Signy-Avenex
Origin of the name Signy-Avenex
Avenex appears in the archives from 926, in a judgment of Count Anselm. The locality of Signy-Avenex enters history in 1017, when Rudolph III, King of Burgundy, gives it to the abbey of Saint-Maurice. The origin of the names Signy and Avenex is not explained by the sources consulted. The inhabitants are nicknamed the Monkeys (les Singes).
Founding of Signy-Avenex
None of the sources consulted says who founded the villages or when. The territory was occupied in Roman times: it is crossed by the aqueduct that brought the waters of Divonne to Nyon. Avenex is attested in 926; in 1017, the Burgundian king Rudolph III gives Signy-Avenex to the abbey of Saint-Maurice. The municipality covers 195 hectares, between 434 and 489 metres above sea level.
History of Signy-Avenex
Roman times. An aqueduct crosses the territory to bring the waters of Divonne to Nyon.
926. Avenex is mentioned in a judgment of Count Anselm.
1017. Rudolph III, King of Burgundy, gives Signy-Avenex to the abbey of Saint-Maurice.
19th century. The municipality has between 77 and 92 inhabitants.
1970. The municipality has about 120 to 130 inhabitants.
1993. A commemorative plaque in honour of the poet Pierre-Louis Matthey is placed on the manor house of Avenex.
2008. Signy-Avenex becomes part of the new district of Nyon, created by the Vaud territorial reorganisation that came into force on 1 January 2008.
2012. The municipality has 442 inhabitants.
Population of Signy-Avenex
| 19th century | 77 to 92 |
| 1970 | 120 to 130 (approx.) |
| 2012 | 442 |
| 2025 | 586 |
Historic sites in Signy-Avenex
Manor house of Avenex. Home of the important Matthey family, from which the poet and artist Pierre-Louis Matthey came; a commemorative plaque was placed there in 1993.
Balcon de la Petite Côte. Signy and Avenex lie on a terrace between 434 and 489 metres above sea level, above Nyon.
Remains in Signy-Avenex
Roman aqueduct. The aqueduct that brought the waters of Divonne to Nyon in Roman times crossed the territory of the municipality.
Legends of Signy-Avenex
The tunnel from Nyon to Bonmont. According to a legend, an underground passage linked Nyon to the abbey of Bonmont and is said to have crossed the Roman aqueduct.
The Monkeys. According to tradition, the inhabitants are nicknamed the Monkeys (les Singes) because an inhabitant of Avenex is said to have owned a monkey.
Sources
- Commune de Signy-Avenex, « D'hier à aujourd'hui »
- Wikipédia, « Signy-Avenex »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
Other villages near Signy-Avenex
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