Villaz (Haute-Savoie)
| Villaz | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Annecy | |
| Canton | Annecy-le-Vieux | |
| Community association | Grand Annecy | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 57 ' N , 6 ° 11' E | |
| height | 463-1,680 m | |
| surface | 15.27 km 2 | |
| Residents | 3,427 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 224 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74370 | |
| INSEE code | 74303 | |
| Website | www.villaz.fr | |
Villaz is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes .
geography
Villaz is located at 705 m , about eight kilometers northeast of the city of Annecy (as the crow flies). The former farming village extends in a panoramic location on a wide terrace above the valleys of Fier and Fillière , on the edge of the Alps northeast of the Annecy basin, at the western foot of the striking summit formation of the Tête du Parmelan, in the Genevois .
The area of the 15.27 km² municipal area includes a section of the Genevois. The central part of the area is taken up by an extensive plateau at the foot of the Bornes Alps . This gradually descends towards the west to the valley of the Fillière , which flows here with several turns parallel to the edge of the Alps from north to south. The Fillière flows into the Fier below the Villaz plateau, which for a short time forms the border in the south-west. The northern border is marked by the erosion channel of the Crenant stream . To the east, the community area extends over an initially gently, later steeply rising, wooded slope into the headwaters of the Crenant and down to the rugged cliff edge of the Tête du Parmelan , on which the highest elevation of Villaz is reached at around 1,800 m .
In addition to the actual town center, Villaz also includes various hamlet settlements and farms, including:
- Onnex ( 490 m ) in the Fier valley, near the mouth of the Fillière
- Le Pautex ( 600 m ) on the eastern slope of the Fillière valley
- Chez Contat ( 650 m ) on the Villaz plateau
- Chez Meunier ( 690 m ) on the Villaz plateau
- Les Ailles ( 650 m ) in the valley of the Crenant
- Moiron ( 740 m ) at the foot of the Tête du Parmelan
- Disonche ( 770 m ) in the valley of the Crenant at the foot of the Tête du Parmelan
Neighboring municipalities of Villaz are Les Ollières and Aviernoz in the north, Dingy-Saint-Clair in the east, Nâves-Parmelan and Annecy-le-Vieux in the south and Argonay and Saint-Martin-Bellevue in the west.
history
The municipality of Villaz was already settled during Roman times. Probably a certain Titus Coelius built a country house (villa) here, as indicated by an inscription on a sacrificial stone discovered in the 19th century.
The place was first mentioned in a document in 1237 under the name Villa . From this the spelling Ville developed and Villaz, which has been official since the early 19th century .
Since the beginning of the 14th century, there were two mansions in what is now the municipality, the Château de Bonatrait and the Château de Disonche.
Attractions
The village church of Villaz was rebuilt in the late Gothic style in 1511 after the earlier church was destroyed by fire. The ship was restored and redesigned in 1866. The mansions Disonche, Moiron and Bonatrait (today part of a large complex with a sanatorium and nursing home) are located in the municipality.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 598 |
| 1968 | 612 |
| 1975 | 814 |
| 1982 | 1,129 |
| 1990 | 1,602 |
| 1999 | 2,068 |
| 2004 | 2.223 |
With 3427 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) Villaz is one of the medium-sized communities in the Haute-Savoie department. In the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, the population decreased continuously due to strong emigration (in 1861 there were still 826 inhabitants in Villaz). Since the beginning of the 1970s, however, thanks to the attractive residential area and the proximity to Annecy, there has been a marked increase in population. Numerous single-family houses were built outside the old town center.
Economy and Infrastructure
For a long time Villaz was a predominantly agricultural village. Today there are various local small businesses. Otherwise the village has developed into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who work in the Annecy area.
The village is off the main thoroughfares on a departmental road that leads from Annecy-le-Vieux to Thorens-Glières . Further road connections exist with Argonay and Nâves-Parmelan. The closest connection to the A41 motorway is around 8 km away.
