Avenches
Historic Old Town
Avenches ( [ avɑʃ ], in the local Provençal dialect [ avɛtsu ] ) is a municipality in the district Broye Vully in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.
The former German name Wiflisburg or Wifflisburg came in the last two centuries, despite the proximity to the language border into oblivion and is rarely used today. In Roman times the then Aventicum was the most important city on Swiss soil on the transit route from the Rhone valley via Augusta Raurica to Germania.
On 1 July 2006, the congregation was united with Donatyre Avenches. July 1, 2011 also the community Oleyres was incorporated. The area of Avenches rose by around 3 km ² and its population by nearly 400
Geography
Avenches is located at an altitude of 480 m above sea level. M. between the district capital Payerne (10 km distance) and Murten ( 8 km air- line). The medieval town extends on an isolated hill on the southern edge of the Broyeebene, the Swiss plateau southwest of Lake Murten.
The area of 17.5 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the Broyeebene and the adjacent hill country. The entire northern part of the municipality is (435 m above sea level. M. ) occupied by the intensively used plane of the lower Broye, through which flows the Arbogne. On the north-west, in the area of the National Stud, the area extends as far as the channeled Broye. In the north of the municipal territory is an approximately 1.5 km long strip on the flat southern shore of Lake Murten, with the mouth of Chandon forms the eastern boundary. To the south of the municipality floor extends into the glacially over-molded in Canton Fribourg Molassehügelland on the plateaus of Donatyre and Chafeirou (510 m above sea level. M. ). Also the wooded hills of the Bois de Châtel, in the 630 m above sea level. M. the highest point of the municipality is reached, one of Avenches. The western boundary is formed in parts of the Bach Ruisseau de Coppet. From the municipality surface 1997 14 % came from settlements, 15 % of forest and shrubs, 70 % to agriculture and slightly less than 1% was unproductive land.
At Avenches include the town Donatyre (505 m above sea level. M. ) on a plateau north of the Bois de Châtel, and numerous individual farms. Neighboring towns of Avenches are Vully -les -Lacs and Clavaleyres in the Canton of Vaud and Saint- Aubin, Domdidier, Courtion and Villarepos in the Canton of Fribourg.
Population
With 3575 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Avenches is one of the medium-sized municipalities in the canton of Vaud. Of the 74.1 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking and 12.8 % 5.8 % portugiesischsprachig (as of 2000). The population of Avenches amounted in 1850 to 1637 population, 1900 to 1952 inhabitants (excluding Donatyre ). After the population had decreased to 1941 by 20% to 1565 people, a significant population increase has since been re- observed, particularly in 1960 and 1970.
Economy
Avenches is a regional economic and trade center and the center of a heavily reliant on agriculture area. The town was therefore influenced for a long time agrarian. Even today, more than 14 % of employment in the primary sector, while the secondary sector around 28 % and the services sector represent around 56 % of the workforce in coming.
Since the correction of Broye in 1906 Avenches has a large area of fertile arable land in the plain north of the town. Here cereals, tobacco, various vegetables and sugar beets are grown primarily. In the hilly southern part of the municipality, there are next to the farming cattle and fruit orchards.
The terrain between the Arbogne and Broye in the west of Avenches in 1899 bought from the federal government until 1901, the Federal Stud, a national horse breeding farm built out. It was privatized in 1997 and is now called the National Stud in Avenches (French: Haras National Avenches ). On the Racecourse of the Institute Équestre National Avenches ( IETA ) are held every year instead of race. The World Cross Country Championships 2003 was hosted here.
Industrialization took place only very slowly in Avenches. Since the 19th century there were some companies that processed agricultural products of the area. Only after 1945, more companies set up operations. Today there are numerous small and medium-sized enterprises in the fields of construction, concrete production ( Holcim granules et Bétons SA ), food and chemical industries, horticulture, telecommunications and precision engineering.
Avenches is also a regional service center and location of the district administration as well as home to several banks and insurance companies. With the connection to the A1 motorway in the late 1990s to Avenches also developed into an attractive place to live. Especially on the northern slope of the hill and south of the old town created new living quarters. A significant proportion of the workforce commutes to Fribourg or Bern to work.
On 5 October 2007 Yahoo announced that it will expand a facility in Avenches.
Tourism
With its Roman ruins, the interesting Musée Romain, the historic old town and cultural events Avenches has to offer in terms of attractions. The most important cultural event is the annual opera festival performed in the amphitheater. On the south shore of Lake Murten There is a campground and a marina.
Traffic
The community is easily accessible via. It lies on the main road 1 from Bern via Payerne to Lausanne, which was active before the opening drive on the highway. The section Bern -Payerne the A1 motorway at exit Avenches is since the end of 1997 one continuous section, closing the gap between Payerne and Yverdon- les- Bains was in 2001. Since then Avenches is located on the transit route from western Switzerland to Bern.
On August 25, 1876, the railway line Murten -Payerne was taken with a station in Avenches in operation. Bus lines connect with Avenches Freiburg, Domdidier, Mur and Cudrefin.
History
The roots of Avenches go back to the Celts. A tribe of the Helvetii had BC erected in the course of the 1st century at the height of the Bois de Châtel south of the later Roman town an oppidum. This oppidum probably replaced an earlier oppidum on the Vully that was abandoned about the same time.
The foundation of the Roman city of Aventicum, which became the capital of the Helvetii, is now set to the time around 15-13 BC. The name is derived from the Helvetic Aventicum source Goddess Aventia. The first mention is found in Tacitus, who already as the capital of the Helvetii identifies the location in 69 ( caput gentis ). Soon, Aventicum developed into a thriving commercial town with around 20,000 inhabitants and became a bishop. The decline of the Roman city sat in the 3rd century AD, caused by inner turmoil Empire and plundering of the Alemanni. As a result, the remaining inhabitants settled on the hill where the present-day town is located. A new fortified settlement was established again on the site of the Roman city in the 5th century. Aventicum remained even during the troubled times and the ongoing threat posed by the Alemanni bishopric and possessed at least two churches ( Saint- Martin and Saint- Symphorien ). Only in the middle of the 6th century, when Bishop Marius moved its headquarters to Lausanne, this meant the end for Aventicum. Probably the place but was still inhabited.
In 1074 the Bishop of Lausanne Burkhard von Oltigen founded on the hill of today's town, a new city that bore the name Adventica in the Middle Ages and was named 1518 Avenche. The city was surrounded in the 11th century with a curtain wall and received a city charter in 1259, which probably was based on in the 11th century granted but not historically hedged freedoms.
Probably because of the proximity to the German language border appears in the 13th century, the first time a German name for Avenches, which coincides with neither the Latin nor the French version. 1266 appeared the name Wibilsburg, then Wipelspurg (1302 ), Wibelspurg ( 1458 ), Wiblispurg ( 1476 ), Wiflispurg ( 1548) and Wiflisburg (1577 ). This name comes from the Germanic personal name Wibili.
The Avenches standing under the protection of the Bishop of Lausanne in 1239 was an alliance with Freiburg and in 1353 one with Murten. Representatives of the bishop was a Kastlan, who resided in the 13th-century castle.
With the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536, Avenches came under Bernese rule and became the seat of the bailiwick of Avenches. These included not only the present territory of the district and the rule Grandcour north of Payerne. After the collapse of the ancien régime Avenches 1798 was affiliated with the Canton of Fribourg during the Helvetic Republic. Already in 1801 urged the residents to a connection to the Canton of Geneva. With the enactment of the Act of Mediation in 1803 this request was complied with and Avenches affiliated with the present-day territory of the region as an exclave of the Canton of Vaud. Since then, Avenches is the main town.
Since 1826 developed in Avenches a community of immigrant Jews from Alsace. They operated mainly horse breeding and built a synagogue in 1865. After the economic situation worsened towards the end of the 19th century, they settled on in larger cities. The Synagogue is no longer used in 1954 was demolished. At this point, a plaque is erected. The Star of David on the tower de Vully still reminds us of the Jewish inhabitants of the city.
Since 1910, insisted on the flat terrain north of the city an airfield, which served as an army base during the First World War. He originally intended to be expanded to a military airfield, but was abolished in 1921 with the opening of the new military airfield in Payerne.
On 1 July 2006, the hitherto politically independent community Donatyre merged with Avenches, after the voters of both communities had said in June 2005 by a large majority for the union.
Attractions
Old town
Avenches has a well- preserved historic old town with a picturesque medieval townscape. It is situated on a hill that overlooks the Broyeebene around 40 m. The old town has a rectangular plan has a dimension of 300 x 200 m. The old main road from Payerne to Murten forms the central longitudinal axis. To the south and north of it is ever a side street, which are connected by three cross streets. From the former town fortification, the Tour de Benneville ( in the south) and the Tour de Vully ( in the northeast ) are obtained; both date from the 13th century. The city wall was razed in the 19th century. Also, the 11th-century tower at the edge of the amphitheater was probably part of the curtain wall. Since 1838 it houses the Musée Romain with a rich collection of archaeological finds from the Roman city of Aventicum.
The Reformed Church of Sainte -Marie -Madeleine was built in the late 11th century in the center of the old town, replacing the earlier Merovingian churches outside the city walls, which gradually fell into disrepair and were demolished completely in the 17th century. It was rebuilt during the Gothic era, and from 1709 to 1711. Of the original building the Romanesque round apse is preserved.
In the northeast corner of the old town stands the castle. It was built in the 13th century as a castle, and was initially the seat of Kastlans, since 1536 the bailiff employed by Bern. This left 1565 to 1568 a profound transformation to today's renaissance castle make. It has a rich interior and now houses the city library.
In the old town which was built in 1753 three storey Hôtel de Ville are also ( Rathaus) with sculpted pediment and arcades, the Hôtel de la Couronne and the Tour de Montauban, to mention a polygonal stair tower of a former manor house dating from the 15th century. The Grand -Rue ( main street) is lined with many stately late Gothic and patrician houses from the 16th to 18th centuries.
Roman Aventicum
Also from the Roman city of Aventicum obtained significant remains or excavated, restored and preserved. At the eastern edge of the historic old town is the best preserved amphitheater in Switzerland. Above the main entrance of the former Bishop Sturm is called defense tower from the 11th century. In the amphitheater, the Opera Festival Avenches Opera Festival will take place.
In the south of the former Aventicum is the Roman Theatre ( Théâtre romain ).
Other important remains are of the temple complex Cigognier, obtained from the Capitol to the thermal baths and the former Roman enclosure. From Cigognier temple is only a roughly 12 m high column, nested on the earlier storks, which is why the temple got its name from the French word cigogne ( Stork).
Remains of the Roman theater in Avenches
Remains of Roman baths in Avenches
Remains of Roman enclosure of Avenches
Seen old town wall with houses from outside