Vullierens, its Church and Abbey

1 May 2024

Vullierens (canton of Vaud) was already inhabited in Roman times. In the Middle Ages, it fell under the Barony of Cossonay. Bern conquered the Pays du Vaud (roughly the area of today’s canton) from the Duchy of Savoie in 1536.

From then on, the village fell under the jurisdiction of Morges and Bern. Bailiffs governed the area until 1798. In that year, France conquered the old predominantly German-speaking Eidgenossenschaft of 13 cantons (only Fribourg/Freiburg was bilingual) and their ‘Untertanengebiete'(including French-speaking Vaud (Waadt in German).

This Confederation, too, was not long-lived, lasting only until 1813, with Napoleon’s defeat. This construction was followed in 1815 by a new Confederation with three additional cantons, and the present Confederation was established in 1848.

The church

Throughout the centuries, Vullierens has maintained its agricultural outlook and size. The influence of Protestant Bern led to the transition from Catholicism to Protestantism after 1536. Despite these changes, the (protestant) church, first mentioned in 1228 and rebuilt in 1733, and the former abbey, dating back to the early 16th century, continue to stand as a witness to the village’s rich religious history.

The Abbey

(Source: F. Béboux, Vullierens, Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse)