Commugny

Commugny is a common Suisse of the Canton of Vaud, located in the District of Nyon.

Geography

Commugny belongs to the area of Holy Land. The commune is surrounded in the South by Tannay, in the West by Chavannes-of-Wood and Grilly in the French Department of Ain, in North by Chavannes-in-Bogis and Founex and the East by Coppet. Commugny, with its 6,5 km ² (652 hectares), is extended from the 8 communes of the Holy Land area (25% of entire surface).

Altitudes are staged from 400 to 483 Mr. the church is at an altitude of 419 m representative of the inhabited area. The slopes are soft, except perhaps those of the hill capped by the church.

The centres of population are in the lower part in south-east of the communal territory. They occupy approximately 1/7 of the territory. The initial poles of the development of Commugny were:

accesses of the church,
accesses of the roads of Divonne, and Coppet,
accesses of the castle of Marnex.

With the construction of the highway which offers an rapid access with Geneva, good number of people were established in Commugny to find a framework of quiet and pleasant life there.

The Alpine panorama goes from the Salève to south-west to the the Freibourgese Alps to the North-East (the Mont Blanc being of good part masked by the Voirons) d´un side and, other, the the Jura energy of the Reculet to the Tender Mont while passing by the Colomby of Gex and Pares It.

An important zone of villas was grafted since the Années 1980 in the north of the village, on both sides of Greny. Other zones, more modest, were built in the south with the accesses of the way of the End and in the west, in direction of the castle of Marnex.

The plan of the zones limited the increase in population, because the authorities wanted to prevent that the area becomes simple suburbs of Geneva.

While turning to the Jura, one discovers a zone of cultures supported by an abundant sunning and a climate softened by the great mass of Léman. The breeding underwent an important retreat, because dairy fixing of quotas is strict.

In addition a high number of plant species are put up with the local climate: not only the Corn, the Corn, the Beet S and cultures fruit-bearing, but also the soya, the Sunflower S and the reeds of China which give an excellent ecological substitute to the Tourbe, the Chanvre which provides natural fibers whose virtues are to be redécouvrir.

Although the ground is rather heavy (Argile uses), the Vigne is present and unprocessed product partly vinified at Commugny.

Further, one finds on both sides highway, wooded areas, cultures and thickets protected (and not very accessible) bordering the Versoix. The many ways necessary to the farm and forest are appreciated walkers, cyclists and riders.

With a primarily calcareous basement, the hydrology of Commugny is poor. In addition to Versoix already mentioned, one can mention:

the Nant which crosses the field of Marnex, then Tannay,
the Bornalet which throws in
the Greny, artificial river coming from a derivation of Versoix dug in the marshes of Bogis-Bossey.

Greny fed the Château of Coppet out of water. Its driving energy also made function a sawmill with Commugny and a turbine which provided the public lighting of the village to the first times of electricity.

History

Prehistory

The discovery of a Silex in Bois Baron at the time of pedological surveys lets suppose the presence of a prehistoric establishment at this place.

Roman period

Shortly after its conquest of the “Hairy” Gaulle known as, completed in 52 av. J. - C., Jules César decided, for strategic reasons for order, to base on banks of the Léman a colony of which first inhabitants, or colonists, last being of the soldiers to the retirement. Thus the Colonia Iulia Equestris was created whose urban center was Nyon (Noviodunum). As of its constitutive instrument, a colony included/understood a territory divided in square batches whose side was worth, in theory, a Centurie (approx. 710 m). These batches were intended to be distributed to the colonists. This operation of division of the territory or “centuriation”, left detectable traces here and there currently. A study of NR. Pichard Sardet tried to show that, for Nyon, the territory of Colonia Iulia Equestris extended, roughly speaking, in the area ranging between the lake and the foot of the Jura, Aubonne and Fort the Lock. It was before occupied by the Celtic people of the Helvète S, but, to date, one did not find a tangible vestige directly attesting an establishment of these people on the site of Nyon which, however, bears a Celtic name of origin: Noviodunum. The area of Commugny thus concerned the administration of the colony. One knows two establishments belonging to the category of the villæ. That of the locality " in Muret" is under the church. The second, known by old mentions, is " in Marnex". Here elements known for the villa of the church. the Roman Villa

It is in 1904, at the time of excavation work for the construction of a surrounding wall of the “new cemetery” which the vestiges of an important Gallo-Roman establishment with Commugny were discovered.

A Roman villa is a more or less wide whole of constructions including/understanding an apartment building for the owner and its family ( leave urbana ), sometimes very luxurious, and the buildings with agricultural vocation and artisanal the leave rustica (stables, cattle sheds, attics, warehouses, workshops, buildings of dwelling for the personnel, etc).

In Commugny, the leave rustica remains, alas, completely unknown factor. The leave urbana , on the other hand, extremely opulent, delivered part of its plan at the time of various archaeological interventions practiced under the church, the room of parish and the cemetery: large a gantry of frontage, out of U probably, was to extend side lake on a lower terrace; in the west, on a higher terrace, a large body of home was organized around a court and of a basin. Vestiges of therme S were also excavated.

The discovery of murals of an exceptional artistic quality makes Roman villa of Commugny one of the most important sites of the current Swiss territory for this time. These paintings with illustrated decorations were the subject of an exhaustive scientific study, undertaken by E. Broillet Ramjoué and Mr. Fuchs, who was followed of an exposure and a publication to the Museum Romain de Nyon which has load of this inheritance.

The results of this work, exposed to the Museum, made it possible to propose restitutions of several decorated walls. They show obviously, thanks to the establishment of rather precise and extremely early dates for the area (second quarter of the first century of our era for the principal unit), the richness and the very privileged social status of the owners of the places within the Colony. Analyzes proved the use, on some of these paintings, of gilding to the sheet, technique reserved for the only sites of great prestige. In addition, it appeared that artists came from Italy to carry out or, at least, to direct the execution of several walls.

Excavations carried out by Mr. H. Chatelain delivered a ceramic important quantity of material which gives a range of forms making it possible to have an idea of the utilization period of the villa.

Antiquity with the Middle Ages

The villa did not escape certain upheavals occurred in our areas in second half of It century. An economic crisis and policy of great scale shook all the Empire, weakened its structures and its borders. The role played by the “Germanic invaders” in these sudden starts was over-estimated a long time. Always it is that many Roman sites - Nyon in particular - knew as of this time a serious decline.

Burgondes, one of these Germanic people, assimilated little by little the Latin culture and, towards 500, when the kingdom of Burgundy had been constituted, the area knew, with king Gondebaud, celebrates it “law Gombette” which is a collection of legal designs of Burgondes. With Sigismond, wire of Gondebaud, the law Gombette set up the Christianity in official religion.

Monuments

The Church Saint-Christophe (15th century)

The church of Commugny, dedicated to Saint-Christophe, is one of the most remarkable sanctuaries of the area. Its foundation is located at Vle century and seems to have coincided with the donation of the Earth of Commugny to the abbey of Agaune. The primitive church was smaller than that which we know and who owes his current form with successive enlargings in IXe, XIIe, XlVe, XVe and at the beginning of XVIe century, time when the many vaults were built of which each one has its own seal and who mark well the parochial character of the church of Commugny. It was restored in 1932, in 1971-1973, and more recently in 1996-1998. Its stained glasses are the work of Charles Clément (1933) and Everilda de Fels (1947, 1972). Its organ was carried out according to the directives of Pierre Segond, organist with Saint-Pierre, and was inaugurated in 1952. The church Saint-Christophe de Commugny, after the restorations of 1998 The bell-tower was replastered. Other work was undertaken successfully, of which the consolidation of the belfry, restoration of the roof, as well as the cleansing of the interior, by a new system of heating and ventilation of the building. A new decoration and interior refittings are emphasized by a modern and adjustable lighting according to the circumstances.

The castle of Marnex

Commugnans called formerly it “Marnex the city”, thus evoking its Roman past when Marnetum was on the road connecting Lousonna to Genava. One found vestiges which make it possible to suppose the existence of a Roman villa with Marnex. The construction of the house such as it appears to us now is to be located before 1450.Marnex was then a kind of house-strong whose turret was used as dungeon. Renovated in XVIle century, it counted, in addition to the dwelling house, of the barns, a handing-over and a sheep-fold.

The house Fazan (16th century)

The “old convent

The construction of the Steffen farm dates from the beginning of XVIe century. It owes its name of “old convent” with its initial role of presbytery

The cure

The cure rises on the site of the thermal baths of the Roman villa. Built at the XVIIe century, it was restored in 1789 by the architect of J. Necker which equipped it with a very beautiful frontage in the style of the time. Listed monument, it was restored in 1976.

The Villa-Rose

This beautiful house of Master, much more recent, date of 1873.

The house of the crime

Although of disaster report, it deserves that one speaks about it somewhat. Today disappeared, this house, located at the edge of Greny, was that of a man who forced a little too much on the consumption of wormwood.

This drink obtained by the distillation of several aromatic plants whose Artemisia absinthium was very appreciated, mainly at the XIXe century because of its perfume and its moderate price. Important manufactures manufactured some, in particular in Couvet (District of Valley-of-Through,) and in Pontarlier (Doubs).

But, in addition to its high percentage of alcohol, the wormwood contains thujone, also presents in the thujas (from where the name), juniper and vermouths, which is toxic for the central nervous system. Habituation with the wormwood was doubly dangerous, because alcoholism was accompanied by a form of madness: absinthism.

Our man, therefore, drunk of… nasty wine and taken of an access of madness, cut down, on August 28th, 1905, his expectant mother and his two children, then it tried, without success, to commit suicide. He was condemned to a heavy sorrow of reclusion and hung himself in his cell.

Following this terrible family drama, a federal initiative was launched starting from Commugny. It was accepted on July 5th, 1908 by the people with almost 2 votes against 1 and all the cantons except Neuchâtel and Geneva, and, since October 7th, 1910, the production and the trade of the wormwood are prohibited in Switzerland. France took a similar measure in 1915. It is only very recently that the production and the trade of the wormwood were authorized again in Switzerland (consequence of the Swiss news Constitution).

Ways

Some bear their name since strong a long time, others were baptized more recently, but much have a very evocative name. Thus Small Oche, which means “small garden”.

Vy of Mores, as for it, divides the opinions commugnanes. The ones claim that it is the way of died towards the cemetery, the others which it owes its name to the Moors, evoking incursions sarrasines in IXe century.

The Martinet way recalls us the Bernese time with the installation of a trip hammer and a forging mill on Greny.

Bornalet bears its name doubly well, since this word precisely means “small fountain”. It was also a shaded place of walk, the length of which Murielle Fontana (Fontana meaning: small fountain) liked to walk.

The avenue George de Mestral recalls the walkers crossing wood that Velcro was invented by Commugnan, before flying away until on the Moon.

Books

Commugny, a village with living, Editions Cabédita

External bonds

Official site
Official site of the area

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