Saint-Cierges
Origin of the name Saint-Cierges
The village's name comes from the dedication of its church to Saint Cyriacus (Cyriacus in Latin). The oldest known written mentions of the place appear in the Latin form « de sancto Sergio » between 1145 and 1154, then in the form « de sancto Ciriaco » in 1166, the latter confirming the dedication to Saint Cyriacus. Several saints have borne this name in Christian tradition; one source mentions a patriarch of Constantinople as patron saint, but this precise identification needs to be cross-checked, for lack of confirmation from a second, independent source. The village's name in Vaud patois is recorded as « Sin-Sèrdzou » or « Sant Cierdzo », information that needs to be cross-checked.
Founding of Saint-Cierges
Saint-Cierges has no founding charter and no identifiable founder: like many villages of the Vaud plateau, it took shape gradually in the early Middle Ages around its church, on a territory that in the Middle Ages belonged to the seigneury of Bercher. The Saint-Cyriaque church itself was ceded in 1150 by the bishop of Lausanne, Amédée, to the priory of Saint-Maire in Lausanne, on which it subsequently depended as a parish; this parish served several surrounding villages, which became its annexes after the Reformation.
History of Saint-Cierges
1145-1154. First known written mention of the place, in the Latin form « de sancto Sergio ».
1150. The Saint-Cyriaque church is ceded by the bishop of Lausanne, Amédée, to the priory of Saint-Maire in Lausanne.
1166. New mention of the place, in the form « de sancto Ciriaco », confirming the church's dedication to Saint Cyriacus.
Middle Ages. Saint-Cierges is a fief of the seigneury of Bercher. Glassmakers are active there, a craft activity attested for this period.
1416. The village has 28 recorded hearths (households).
1536-1798. Under Bernese rule, Saint-Cierges becomes the seat of a castellany of the bailiwick of Yverdon.
1698. Enlargement of the parish church.
1798-1803. Helvetic period, then entry into the canton of Vaud.
1798-2006. The village belongs to the district of Moudon.
1877. Reconstruction of the present church, which replaces the building enlarged in 1698. One source gives the year 1876 for this reconstruction, a discrepancy that needs to be cross-checked.
1909-1910. A land consolidation (reorganization of agricultural land) is carried out on the municipal territory, information that needs to be cross-checked (a single source).
1970. Demographic low point of the village, with 312 inhabitants.
1971. Improvements are made to the church organ, information that needs to be cross-checked (a single source).
2006-2008. Dissolution of the district of Moudon; Saint-Cierges joins the new district of Gros-de-Vaud.
31 December 2012. Last census of the independent municipality: 458 inhabitants.
1 January 2013. Saint-Cierges merges with Chanéaz, Chapelle-sur-Moudon, Correvon, Denezy, Martherenges, Neyruz-sur-Moudon, Peyres-Possens and Thierrens to form the new municipality of Montanaire, and loses its status as an independent municipality.
Population of Saint-Cierges
| 1416 | 28 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 266 |
| 1803 | 240 |
| 1850 | 526 |
| 1900 | 505 |
| 1950 | 372 |
| 1970 | 312 |
| 2000 | 411 |
| 2011 | 472 (to be cross-checked) |
| 31 December 2012 | 458 |
| 1 May 2021 | 539 (population of the village within the municipality of Montanaire, to be cross-checked, a single source) |
Historic sites in Saint-Cierges
Saint-Cyriaque Church. Parish church mentioned from the middle of the 12th century, ceded in 1150 by the bishop of Lausanne, Amédée, to the priory of Saint-Maire in Lausanne. Enlarged in 1698, it was rebuilt in 1877 (one source gives 1876, to be cross-checked). This church played a central parish role for several neighboring villages: after the Reformation, the church of Chapelle-sur-Moudon and the former church of Villars-Mendraz became its annexes, their inhabitants henceforth belonging to the parish of Saint-Cierges.
Tour du Molard (also called « Château du Molard »). Site located on the village's territory where the remains of a Roman sanctuary were uncovered. A source from the official website of the municipality of Montanaire mentions a sanctuary dedicated to springs, with the discovery of coins, tiles and ceramic fragments; this more detailed description, as well as the name « Château du Molard », needs to be cross-checked, as the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse speaks only of « remains of a Roman sanctuary at the Tour du Molard » without further detail.
Hamlets of the village. The territory of the former municipality included, in addition to the main village, the hamlets of Corrençon, Pré-de-Place and Solitude.
Remains in Saint-Cierges
Remains of the Roman sanctuary at the Tour du Molard. Remains of a Roman sanctuary were identified at the Tour du Molard, on the village's territory.
Megalith. A megalith is recorded on the territory of Saint-Cierges, with no further detail found on its exact nature or dating.
Prehistoric shelters of La Mélude and Broillet. Two prehistoric shelters are attested on the municipal territory, at the places called La Mélude and Broillet, testifying to very early human occupation of the region.
Remains of a Roman villa. One source also mentions the remains of a Roman villa on the village's territory, said to have been destroyed during Alemannic incursions; this information, as well as its possible link with the Roman sanctuary at the Tour du Molard, needs to be cross-checked (a single source).
Sources
- Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse - Saint-Cierges (Boris Anelli)
- Wikipédia (français) - Saint-Cierges
- Wikipedia (allemand) - Saint-Cierges
- Wikipedia (anglais) - Saint-Cierges
- Commune de Montanaire - Les 9 villages qui forment Montanaire
Other villages near Saint-Cierges
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