Vullierens

Origin of the name Vullierens

First mentioned between 1041 and 1050 in the form «Vuilerens» (Wikipédia gives 1047-1049 and the form «Vuillerens»). The name is said to derive from a Germanic male personal name such as Willihari or Willigari, with the Germanic suffix -ingōs (to be cross-checked). In Vaud patois the village is called «Voulyèrê».

Founding of Vullierens

The site has been occupied since Roman times, with a villa at the place called Collonges, and then in the early Middle Ages (graves at the places called Flon and Oche Marion). The sources consulted do not say who founded the village. Vullierens belonged to the barony of Cossonay; in 1308 Pierre de Duin obtained from the lord of Cossonay the right to build a fortified house there, the origin of the lordship which later passed to the Colombier, the d'Allinges and finally the Mestral families. The municipality comprises the village of Vullierens and the hamlet of Gland.

History of Vullierens

Roman period. Roman villa at the place called Collonges.

early Middle Ages. Graves at the places called Flon and Oche Marion.

1041-1050. First mention in the form «Vuilerens».

1228. The church of Saint-Martin is a parish church.

1239. A mill on the Senoge is mentioned.

1308. Pierre de Duin obtains from the lord of Cossonay the right to build a fortified house.

14th century. A tower is built; its remains and ditches survive in the Bois des Baffies.

1410. The lordship of Aclens is joined to that of Vullierens (until 1665).

1416. The village has 50 hearths (households).

1501-1536. At the request of the Colombier, Pope Alexander VI turns the church of Saint-Martin into a collegiate church.

1535. The lordship passes to the d'Allinges.

1539-1798. Vullierens belongs to the bailiwick of Morges; the municipality is governed by a governor and ten councillors.

1665. The lordship passes to the Mestral.

1706-1712. Gabriel-Henri de Mestral has a castle built on the site of the old one.

1733. The church is entirely rebuilt.

1798. Vullierens becomes part of the district of Morges.

1829. Aclens becomes an annex of the parish of Vullierens.

1955. The castle gardens, open to the public, take in one of the largest iris collections in Europe.

2000. The municipality has 402 inhabitants.

Population of Vullierens

Population of Vullierens

1416	50 hearths (households)
1764	332
1850	512
1900	514
1950	382
2000	402
2025	577

Historic sites in Vullierens

Vullierens Castle. Built from 1706 to 1712 by Gabriel-Henri de Mestral on the site of the old castle. It is privately owned and listed, with its gardens and outbuildings, as a Swiss cultural property of national significance.

Castle gardens. Open to the public, they have housed one of the largest iris collections in Europe since 1955.

Church of Saint-Martin. A parish church from 1228, turned into a collegiate church by Pope Alexander VI at the request of the Colombier (1501-1536), entirely rebuilt in 1733.

Hamlet of Gland. Hamlet which forms the municipality together with the village of Vullierens.

Remains in Vullierens

Roman villa at Collonges. Remains of a Roman villa at the place called Collonges.

Early medieval graves. Burials discovered at the places called Flon and Oche Marion.

Tower in the Bois des Baffies. Remains of a 14th-century tower surrounded by ditches.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Vullierens »
• Wikipédia, « Vullierens »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
• Wikipedia (EN), « Vullierens »

Localities of the municipality with a page

• Gland (Vullierens)

Other villages near Vullierens

• Gland (Vullierens) (VD)
• Colombier (VD)
• Cottens (VD)
• Grancy (VD)
• Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges (VD)