Sâles
Origin of the name Sâles
Sâles appears in 1177 as « Cella de Sale », when Pope Alexander III confirms the possessions of the hospice of the Great St Bernard. The origin of the name remains obscure.[1]
Founding of Sâles
Sâles enters history as a possession of the hospice of the Great St Bernard, which also holds the right of presentation to the church. At the end of the 13th century the village is part of the lordship of Vaulruz. Its parish brings together Maules, Romanens and Rueyres-Treyfayes, the three villages with which it forms the present municipality in 2001. Cereals, once important, have given way to livestock and fodder crops, while industry has grown around Bumotec SA. Each of the four villages has school buildings.[1][2]
History of Sâles
1177. Pope Alexander III confirms the hospice of the Great St Bernard in possession of the « Cella de Sale ».[1]
Late 13th century. The village is part of the lordship of Vaulruz.[1]
1538. The lordship of Vaulruz becomes a Fribourg bailiwick, and the Fribourg government obtains the right of presentation.[1]
1603. The right of presentation passes to the chapter of Saint-Nicolas in Fribourg.[1]
1640. The church of Saint-Étienne is built.[1]
1798-1848. Sâles belongs to the district of Bulle.[1]
19th century. The straw industry is present in Sâles.[1]
1868. A station opens on the GFM line from Bulle to Romont.[1]
1880. An orphanage operates from this year.[1]
1957. The church receives a new nave, and a textile factory begins operations that last until 1969.[1]
1977. Bumotec SA, a maker of machine tools, settles in Sâles.[1]
1991. The Les Mosses peat bog enters the inventory of raised bogs of national importance.[1]
2000. On 14 December the Grand Council adopts the decree merging Maules, Romanens, Rueyres-Treyfayes and Sâles.[3]
2001. The four villages form the municipality of Sâles.[1][2]
2005. The secondary sector provides 39% of jobs, about half of them at Bumotec SA.[2]
Population of Sâles
Sources and references: [1][4]
| 1811 | 368 (village of Sâles) |
| 1850 | 383 (village of Sâles) |
| 1900 | 1'189 (present territory) |
| 1950 | 1'242 (present territory) |
| 1970 | 950 (present territory) |
| 2000 | 1'194 (present territory) |
| 2025 | 1'478 |
Historic sites in Sâles
Church of Saint-Étienne. Parish church of 1640, given a new nave in 1957. Its parish includes Maules, Romanens and Rueyres-Treyfayes.[1]
Les Mosses peat bog. Raised bog of national importance, in the federal inventory since 1991.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Sâles (Gruyère) » (Marianne Rolle, version du 23.05.2011)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Sâles » (version du 09.02.2011)
- État de Fribourg, Recueil systématique (RSF 141.1.2), « Liste chronologique des fusions, divisions et changements de nom des communes »
- Service de la statistique du canton de Fribourg (SStat), « Population des communes, de 1900 à 2025 » (T01-02-03), population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Sâles
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