Vaugondry

Canton of Vaud · District: Jura-Nord vaudois · About 35 to 38 inhabitants in the 2000s, before the 2011 merger (36 inhabitants recorded in 2009).

Part of the municipality of Tévenon

Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Vaugondry

The exact origin of the name Vaugondry remains debated. According to one source consulted, the place name would derive from the medieval Latin « Vallis Gunderici », that is the « valley of Gunderic », a man's name of Germanic origin. Another source instead mentions a certain « von Gündrich », who is said to have resided in the place under Bernese rule and to have given his name to the hamlet. These two explanations do not fully agree with each other and would deserve to be confirmed by further toponymic studies before being taken as certain. The first written mention of the name generally accepted by reference works dates from 1694, although one isolated document mentions an older citation, as early as 1415; this latter piece of information, for lack of corroboration with other sources, should be treated with caution.

Founding of Vaugondry

The territory of Vaugondry belonged, during the Middle Ages, to the seigneury of Grandson. Following the Burgundian Wars, the seigneury of Grandson became from 1476 a common bailiwick jointly administered by the cantons of Berne and Fribourg; Vaugondry was part of it, attached to the métralie of Fiez, until 1798. There is no known founding act for the hamlet: its organization as a distinct entity seems to have taken shape gradually over the course of the Bernese era. According to one source, an official division of the communal lands is said to have taken place in 1744, but this date would deserve to be cross-checked against other studies before being regarded as definitively established. The hamlet never counted more than about fifteen houses, mostly built in the 18th century, with the inhabitants sending two delegates to the assemblies of the métralie.

History of Vaugondry

Middle Ages. The territory of Vaugondry is part of the seigneury of Grandson.

1415 (to be verified). According to one isolated document, the name Vaugondry would already be mentioned at this date in connection with the seigneury of Grandson; this information is not corroborated by reference works, which instead take 1694 as the first attested mention.

1476. After the Burgundian Wars, the seigneury of Grandson becomes a common bailiwick administered by Berne and Fribourg. Vaugondry is incorporated into the métralie of Fiez, within this common bailiwick.

1694. First attested written mention of the name Vaugondry, according to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

1730-1744. According to one source, the hamlet is said to have gradually formed as a distinct entity around 1730, with the official division of the communal lands taking place only in 1744; this precise chronology would deserve to be cross-checked against other historical studies.

1798. End of the Bernese Ancien Régime; the Pays de Vaud becomes a canton. Vaugondry is then assigned to the newly created district of Grandson.

1803. First cantonal census after Vaud independence: 36 inhabitants in Vaugondry.

1850. The population reaches its documented historical peak, with 76 inhabitants.

19th century. The village is marked by rural exodus: many inhabitants leave to settle in the Neuchâtel region to work in the watchmaking industry.

1899-1975. A communal school operates on the boundary between Vaugondry and Romairon.

1900. The population has fallen back to 60 inhabitants.

1950. The population continues to decline: 33 inhabitants.

2000. The population rises slightly to 38 inhabitants; the village remains devoted to mountain agriculture, with no notable craft, commercial or industrial activity.

2006. Abolition of the district of Grandson as part of the Vaud territorial reorganization; Vaugondry is attached to the new district of Jura-Nord vaudois.

27 September 2009. The electorates of Fontanezier, Romairon, Vaugondry and Villars-Burquin approve the merger agreement of the four municipalities in a vote.

18 November 2009. The Vaud Council of State approves by decree the merger of the four municipalities into a new municipality named Tévenon.

1 July 2011. Entry into force of the merger: Vaugondry loses its status as an independent municipality and becomes a hamlet of the new municipality of Tévenon, alongside Fontanezier, Romairon and Villars-Burquin. The name of the new municipality comes from a clearing, « En Tévenon », which overlooks the four former municipalities on the Pidouze alpine pasture.

Population of Vaugondry

1803

1850

1900

1950

2000

2009 (last year before the merger)

Historic sites in Vaugondry

The hamlet and its rural buildings. Vaugondry presents itself as a small farming hamlet of about fifteen houses, mostly built in the 18th century. Several 18th- and 19th-century farmhouses are preserved there, with a stone base topped by a wooden gallery, typical of the rural architecture at the foot of the Vaud Jura.

Architectural uniformity of the village. According to one source, the village is said to display a remarkable architectural uniformity, with roof ridges systematically oriented north-south; this feature, attributed to an old communal rule, would deserve to be cross-checked against other studies before final confirmation.

Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites (ISOS). The entire hamlet of Vaugondry is recognized as being of national importance for its built heritage and is listed as such in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites (ISOS).

Absence of its own religious building. Vaugondry never had its own church or chapel. Religiously, the hamlet was first attached to the parish of Fiez, then to that of Saint-Maurice, in Champagne.

Sources

Other villages near Vaugondry

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