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Valbroye

Merger 2011 Canton of Vaud · District: Broye-Vully · 3'416 inhabitants (31.12.2025)
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Valbroye

Valbroye is a name created for the merger, borne by none of the eight merged communes. Article 2 of the agreement states: «Le nom de la nouvelle commune est Valbroye».[1]

Founding of Valbroye

Cerniaz, Combremont-le-Grand, Combremont-le-Petit, Granges-près-Marnand, Marnand, Sassel, Seigneux and Villars-Bramard form Valbroye. They were first part of a twelve-commune plan, which Dompierre, Henniez and Treytorrens rejected and Champtauroz left. Reworked for eight communes, it is accepted by all eight in 2010 and takes effect on 1 July 2011, for 2'651 inhabitants. The arms show a black bridge masoned in silver over a river of silver and blue. The commune spreads over a Jorat plateau between the Broye and Lake Neuchâtel. Granges-près-Marnand, its chief town, lies on the left bank of the river. In the Middle Ages several of these villages had Church lords. Cerniaz, Marnand and Villars-Bramard belonged to the castellany of Villarzel, which came under the bishop of Lausanne, and Granges was also attached to it under Bern. Seigneux depended on the episcopal estate of Lucens. Granges and Sassel were divided between the Lausanne chapter and the priory of Payerne. The two Combremonts, named together from 911, formed a group of their own: lay lordships and a single parish, of which the church of Combremont-le-Petit has always remained the annex.[1][2][3][5][7]

History of Valbroye

881. Granges enters the records in the form «in fine Graniacense».[5]

911. The name «Cumbromo», which then covers both Combremonts, appears with the mention of a chapel.[6][7]

1177-1444. Sassel («Sases») is recorded in 1177, Cerniaz («Sernia») in 1444. A communal organisation exists at Cerniaz from that later date.[8][9]

1449. The counts of Savoy enfeoff Combremont-le-Petit to Humbert and Guy Cerjat. In 1553 the lordship passes to the Mestral, already lords of Combremont-le-Grand.[1][7]

1536-1798. Bern and Fribourg share the lordship of Combremont-le-Grand, the larger part going to Bern. Cerniaz, Granges and the two Combremonts then belong to the bailiwick of Moudon, Sassel directly to the bailiff of Payerne.[5][6][7][8][9]

1630. Bern confiscates Combremont-le-Petit from the Mestral, on the grounds that a witchcraft trial had been improperly conducted.[1][7]

1798-1803. Under the Helvetic Republic, Sassel is attached to the district of Estavayer-le-Lac, the two Combremonts to that of Moudon.[1][6][7][8]

1803-2006. Cerniaz, Granges-près-Marnand, Sassel and the two Combremonts belong to the district of Payerne, until it is abolished.[5][6][7][8][9]

1862-1965. Granges-près-Marnand and Marnand together form a parish of the Free Church.[5]

2008. On 5 November the councils of twelve communes adopt a draft merger agreement.[1]

2009. On 8 February Dompierre, Henniez and Treytorrens reject the agreement.[1]

2009. Champtauroz withdraws on 2 April. From September 2009 to January 2010 the project is reworked for eight communes.[1][2]

2010. The councils of the eight communes adopt the new agreement on 18 March.[1][2]

2010. Simultaneous votes of 13 June: the voters of all eight communes accept the merger.[1]

2010. In June the Council of State adopts the draft decree, which the Grand Council is to ratify in November.[1]

2011. On 1 July Valbroye replaces the eight communes, with a communal council of 55 members and an executive of nine.[1][3]

Population of Valbroye

Sources and references: [4]

Population of Valbroye
20253'416

Historic sites in Valbroye

Seat of the commune. The seat of Valbroye is in Granges-près-Marnand. Some services may be spread among the former communes.[1]

Church of Granges-près-Marnand. Four churches have followed one another on this site. The first, in the 7th century, occupied a farm building of a Roman villa, and the second was already a parish church in the 9th-10th centuries. The present building keeps a 14th-century choir and a bell tower of 1808. It was restored from 1970 to 1972.[5]

Castle of Combremont-le-Grand. The Combremont family, lords of the place until the 14th century, built it around 1330-1340 on the site of an older building. Works altered it in the second half of the 16th century.[6]

Church of Combremont-le-Grand. Entirely rebuilt in 1824-1825, it is the centre of a parish that includes Combremont-le-Petit, Treytorrens and Champtauroz.[6]

Le Cerisier (Combremont-le-Grand). Early medieval graves were found here. Close by, three well-like pits arranged in a triangle remain undated.[6]

Chapel of Saint-André (Sassel). Recorded in 1503, it is covered by a panelled barrel ceiling.[8]

Sources

  1. État de Vaud, Conseil d'État, exposé des motifs et projet de décret no 315 sur la fusion des communes de Cerniaz, Combremont-le-Grand, Combremont-le-Petit, Granges-près-Marnand, Marnand, Sassel, Seigneux et Villars-Bramard (juin 2010)
  2. Grand Conseil du canton de Vaud, rapport de la commission sur les projets de décret 314, 315 et 316 (22 octobre 2010)
  3. État de Vaud, « Fusions de communes en chiffres (2025) »
  4. Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
  5. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Granges-près-Marnand » (Valérie Favez, version du 05.01.2017)
  6. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Combremont-le-Grand » (Valérie Favez, version du 12.01.2017)
  7. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Combremont-le-Petit » (Valérie Favez, version du 05.01.2017)
  8. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Sassel » (Gilbert Marion, version du 05.01.2017)
  9. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Cerniaz (VD) » (Valérie Favez, version du 05.01.2017)

Localities of the municipality with a page

Other villages near Valbroye

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