Valeyres-sous-Rances
Origin of the name Valeyres-sous-Rances
First mentioned in 1272 as «Valieres». None of the sources consulted explains the etymology of this Valeyres. The addition «sous-Rances» refers to the neighbouring village of Rances, whose parish included Valeyres from 1228.
Founding of Valeyres-sous-Rances
Traces of Roman-period settlement have been found on the territory, as well as an 11th-century coin hoard. None of the sources consulted names a founder of the village. In the Middle Ages Valeyres-sous-Rances came under the castellany of Les Clées; the de Gallera and de Gland families owned property there. Under Bernese rule the village became a country retreat for patrician families, notably the Manuel and later the Bonstetten. The municipality comprises the village and the hamlet of La Robellaz.
History of Valeyres-sous-Rances
Roman period. Traces of settlement.
11th century. A coin hoard of this period is buried on the territory.
11th-12th century. Construction of the Romanesque chapel of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur, served by the priory of Baulmes.
1228. The chapel is attached to the parish of Rances.
1272. First mention, «Valieres».
Middle Ages. The village comes under the castellany of Les Clées.
1403. The de Gland family owns the house of Le Manoir.
15th century. Enlargement of the chapel; construction of the fortified house of the de Gallera family.
1550-1798. Valeyres is part of the bailiwick of Yverdon.
1629. The Manuel family acquires the fortified house of the Gallera.
1639. Wall paintings are executed in the Manuel residence.
1707. The residence passes by marriage to the Bonstetten.
1794. The Boissier family acquires Le Manoir, which later passes to the Barbey.
1798-2006. Valeyres-sous-Rances is part of the district of Orbe.
around 1820. The former fortified house is transformed into a Neoclassical château.
1889. A cheese dairy opens.
1910-1911. Restoration of the church under the direction of Albert Naef; stained-glass windows by Clément Heaton (1911).
1913. A mill is built.
1926. Adoption of the municipal arms: Vert, a bend wavy argent (the Mujon stream), between three ears of wheat Or in chief and a bunch of grapes of the same in base.
1945. The château becomes the Château de Valeyres wine estate.
from 1989. After the opening of the A1 and A9 motorways, Valeyres becomes a residential municipality.
2008. The municipality is part of the district of Jura-Nord vaudois, which came into force on 1 January 2008.
Population of Valeyres-sous-Rances
| 1764 | 317 |
| 1850 | 496 |
| 1900 | 479 |
| 1950 | 424 |
| 1980 | 290 |
| 2000 | 497 |
| 2025 | 573 |
Historic sites in Valeyres-sous-Rances
Reformed church, former chapel of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur. Romanesque building of the 11th and 12th centuries, consisting of a nave and an apse, enlarged in the 15th century. Served by the priory of Baulmes, the chapel was attached to the parish of Rances in 1228. It was restored in 1910-1911 under the direction of Albert Naef and received stained-glass windows by Clément Heaton in 1911.
Château de Valeyres (Bonstetten house). Former fortified house of the de Gallera family (15th century), acquired in 1629 by the Manuel, who had wall decorations painted there in 1639, then passed by marriage to the Bonstetten in 1707. Remodelled around 1820 in the Neoclassical style, it has housed a wine estate since 1945. It is listed as a cultural property of national significance. Charles Victor de Bonstetten, of Madame de Staël's circle, stayed here and is said to be buried in the village cemetery (to be cross-checked).
Le Manoir. House owned in 1403 by the de Gland family, acquired in 1794 by the Boissier and later passed to the Barbey.
The village. The whole village is listed in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites (ISOS).
Remains in Valeyres-sous-Rances
Roman traces. Traces of Roman-period settlement have been found on the municipal territory.
11th-century coin hoard. A hoard of 11th-century coins was discovered at Valeyres-sous-Rances.
Wall paintings of 1639. Painted decorations made for the Manuel family in the former fortified house, now the Château de Valeyres.
Sources
- Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, « Valeyres-sous-Rances »
- Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, « Alphabet des communes vaudoises : Valeyres-sous-Rances »
- Wikipédia, « Valeyres-sous-Rances »
- Wikipedia (en), « Valeyres-sous-Rances »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Valeyres-sous-Rances
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