Léchelles

State :

Switzerland

Canton :

Freiburg (FR)

District :

Broye

Municipality :

Belmont-Broye

Postal code :

1773

former BFS no. :

2024

Coordinates :

567741 / 186 503 coordinates: 46 ° 49 '44 " N , 7 ° 0' 57" O ; CH1903: 567741 / 186,503

Height :

545 m above sea level M.

Area :

8.75 km²

Residents:

751 (December 31, 2014)

Population density :

86 inhabitants per km²

Website:

www.belmont-broye.ch

map

Parish before the merger on January 1, 2016

Léchelles ( Freiburger Patois Lètchilè ^?^/^I ) was a municipality in the Broye district of the canton of Friborg in Switzerland until December 31, 2015 . On January 1, 2016, it merged with the municipalities of Domdidier , Dompierre (FR) and Russy to form the new municipality of Belmont-Broye . The former German name ladder is no longer used today. On September 1, 1994, the previously independent municipality of Chandon was incorporated into Léchelles.

geography

Léchelles lies at 545 m above sea level. M. , eleven kilometers west-northwest of the canton capital Friborg (as the crow flies). The village extends in a wide valley on the upper Chandon , south of the Grand Belmont , in the north-western Freiburg Central Plateau .

The area of the 8.8 km² former municipal area comprises a section of the Molasse hill country in the Freiburg Central Plateau. The former municipality area is traversed from southwest to northeast by the Chandon, which rises in the extreme south of the area and forms a flat valley low of 200 to 400 m wide. During a retreat stage of the Cold Age Rhone Glacier, this valley served as a meltwater channel on the edge of the glacier for a certain time. A few small side streams flow from the slopes to the Chandon in deep erosion valleys . The valley of the Chandon is flanked in the north by the forest height of the Grand Belmont ( 658 m above sea level ), in the south by that of the Bandeire (at 667 m above sea level the highest point of Léchelles). To the northeast the area extends to the Malforin farm . To the west of the valley near Léchelles, the municipality extends into the catchment area of the Ruisseau du Creux (side stream of the Arbogne ) and on the hill Fin de Longemalle (up to 600 m above sea level ). In 1997, 6% of the former municipal area was in settlements, 38% in forests and woodlands, 55% in agriculture and a little less than 1% was unproductive land.

The village of Chandon ( 525 m above sea level ), the hamlet of Vuaty ( 598 m above sea level ) on the south- eastern slope of the Grand Belmont and a few individual farms belong to Léchelles . Neighboring communities of Léchelles were Domdidier , Russy , Montagny , Ponthaux , Grolley and Misery-Courtion in the canton of Friborg and Avenches in the canton of Vaud .

population

With 751 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2014) Léchelles was one of the smaller municipalities in the canton of Friborg. 90.9% of the residents are French-speaking, 8.2% German-speaking and 0.6% speak English (as of 2000). The population of Léchelles was 466 in 1900 (including Chandon). By 1920 the population increased slightly to 511 inhabitants, after which there was a decline of more than 25% to 382 people in 1980 due to strong emigration. Only since then has there been significant population growth again.

economy

Léchelles was a predominantly agricultural village until the second half of the 20th century . Even today, arable farming , fruit growing , livestock and dairy farming have an important place in the income structure of the population. Further jobs are available in local small businesses and in the service sector, including in telecommunications companies, the construction industry and in a mechanical workshop. At the height east of the village there was a tank farm, which was dismantled in 2007/2008. Over the past few decades, Léchelles has also developed into a residential community. Many employed people are therefore commuters who mainly work in the Freiburg and Payerne regions.

traffic

The former municipality is very well developed in terms of traffic. It is located on the main road from Payerne to Freiburg . On August 25, 1876, the railway line from Freiburg to Payerne with a train station in Léchelles was put into operation.

history

Old coat of arms of Léchelles

The first written mention of the place took place in 1243 under the name Leschières , in 1327 the name Leschièles appeared . Léchelles was part of the Montagny domain since the Middle Ages . With this rule the village came under the suzerainty of Freiburg in 1478 and was assigned to the Bailiwick of Montagny. After the collapse of the Ancien Régime (1798), Léchelles was part of the Montagny district during the Helvetic and subsequent periods before being incorporated into the Broye district in 1848. After the residents of Chandon had agreed to a merger on April 12, 1994, Chandon was incorporated into Léchelles with effect from September 1, 1994. With this merger, the new community also received a new coat of arms.

Attractions

The core of Léchelles Castle dates back to the 16th century, but was largely rebuilt in the first half of the 18th century. It is a two-storey rectangular building with impressive illusionistic paintings on the east facade.

The current parish church of Léchelles was built in 1746 on the site of a previous building from the 17th century. The parish had its seat in Chandon for a long time before it was moved to Léchelles in 1859.

Web links

Commons : Léchelles - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Official website of the municipality of Léchelles (French)
Marianne Rolle: Léchelles. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
Aerial views of the village