Tolochenaz

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

Geography

Tolochenaz is located on 423 m above sea level. M., 2 km west of the district capital Morges ( straight line ). The village is located on a plateau in the Vaud Mittelland, a scenic location about 50 m above the lake level of Lake Geneva.

The area of ​​1.6 km ² municipal area includes a section on the north shore of Lake Geneva. The communal land extends from the shore northward over the flat riparian corridors and up to the plateau of Tolochenaz, on 430 m above sea level. M. is reached the highest point of the municipality. In the south of the area at the Boiron de Morges, which ends with a small alluvial fan into the lake ranges. From the municipal area in 1997 received 51% settlements, 8% forest and woody plants and 41% to agriculture.

To Tolochenaz offers an extensive commercial and industrial zone on the western edge of Morges. Neighboring communities of Tolochenaz are Saint- Prex, Lully, Chigny and Morges. The settlement area of Tolochenaz is almost completely conjoined with that of Morges.

Population

With 1711 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Tolochenaz belongs to the medium-sized municipalities in the canton of Vaud. Of the 84.2 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 5.2 % and 2.6 % portugiesischsprachig (as of 2000). The population of Tolochenaz amounted in 1900 to 217 inhabitants. Throughout the 20th century the population grew steadily, during the last decades strongly. Since 1960 (479 inhabitants), a tripling of the population was registered.

Economy

Tolochenaz was until the mid-20th century, a predominantly coined by farming village. Today, agriculture has only a marginal role in the occupational structure of the population. There are a few small wine-growing areas and orchards.

Since the 1960s, a large industrial and commercial zone was created between the railway line and the highway, which changed the economic structure of the village significantly. Here important companies in the transport sector ( Friderici SA), the construction industry since 1995 and Medtronic have settled (medical technology ). In Tolochenaz is also the training center of the Vaud contractors' association ( Ecole Vaudoise de la Construction). In recent years, the village has developed thanks to its attractive location into a residential community. Many workers are also commuters who work mainly in Lausanne and Morges.

Traffic

The community is easily accessible via. The village lies on the main road from Morges to Bière. The motorway connection Morges- Ouest in 1964 opened A1 ( Geneva -Lausanne ), which crosses the municipality, is about 1 km from the village. On April 14, 1858 of section from Morges to Coppet of the railway line Lausanne- Geneva was taken with a station in Tolochenaz in operation. This is, however, just outside the village, it was in December 2011, due to low demand, closed. By Postbus course, which runs from Morges to Lavigny, Tolochenaz is connected to the network of public transport and has an optimal connection to the station of Morges.

History

The municipal area of Tolochenaz tombs have been found from the Bronze Age. The first documentary mention in 561 under the name Tolochina Tolochenaz is one of the earliest documented settlements in the region. Later, the names Tolochene (593 ) Tolochino ( 1173 ), Tolozzina ( 1221 ) and Tholochinaz ( 1313 ) published. The village was 962 at the Lausanne cathedral chapter. It lost until the founding of the city of Morges in the 13th century its former importance.

With the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536 Tolochenaz came under the administration of the bailiwick of Morges. After the collapse of the ancien régime, the village belonged from 1798 to 1803 during the Helvetic Republic to the canton of Geneva, who then came up with the enactment of the Act of Mediation in the canton of Vaud. 1798 was assigned to the district of Morges.

Attractions and Personalities

In the old town a few farm houses from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved. The villa " Riond - Bosson ", built in 1882 in the Venetian style, was the residence of the Polish pianist and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski. One of the most famous citizens was Audrey Hepburn, actress and Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, which for 30 years ( from 1963 until her death in 1993) on their estate " La Paisible ", a renovated farmhouse from the 18th century surrounded by two and a half morning orchard, lived; Her grave is in the local cemetery. Another prominent inhabitants is the Swedish tenor Nicolai Gedda.

Various buildings of modern architecture are represented in the large industrial zone ( including the headquarters of the company, Medtronic Europe, Emerging Markets and Canada).