Vufflens-la-Ville
Origin of the name Vufflens-la-Ville
First written mention in 1011: « villa Vuolflinges »; old German name « Wolflingen ». Other early forms: « Volflens » (before 1109), « Vuolflens li Vila » (1128), « Vuflens la Vila » (1238). The name derives from a Germanic personal name, Wulfila or Wulfilo, followed by the suffix « -ingos »: it designates the people of Wulfila, which suggests the settlement of his clan; the municipality links it to the Burgundians (to be cross-checked).
Founding of Vufflens-la-Ville
The site has been inhabited since prehistory: a Bronze Age burial mound, a Celtic settlement of the 2nd century BC, Roman settlements and an early medieval cemetery. The medieval village appears in 1011, when King Rudolph III of Burgundy gave the priory of Romainmôtier nine manses located in Vufflens; a priory was founded there before 1096 to manage this property. The name, formed on that of a Germanic man called Wulfila, suggests that the village owes its origin to the settlement of this man and his people, but none of the sources consulted documents this directly.
History of Vufflens-la-Ville
Bronze Age. A burial mound is raised in the area.
2nd century BC. A Celtic settlement (La Tène) with residential and craft areas develops near the Venoge; it is abandoned after the La Tène period.
Roman period. Several Roman settlements occupy the area; a cemetery is in use in the early Middle Ages.
1011. Rudolph III of Burgundy gives the priory of Romainmôtier nine manses located in Vufflens: first mention, « villa Vuolflinges ».
11th century. The parish church of Saint-Etienne and the mill of La Palaz are recorded from this century.
1049-1109. The abbey of Romainmôtier receives half of the parish church of Saint-Etienne.
before 1096. Foundation of a priory in Vufflens, suppressed in the second half of the 13th century.
12th-13th centuries. The Vufflens family, vassals of the Cossonay, hold fiefs in the village; these later pass to the Chabiez.
1239. The priory chapel dedicated to Saints Peter, Paul and Pancras is recorded.
1416. The village has 22 hearths.
1536. Bernese conquest: Vufflens belongs to the bailiwick of Lausanne until 1798.
1580. On 25 March, Jean Rosset, former burgomaster of Lausanne, buys the fief for 90 écus.
1594. The Rosset family receive rights of justice over the seigneury (to be cross-checked).
17th century. The seigneury passes to the Mestral family, who keep it until 1798.
1711. Vufflens becomes a parish.
1798. Attached to the district of Cossonay.
1855. Opening of the railway station with the Bussigny-Yverdon line.
1895-1920. The Clément spinning mill replaces the sawmill and threshing mill added to the La Palaz mill in the 19th century.
1919. Adoption of the municipal coat of arms.
2008. The new Vaud districts come into force: the municipality joins the Gros-de-Vaud district.
2015. Excavation of the Celtic settlement on the route of cantonal road RC 177.
Population of Vufflens-la-Ville
| 1416 | 22 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 288 |
| 1850 | 315 |
| 1900 | 324 |
| 1950 | 331 |
| 1980 | 747 |
| 2000 | 999 |
| 2025 | 1'327 |
Historic sites in Vufflens-la-Ville
Church of Saint-Etienne. The parish church dates back to the 11th century; half of it was given to Romainmôtier between 1049 and 1109. A dependency of Penthaz at the Reformation, Vufflens became a parish in 1711. The church is listed as a cultural property of regional importance.
Mill of La Palaz. Mill recorded from the 11th century in the hamlet of La Palaz, on the Venoge; a sawmill and a threshing mill were added in the 19th century, replaced by the Clément spinning mill (1895-1920).
ISOS village. The village is listed in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites (ISOS).
Coat of arms of 1919. It takes up, in reversed colours, the sword and key of Romainmôtier in memory of the 1011 gift, with a blue fess for the Venoge and a lion of the Chabiez.
Remains in Vufflens-la-Ville
Celtic settlement of the RC 177. Excavated in 2015 by some twenty archaeologists over four months, across more than 7'000 m²: dwellings and craft areas of the 2nd century BC, earth and timber houses, grain silos, production of bronze and iron objects (sword scabbards, brooches). This type of settlement is very rare on the Swiss Plateau (only Basel, Yverdon and Bern have produced comparable ones); abandoned after La Tène, the site is easier to interpret than elsewhere.
Bronze Age burial mound. Bronze Age burial mound recorded in the municipal territory.
Roman settlements and cemetery. Remains of several Roman settlements and an early medieval cemetery.
Vanished priory. Of the priory founded before 1096 and suppressed in the 13th century, only the memory remains of the priory chapel of Saints Peter, Paul and Pancras, recorded in 1239 and now vanished.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Vufflens-la-Ville »
- Commune de Vufflens-la-Ville, « Histoire du village »
- État de Vaud, communiqué du 10 septembre 2015, « Une agglomération celtique sur le tracé de la RC 177 »
- Wikipédia, « Vufflens-la-Ville »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
- geo.admin.ch (swisstopo), recherche de lieux
Other villages near Vufflens-la-Ville
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