Billens-Hennens

Billens

Billens - Hennens is a municipality in the district of the canton of Fribourg Glane in Switzerland. The municipality was created on 1 January 1998 by the merger of the previously independent municipalities Billens ( Freiburg Patois Belin? / I) and Hennens ( Freiburg Patois enyne? / I).

Geography

Billens - Hennens is located at 738 m above sea level. M., 1.5 km west-southwest of the district town Romont. The municipality extends slightly increased west of the valley of Glaney opposite Romont, on the ridge between the middle Broyetal the west and the upper reaches of the Glane in the east, in Fribourg plateau.

The area of ​​4.9 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the Molasseplateaus of Fribourg Mittelland. The eastern boundary runs along the Glaney, a left-hand side of Bach's Glane. From here, the communal land extends westward across the gently undulating countryside to the heights of Dailles (807 m above sea level. M. ) and Champ Liamon (810 m above sea level. M. ). To the southwest, the area above the forest back Haut-du -Bois extends into the catchment area of ​​the Ruisseau des Vaux (right side of the creek Broye). The highest point of Billens - Hennens is 814 m above sea level. M. in the southwest reaches near the farm Montaney. From the municipality surface 1997 7 % was attributable to settlements, 13 % of forest and woody plants and 80 % to agriculture.

Billens - Hennens consists of the villages Billens ( 738 m above sea level. M. ), Hennens ( 763 m above sea level. M. ) in a depression in the south-west of Billens, the hamlet of La Bioleyre ( 755 m above sea level. M. ) west of Glaney and more individual farms. Neighboring communities of Billens - Hennens are Romont and Siviriez in the Canton of Fribourg and Brenles, Lovatens and Prévonloup in the canton of Vaud.

Population

With 659 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Billens - Hennens one of the smaller municipalities in the canton of Fribourg. Of the 96.5 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 2.4 % and 0.5 % speak Spanish ( as of 2000). The population of Billens - Hennens amounted in 1850 to 336 residents in 1900 to 437 inhabitants. After peaking around 1940 (610 inhabitants), the population increased to 1980 by around 17% to 508 persons. Since then, a significant increase in population was recorded again.

Economy

Billens - Hennens was until the second half of the 20th century, mainly coined by farming village. In the 19th century there were several mills and sawmills in Billens. Even today, agriculture, animal husbandry and dairying have a certain role in the occupational structure of the population. More jobs are available in the local small businesses and especially in the service sector. Billens is home to the district hospital in the district Glane. In recent decades, the village has developed into a residential community. Many workers are therefore commuters who work in Romont or in the region of Freiburg.

Traffic

Billens is situated on the road from Romont after Lucens. By Postbus courses on the lines of Romont to Payerne or Romont by Avry, Billens is connected to the network of public transport. Only 1 km away from the town center is the Romont station on the railway line Lausanne - Fribourg. Hennens has no access to public transport.

History

The first mention of Billens was in 1155 under the name Bitlens. Later, the names Billens (1180 ) published, Bill One ( 1228 ) and Byllens ( 1232). The place name is derived from the Burgundian personal name Billa and means with the suffix -ene as much as the people of Billa. In contrast Hennens is attested as Henens only since 1403. Numerous other spellings have been preserved from the following time: Ennen ( 1432 ), Henyn ( 1475 ), enens ( 1578), Inens ( 1638) and Asi (1755 ). This place name comes from the personal name Inno.

Since the Middle Ages Billens belonged to the noble family of the same name. The Lords of Billens were vassals of the Bishop of Lausanne, later they were under the protection of the House of Savoy. Until 1239 Romont also belonged to the rule Billens. In 1365, the government came by marriage to the counts of Gruyères. Since the beginning of the 15th century there were numerous changes of ownership. Hennens made ​​since its first mention of its own little rule, which was dependent on Savoy.

When the Bernese 1536 Vaud conquered Billens and Hennens came under the rule of Freiburg and the Bailiwick Romont were allocated. After the collapse of the ancien régime (1798 ) were among the villages during the Helvetic Republic and the subsequent time to the district Romont and were incorporated in 1848 in the District Glane. On 1 January 1998, the two congregations merged to form new political community Billens - Hennens.

Attractions

The parish church of Saint- Maurice in Billens was already mentioned in 1228. It was enlarged in 1659 and remodeled in the years 1827-1831. After the last castle of the lords of Billens had been destroyed in 1718, a new castle was built northeast of the village. This was in 1864 in the possession of the Canton of Fribourg and was expanded to the district hospital later. In Hennens is the chapel, built in 1653 Saint -Bernard.