Nyon
Encyclopedia
Nyon is a municipality
in the district of Nyon
in the canton
of Vaud
in Switzerland
. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva
's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area
. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva
, and is the seat of the district of Nyon
. The town has a population of . It is connected to the rest of Switzerland by way of the Route Suisse, the A1 Motorway and the railways of the Arc Lémanique.
for the town, Noviodunum
or Noiodunum. Other names for the town, particularly of colonies placed there, are Colonia Iulia Equestris or Colonia Julia Equestris, Colonia Equestris Noiodunum, Equestris, Civitas Equestrium, and Civitas Equestrium Noiodunum.
items were discovered in the 19th Century. North of the city some bronze rings and the ruins of a Bronze Age
settlement were discovered.
, a basilica
and an amphitheater that was discovered only recently, in 1996, when digging for the construction of a new building.
At Roman contact, the country round the town was held by the Helvetii
. The town's importance is reflected in its numerous mentions in ancient sources. The Antonine Itineraries place the town on the road from Geneva to Lacus Lausonius (near Lausanne
). It is first mentioned by Pliny
(H.N., iv. 7), and then by Ptolemy
(ii. 9), who assigns it to the Sequani
. Pliny and Ptolemy simply name it Equestris; and so it is named in the Itineraries. On some inscriptions it is called Civ. Equestrium (short for Civitas Equestrium), and Col. Julia Equ. (short for Colonia Julia Equestris) from which some have concluded that it was founded by Julius Caesar
. In the Notitia
it is called Civ. Equestrium Noiodunum (short for Civitas Equestrium Noiodunum). The district in which Nyon stands is called Pagus Equestricus in a document of the year 1011; and it is said that the people of the country as of the 18th century still called this district Enquestre. (D'Anville, Notice, &c.; Walckenaer, Géographie, &c., des Gaules, vol. ii. p. 316.)
Noviodunum was part of a loose network of settlements that radiated out from Lugdunum
(modern Lyon
, France
) and helped to control the Rhone Valley. It served, along with other Roman colonies in the area, to control the Helvetii who were settled in the area against their will after their defeat at the Battle of Bibracte
in 58 BC.
A rectangular grid pattern divided the area of the wall-less city. A monumental center, housing everything needed for the economic, religious and social life of the colony, was established. Only portions of this first forum have been discovered. At its east end was a two-story basilica. Grid-like residential streets radiated out from the center.
Under Tiberius
, the forum was expanded and redesigned into a familiar pattern for the provinces. The sacred area was surrounded on three sides by colonnade
s, which were built on half-sunken Cryptoporticus
. Two outbuildings, including most likely the seat of the Curia
, flanked the building. A market building (macellum
) with a central courtyard around which were the sales rooms, and the baths (tepidarium
with geometric shapes and mosaic
s) were renovated. The forum witnessed further transformations, particularly the establishment of another large building. During the same building phase a large mosaic on the central part of the north portico was built.
The amphitheater, which was discovered in 1996, was probably built in the early 2nd Century AD. Its arena
, which was flanked by two prisons and provided with sewers, is about 50 by. The ruins of theater, that should have been in the Colonia, have not been discovered.
The residential quarters consisted of modest homes, in addition to some domi
with beautiful gardens and pools. The buildings were originally made of wood and clay, but after the mid-1st Century AD were built from masonry. Some villa suburbana stood in the west of the village, while the artisan and merchant quarter, presumably, developed in the southwest. A 10 km (6.2 mi) long aqueduct
which ran from the Divonne area to the colony, provided the water supply. Sewage canals, that followed the road networks, dumped sewage into the lake.
invasions of 259 or 260 AD, the forum and the public buildings in the city were razed. The stone blocks were scattered all over the Lake Geneva region. The stones were re-used as building material, especially in Geneva, where about 300 were used in the construction of the wall. But the settlement was not abandoned. Nyon-Noviodunum, which had already lost much of its prestige and reputation was as a regional capital, now separated from Geneva. Geneva became the center and seat of the diocese which initially fought to administer the territory that had been part of the Colonia.
era, Nyon belonged to the county of Geneva. In a 926 charter, Rudolph II of Burgundy
mentioned that this area was under a comes de pago Equestrico. During the Second Kingdom of Burgundy, Nyon became independent from Geneva. In 1032, Rudolf III
granted Nyon to the Archbishop of Besançon. The bishop granted Nyon to the Lord of Prangins as a fief. After 1130, Humbert de Cossonay, the Lord of Prangins, held his court in Nyon. A market was built in 1211. In 1272, the Archbishop of Besançon confirmed Philip of Savoy's right to administer high justice
in Nyon. In 1279, Aymon of Prangins unsuccessfully rebelled against the counts of Savoy, but was forced to acknowledge Savoy authority over him and Nyon.
The Castle is first mentioned in 1272, but probably dates back to the Lords of Prangins. It was rebuilt by Louis I of Savoy. The rectangular building was built in a variety of building styles. In 1463, it was extensively rebuilt. Around the same time, the square César Tower or Tour de Rive (now a residence), was built to defend the city.
