Surpierre
Origin of the name Surpierre
The place appears in 1142 in the Latin form « Super Petram ». In German it was once called Überstein.[1]
Founding of Surpierre
Surpierre grew up at the foot of a castle built on a cliff above the Broye, probably around the middle of the 12th century. The Surpierre family, known from 1142 to 1233, held the lordship, which then came under the direct sovereignty of the Cossonay. They probably founded the castle town recorded in 1344 and abandoned at the end of the 15th century. In 1380 the lordship covered Ménières, Granges-près-Marnand, Trey, Henniez, Marnand, Coumin, Chapelle, Cheiry and Villeneuve. Conquered by Bern in 1536, it immediately became a Fribourg bailiwick. Enclosed within Vaud, the village lives from cereals and livestock and is poorly served by secondary roads and Henniez station, on the Broye line. The present municipality was formed by three mergers, with Praratoud in 2005, Villeneuve in 2017 and Cheiry in 2021.[1][2][5]
History of Surpierre
1142. Guillaume de Surpierre appears as a witness to a deed, and the place is recorded in the form « Super Petram ».[1][2]
Mid-12th century. A first castle is probably built on the cliff.[1]
1184. Pope Lucius III confirms the gift of the church to the priory of Saint-Maire in Lausanne.[1]
1228-1285. The church of Notre-Dame des Champs becomes a parish church.[1]
Late 13th century. The present castle is recorded.[1]
1344. A castle town is mentioned beside the castle.[1]
1380. The lordship covers nine villages, from Ménières to Villeneuve.[1]
1399. Jean de Rougemont and his wife Jeanne, great-niece of Louis II of Cossonay, sell Surpierre to their creditor Yblet de Challant. The Glérens follow in 1414.[1][2]
1472. The lordship becomes a Savoyard castellany.[1][2]
1476. During the Burgundian Wars the Swiss occupy the castle and set fire to it.[1][2]
1488. The lordship is granted in fief to François de Gruyère.[1]
1536. Bern seizes Surpierre on 21 February and cedes it to Fribourg on 1 March. Fribourg makes it a bailiwick.[1][2]
1544. Burnt again in 1539, the castle is rebuilt as the bailiff's residence.[1]
1691-1709. The first diocesan seminary is based at Surpierre.[1]
1798-1848. Surpierre belongs to the district of Estavayer from 1798, then is the chief town of the district of Surpierre from 1803 to 1848.[1]
1850. The canton sells the castle for 12'000 francs to M. Leenhardt, a merchant in Marseille.[1][2]
2005. On 1 January Praratoud, separated from Surpierre since 1815, rejoins the municipality, under a decree of 16 December 2004.[1][5][7]
2017. On 1 January Villeneuve becomes part of the municipality of Surpierre. On 26 April 2015 the merger had been approved by 106 votes to 80 in Surpierre and by 122 to 38 in Villeneuve.[1][3][4]
2021. On 1 January Cheiry joins Surpierre. The two municipalities had voted yes on 9 February 2020, by 208 to 60 and by 148 to 38, and the Grand Council approved the merger on 27 May 2020.[1][5][6]
Population of Surpierre
Sources and references: [1][9]
| 1811 | 167 |
| 1850 | 245 |
| 1900 | 244 |
| 1950 | 236 |
| 2000 | 238 |
| 2005 | 294 |
| 2010 | 299 |
| 2017 | 715 |
| 2020 | 747 |
| 2025 | 1'259 |
Historic sites in Surpierre
Castle of Surpierre. Recorded from the late 13th century and rebuilt in 1544 as the bailiff's residence, it keeps a 13th-century chapel, a 17th-century armorial gateway and a knights' hall decorated with the arms of 17th-century bailiffs. Sold by the canton in 1850, it is privately owned.[1][2]
Parish church. Dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin and to Mary Magdalene, it has stood in the village since 1820. The parish includes Cheiry, Chapelle, Praratoud and Villeneuve.[1]
Municipal administration. The municipal secretariat is in Villeneuve, route de Granges 5.[8]
Remains in Surpierre
Castle town. Probably founded by the Cossonay beside the castle, it is recorded in 1344 and was abandoned at the end of the 15th century.[1]
Notre-Dame des Champs. The old parish church, perhaps older than the 12th century, had been built over earlier graves. In 1820 the parish seat moved from here to the village.[1]
Legends of Surpierre
The white lady. It is said that a white lady, rejected by a knight, threw herself into the ravine below the castle. A similar story is told about the keep of La Molière.[2]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Surpierre » (Marianne Rolle, version du 09.06.2021)
- Eric Nusslé, « Visite du château de Surpierre », Société neuchâteloise de généalogie, Bulletin 10 (février 1998)
- Conseil d'État du canton de Fribourg, message 2015-DIAF-70 du 25 août 2015 accompagnant le projet de loi relatif à la fusion des communes de Surpierre et Villeneuve
- Grand Conseil du canton de Fribourg, affaire 2015-DIAF-70, « Fusion des communes de Surpierre et Villeneuve »
- Conseil d'État du canton de Fribourg, message 2019-DIAF-45 du 10 mars 2020 accompagnant le projet de décret relatif à la fusion des communes de Cheiry et Surpierre
- Grand Conseil du canton de Fribourg, affaire 2019-DIAF-45, « Approbation de la fusion des communes de Cheiry et Surpierre »
- État de Fribourg, Recueil systématique (RSF 141.1.2), « Liste chronologique des fusions, divisions et changements de nom des communes »
- Commune de Surpierre, site officiel
- 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 Surpierre
Missing information, or do you have a source? Suggest a correction or addition. Every submission is checked before it's published.
Suggest a change