Saint-Triphon
Origin of the name Saint-Triphon
Name origin: the village is mentioned in 1332 as « Sancti Triphonis ». Its name refers to Saint Tryphon.
Founding of Saint-Triphon
Saint-Triphon is a village in the municipality of Ollon, spread over three hills overlooking the Rhône plain (Charpigny, Saint-Triphon and Les Larines); it comprises Saint-Triphon Village, on the heights, and Saint-Triphon Gare, near the railway. The hills were occupied from the Middle Neolithic to Roman times. The sources consulted name no founder of the medieval village, which grew up around a fortified house of the House of Savoy and a Romanesque chapel. From 1476 to 1798 Saint-Triphon was one of the twelve dizains (districts) of the mandement of Ollon.
History of Saint-Triphon
Middle Neolithic. Start of the occupation of the Saint-Triphon hills, which continues until Roman times.
Bronze Age. Cemeteries; at the end of the period, pits linked to copper working.
12th century. Construction of a Romanesque chapel, of which ruins survive.
1232. The Count of Savoy cedes the fortified house of Saint-Triphon to Guy de Saillon.
13th century. Probable construction of the square tower on the Lessus hill, keep of a castle now largely destroyed.
1332. The place is mentioned as « Sancti Triphonis ».
14th century. The lordship is fragmented.
1476. Destruction of the castle.
1476-1798. Saint-Triphon is one of the twelve dizains of the mandement of Ollon; in the Bernese period the hill serves as an alarm signal post.
16th century. The Rovéréa family reunites the lordship.
1857. Opening of the Simplon line, with a station at Saint-Triphon.
1875. Construction of the school by the architect François Jaquerod.
1907. Opening of the Aigle-Ollon-Monthey line, which serves Saint-Triphon.
1975. Opening to the public of the botanical garden laid out from 1972 by William Aviolat.
1986. Saint-Triphon is connected to the A9 motorway.
Population of Saint-Triphon
| 1764 | 132 |
| 1991 | 395 |
| 2010 | 431 |
Historic sites in Saint-Triphon
Saint-Triphon tower. Square tower about 18 m high, probably from the 13th century, the last remnant of the castle destroyed in 1476; visible from afar across the Chablais.
Black marble quarries. The Saint-Triphon « marble », in fact a fine black limestone, has been quarried since the Middle Ages for building and decoration (fountain basins, columns, fireplaces). It was used among other things for the rood screen of Lausanne Cathedral and for the royal monastery of Brou, near Bourg-en-Bresse. Two quarries are still active and produce mainly railway ballast.
Botanical garden. A 15'000 m² garden laid out from 1972 by William Aviolat and opened to the public in 1975; it had more than 6'000 species in 2014.
Remains in Saint-Triphon
Saint-Triphon and Charpigny archaeological site. The hills have yielded remains from the Middle Neolithic to Roman times, including Bronze Age cemeteries and pits linked to copper working at the end of that period. The site is listed as a cultural property of national importance.
Ruins of the Romanesque chapel. Ruins of a 12th-century Romanesque chapel on the Lessus hill, near the tower.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Saint-Triphon »
- Wikipédia, « Saint-Triphon »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Saint-Triphon
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