Collombey-Muraz
Collombey-Muraz is a municipality in the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
Geography
After the town of Saint-Maurice, the Rhône river flows north towards Lake Geneva. The plain widens on both sides of it, with an area called the Chablais valaisan on its left bank. The district of Monthey is part of it with its nine municipalities, one of which is Collombey-Muraz.Collombey-Muraz includes the villages of Collombey, Muraz, Collombey-le-Grand, Illarsaz, and Les Neyres. Due to its high proportion of flat ground, it is one of the largest municipalities in the Valais, extending over 29.81 km2.
A survey in 2013-2018 established that housing and infrastructure represented 14.1% of its territory, agricultural areas 36.5%, wooded areas 40.0%, and unproductive areas 9.3%.
Seven alpine pastures, Chalet-Neuf, Conches, Chemeneau, Grand-Crau, Dreveneuse d’en Bas, Chermeux and Onnaz, extend over the heights bordering France. They are owned by the bourgeoisie, who rent them to farmers for the summer season.
The highest point of the municipality, La Pointe de Bellevue at 2,042 metres, offers a view stretching from Lake Geneva to the Dents du Midi. Since 2013, it has given its name to a popular foot race.
The villages
Collombey
Collombey is the largest of the municipality's five villages, with nearly 4,600 inhabitants at the end of 2016. It has experienced unprecedented growth since the 1990s with the construction of shopping centers and many residential buildings.Muraz
On a hillside, Muraz has long suffered from the whims of the two streams bordering it, which have destroyed crops and flooded homes. The village extends on either side of the cantonal road, between a mountain flank and the plain. Like other localities, Muraz has grown considerably and presently has some 2,700 inhabitants.Collombey-le-Grand
If the "grand" in Collombey-le-Grand ever indicated that the village was bigger or grander than neighbouring Collombey, then that was only true before the 12th century. Today the village still deserves this qualifier if it includes the vast industrial area bordering it. With some 500 inhabitants, the village was originally huddled around the Chapel of Our Lady of the Seven Joys before experiencing considerable growth and extending into the plain.Illarsaz
Illarsaz is a quintessential valley floor village, on the road connecting Vionnaz to Aigle. It was once surrounded by marshes, which have now given way to agriculture. The locality consists mainly of individual villas for a population of about 700 inhabitants.Les Neyres
On a hillside, nestled between Monthey and Troistorrents, Les Neyres is the fifth and smallest village of the municipality. You have to take the Val d’Illiez road to discover Les Neyres, a scattered habitat of some 400 inhabitants. Like the other villages, Les Neyres has experienced strong growth in recent years, even prompting the municipality to reopen an infant school.Transport
The village of Collombey is served by two railway lines: the CFF Tonkin line and the AOMC regional train. In addition, a city bus travels hourly to Monthey. The five villages of the municipality are also connected to the surrounding localities by a bus service run by the Public Transport of Chablais.Toponymy
Collombey derives from the Latin noun cŏlumbārium, which refers either to a dovecote, or to a tomb or to a burial vault. It is not possible to know which applies, even though the municipality’s coat of arms includes doves.Muraz derives from the Latin noun murum. It refers to a place consisting of remains of walls and constructions. The final z is silent, indicating that the accent is on the u and that the a is atonic.
In Valaisan patois, Collombey is pronounced Collambâ.
History
The geographical and political configuration as an autonomous municipality dates back to the division of the castellany of Monthey in 1787.Geological evolution has left erratic blocks such as the Pierre à Dzo, the Pierre à Muguet, and the Bloc Studer. The archaeological site of Châble-Croix, dating back to between 6880 and 6330 BC, could be the oldest in the Valais. From 1900 the exploitation of granite from the ancient glacial moraine uncovered Neolithic necropolises on the heights of Barmaz, dating back to the Neolithic age, around 3000 to 1800 BC.
The history of Collombey-Muraz was essentially agricultural until the 1960s.
