La Sarraz

La Sarraz

La Sarraz is a municipality in the district of Morges in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

Geography

La Sarraz is located on 490 m above sea level. M., 17 km north of the district capital Morges ( straight line ). The historic town extends on a ridge west of the Mormont, on the northern edge of the valley of the Venoge, on the watershed between the basins of the Rhone and the Rhine, in the Vaud Mittelland.

The area of ​​7.8 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the Vaud Mittelland. The central part of the area is crossed from west to east of the Venoge, the addition occurs at La Sarraz from the narrow valley at the foot of the Jura plateau in a up to 1 km wide valley. South of this valley extends the communal land on the adjoining plateau of Dizy ( on the hill La Crête 601 m above sea level. M. ), where the river forms the western boundary of the Veyron. North of the Talniederung Venoge the area of ​​La Sarraz extends to the height of Mormont (up to 605 m above sea level. M. ), a rock barrier, the Orbeebene in the north ( in the Rhine catchment area ) of the Venoge in the south ( in the catchment area of the Rhone) are separated. In a narrow strip of the communal land of La Sarraz extends to the northwest through a wooded part of the limestone plateaux of the Jura foothills ( Châtillon, 623 m above sea level. M. ), in the gorge-like valley of the Nozon and his little side valley Vallée d' Engen are sunk. The highest point of La Sarraz is 630 m above sea level. M. reached the wooded area on the lower slopes of the Jura. From the municipality surface 1997 11 % came from settlements, 39 % of forest and woody plants, 49 % in agriculture and somewhat less than 1% was unproductive land.

At La Sarraz include the farm cluster Bois de Fey ( 555 m above sea level. M. ) on the plateau north of Dizy above the valley of the Veyron as well as some individual farms. Neighboring communities of La Sarraz are Pompaples, Orny, Eclépens, Lussery -Villars, Dizy, Chevilly, Ferreyres, Romainmôtier -Envy, Croy and Arnex -sur -Orbe.

Population

With 2381 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) La Sarraz belongs to the medium-sized municipalities in the canton of Vaud. Of the 84.6 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 4.6 %, 4.1 % and 3.7 % albanischsprarig portugiesischsprachig (as of 2000). The population of La Sarraz amounted in 1900 to 930 inhabitants. After a continuous slight increase in the number of inhabitants increased population increase was observed particularly since 1980 (1210 inhabitants).

Economy

La Sarraz was up to the beginning of the 20th century, mainly stamped by the agriculture town. Today, the farming and fruit growing have only a minor role in the occupational structure of the population. On the southern slope of the Mormont there is a small wine region. In addition, the forestry plays a certain role.

The town of La Sarraz since the 19th century as a regional center for commerce, trade and small industry. The economic boom began with the opening of the railway Cossonay- Vallorbe. Major companies at that time were a tannery (1781 based), a top factory, founded in 1858, and the mechanical workshops Freydon. All these firms were shut down during the economic crisis in the course of the 1970s.

Today, located in La Sarraz addition to numerous small enterprises Pneumatex SA and Holcim granules et Concrete SA, which operates a quarry, as well as enterprises of the timber processing, the construction industry and the production of construction machinery.

La Sarraz also has various cultural institutions ( a local history museum and a theater ), sports facilities, a swimming pool and a campsite.

Traffic

The community is easily accessible via. It lies on the main road 9 from Lausanne to Vallorbe, a road branches off to Orbe. The highway connecting La Sarraz at the 1981 opened A1 (Lausanne -Yverdon ) is about 5 km from the center.

On 1 July 1870, the railway line Cossonay- Vallorbe was taken with a train station in La Sarraz in operation. The projection on which the town lies, is passed under a short tunnel. For the dispersion in public transport provide a bus service via Pompaples to the hospital Saint- Loup and a course to L' Isle.

History

From Roman times, when the municipality was crossed by the route from Lausanne to Orbe, remains of which are hardly obtained. The history of La Sarraz begins in 1049, when the Lords of Grandson expanded their power area to the southwest and on the ledge west of the Mormont built a fortified checkpoints on a major trade and pilgrimage road. With this traffic from France via the Col de Jougne by the Vaud Mittelland and over the Great St. Bernard Pass to Italy was controlled.

The first written mention of the village was carried out in 1158 under the name Sarata. Later, the names Sarrata ( 1186 ), La Sarrée ( 1227 ), La Sara ( 1235 ) and cellam de Serra ( 1286) appeared. For a long time was the place name La Sarra, the z was added only recently. The place name derives from the past participle serata ( in Latin, as also used in patois ) in the definition of enclosed and secured from.

In the late 11th century, developed around the fastening storm a settlement. This was fortified in the 12th century and provided with a wall and gates. The lords of the castle, a side branch of the lords of Grandson, built at this time the rule La Sarraz, which was one of the most important of Canton Vaud. Owner of the rule were from 1049 to 1269 the family Grandson La Sarra, from 1269 to 1541, the family - Mont Ferrand La Sarra, from 1541 to 1798 the family Gingins -La Sarra and then until 1948 their descendants.

The town was awarded in 1345 and underwent extensive freedom through trade and craft an economic boom. Since the second half of the 14th century La Sarraz received by the Dukes of Savoy, the right to hold markets four years; 1597 the weekly market was introduced.

With the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536, La Sarraz came under the administration of the Bailiwick Romainmôtier. After the collapse of the ancien régime, the town from 1798 to 1803 during the Helvetic Republic belonged to the canton of Geneva, who came up then with the enactment of the Act of Mediation in the canton of Vaud. 1798 was assigned to the District Cossonay.

Attractions

The castle La Sarraz goes back to its core to the 11th century, in the 13th century it was extensively rebuilt. During the Burgundian War, 1475 was partially destroyed by the Confederates pulled back and also in the conquest of Vaud in 1536 affected. From medieval building still stand today, the two towers at the castle entrance, the right (lower ) tower originally served as a dungeon. The other castle buildings were constructed by conversion and new construction until after the Reformation. The former Walling was destroyed in the 19th century, when the castle garden was created. The castle now houses the local museum ( rich interior of the reign of La Sarra family) and since 1979 in the outbuildings, a horse museum.

From 1360 to 1370, the Chapel Saint -Antoine was (also called Chapelle Jaquemart ) built. It served both as a church for the citizens, on the other hand, as a grave laying for the noble family. It contains the Arkosolgrabmal the founder François I de La Sarra (1363 died ), one of the most beautiful Adelsgrabmälern Switzerland. In this chapel the classicist parish church was built in the 19th century.

The historic town with two parallel roads has preserved its picturesque townscape. The streets are lined with bourgeois and patrician houses from the 18th and 19th centuries.

A natural attraction, the waterfall La Tine de Conflens in a small rock basin at the confluence of the Veyron and Venoge dar.

The Canal Entreroches is a cultural monument of the art and history of transport in the vicinity of La Sarraz.

Personalities

• Claire Krahenbuhl, writer and artist
• Ludwig Heinrich Ferdinand Olivier ( * 1759 in La Sarraz, † 1815 in Vienna), teacher