near Saconnex d'Arve
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