Key historical events in Collombey-Muraz
1216: Start of the construction of the Arbignon castle by the family of the same name, which will become the Monastery of the Bernardines.1283: First mention of the parish of Muraz, after its separation from that of Collombey. Ancient foundations under the current church.
1630: Construction of the Châtillon castle, which will become the Manor of Fay de Lavallaz and whose first foundations date from the beginning of the 14th century.
1643: Reconstruction by the Bernardines of the Arbignon castle with a view to setting up their monastery.
1647: Foundation of the Monastery of the Bernardines.
1723: Official separation of Collombey and Monthey. Collombey becomes a parish again following the consecration of the old church in 1723.
1787: Division of the castellany of Monthey. On September 22, 1787, Governor Jean-Joseph Jost invites representatives of Troistorrents, Collombey, and Muraz to appear before him on October 2, 1787, on the subject of the division of communal property.
1798: Population census: Collombey 209 inhabitants, Collombey-le-Grand 70, Muraz 202, Illarsaz 53, Les Neyres 57.
1811: Fire in the church of Collombey.
1826: Construction of the Collombey presbytery.
1847: Closure of the gates of the bridge over the Rhône between Collombey and Saint-Triphon and establishment of permanently guarded fortifications along the Rhône
1855: Reconstruction of the chapel of Collombey-le-Grand dedicated to Our Lady of the Seven Joys.
1859: Crossing of the municipal territory by the first locomotive of the Tonkin line.
1873: Inauguration of the new church in Collombey.
1876: Foundation of the music society “La Collombeyrienne”.
1881: Charles de Lavallaz founds a tobacco and cigar factory in Monthey.
1894: Construction of the Illarsaz bridge by G. Schmiedt of Geneva.
1897: Foundation in Muraz of the music society “La Villageoise”.
1898: Inauguration of the new church in Muraz and of the town hall in Collombey.
1906: Construction of the bridge over the Rhône between Collombey and Saint-Triphon. Length 72 m, weight 170.3 tons.
1907: Opening of the Aigle-Ollon-Monthey train line.
1909: Foundation in Collombey of the music society “L’Avenir”.
1941: Establishment of a camp for Polish internees in Illarsaz, Russians and Germans will also be interned later.
1946: Electrification of the Tonkin line from Saint-Maurice to Collombey.
1960: Opening of Switzerland's first oil refinery.
1970-1971: Construction of a school complex on the “Route de Collombey-le-Grand”.
1976: Construction of the bridge over the CFF track in Vionnaz, as well as the bridge over the Rhône leading to the highway.
1976: Inauguration of SATOM.
1981: Visit of Mr. Kurt Fürgler, President of the Confederation, to the Convent of the Bernardines in Collombey.
1986: Construction of a new bridge over the Rhône between Collombey and Saint-Triphon, downstream from the previous one.
1988: Celebration of the bicentenary of the municipality of Collombey-Muraz.
2015: Closure of the Tamoil oil refinery.
2022: A local referendum turns down a proposal to merge Collombey-Muraz with Monthey.
Demonyms and nicknames
The inhabitants of Collombey are called Collombeyrouds or Collomberous. They are nicknamed lou Bérou, which means rams in Valaisan patois.The inhabitants of Muraz are called Muriands. They are nicknamed Fascines, in reference to the making of twig bundles to be used as firewood.
Demographics
Trends
In early 2023 Collombey-Muraz had a population of 9,739, with a density of 327 inhabitants per square kilometre. Between 2010 and 2019, its population increased by 30.1%.Age spread
In 2020, the proportion of people under 30 in Collombey-Muraz was 37.4%, which was above the cantonal level. The proportion of people over 60 was 18.5%, compared to the cantonal level.In the same year, 4,767 men and 4,831 women made up the municipality's population, resulting in a male rate of 48.9%, which was higher than the cantonal rate of 48.4%.