In 1293, Amédée V and his brother Louis I, the Lord of Vaud conquered the city by besieging it from both the land and the lake. They confirmed the town rights which had been granted to Nyon by Aymon of Prangins, and extended further rights and freedoms. It became one of the four bonnes villes of Canton Vaud. In 1294, Louis I began to expand Nyon as a center of his power after Amédée granted his share of the conquest to Louis. He created a court and a mint, which minted coins for the lords of Vaud between 1286-1350. In 1323 Louis II, granted the so-called mountains of Nyon, i.e. pastures and forests in the area of Arzier
and Saint-Cergue
, to Nyon. In 1359 Nyon lost importance after Amédée VI acquired rights over the entire Vaud. In 1364 the town charter of Morges
replaced the charter in Nyon. This change was reconfirmed in 1439. Under the new charter, the town gained greater self-sufficiency. The mint in Nyon reopened in 1430. In 1530 the Swiss Confederation
invaded Vaud and acquired Nyon. Then in 1536, Nyon surrendered again to Bern without a fight as Bernese troops marched through to support Geneva.
Starting in 1323, the municipal government was composed of eight procurators and a mayor. A little later the government was replaced by a community meeting which was headed by two mayors (Syndics). The Town Hall is first mentioned in 1508.
A Benedictine
priory
was founded in the first half of the 12th Century in Nyon. In 1244 it was given to the Augustinian order. The last prior
, before the Reformation
in 1535 was Aymon de Gingins, who was also the abbot of Bonmont and the selected Bishop of Geneva.
In 1295-96, Louis I of Savoy, built a Franciscan
monastery under the patronage of St. Francis
, in which several members of the House of Savoy were buried. In 1530, Bern and Fribourg
plundered the monastery for the first time, and Bern destroyed all the pictures of saints. In 1536, it was burned by the withdrawing Savoy garrison.
In 1110 Geneva granted authority over the church of Notre-Dame to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Oyend (Saint-Claude). The church was built with material from the Roman period and replaced an earlier Christian church. The choir
dates from the 12th Century and the nave
was built in 1448. The vault and the side chapels were built in 1470-81.
Situated outside the city walls was the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, also known as Corps-Saints. The church is first mentioned in 1346. By 1412, it was administered by the Augustinian Priory. Until the Reformation it was a popular pilgrimage
site where the relic
s of the martyrs of the Theban Legion
were revered. Bern ordered the church destroyed in 1537.
ei of Bern in 1536. It remained the seat of the vogt until the Vaud revolution of 1798. In 1568, a yearly market took place for the first time. In 1574-80 the castle was converted into the seat of the bailiff
. It was renovated several times in the following centuries. The municipal government added a Council of Fifty in 1558 and in 1578, a inner council of Twenty-four. The inner council was made up of nobles, citizens and habitants. Later the councils became a Council of Twelve and a council of Twenty-Four, which was headed by a Knight banneret
.
In 1570, Theodore Beza
headed the regional assembly of Protestant refugee clergymen in Nyon. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
in 1685, many Huguenot
s fled to Nyon. In 1688, they founded the Bourse française to help other refugees.
Nyon remained an important transhipment point for trade along Lake Geneva and from France and Italy. Grain and wood came from Burgundy and Franche-Comte
through the Col de la Givrine and Saint-Cergue on to Geneva. In 1537-76, the customs post of Nyon was the most profitable in the bailiwick. Over the following centuries, trade through Nyon remained very profitable and by 1772-73, it was again the highest in the region. In the 18th Century trade and commerce grew strongly. The flow of goods allowed four (after 1738, five) yearly markets. A granary was built in the 18th Century. The Bernese rebuilt the Asse canal system to drive tanneries, sawmills and mills. The Faïencerie Baylon earthenware factory was founded in 1769. It was followed by the Jacob Dortu and Ferdinand Müller porcelain factory in 1781, both of which contributed Nyon's reputation for fine ceramics.
With the profits of the Early Modern era, many of the public buildings of Nyon were rebuilt or expanded. Following the suppression of the monasteries, in 1539, the town hospital moved into the offices of the Augustinian convent and received money from the closed monasteries. Hans-Ulrich Heldt rebuilt the College, the original building was from 1559, in 1786 in a neoclassical
style. The church of Notre-Dame was rebuilt several times between 1661-1718. The medieval city walls and gates were demolished in 1718. The town hall was rebuilt in 1773. In 1720, Louis de Saint-Georges, a minister of the English King, built the Changins Castle.
The city was one of the most active centers of the revolutionary movement in the Vaud region. The councils of Nyon formed an oversight committee and refused to pay homage to Bern on 10 January 1798. A few days later, they secured the support of the French General Philippe Ménard Romain in support of the independence of Canton Vaud. When this proclamation of support was brought from Nyon to Lausanne, on 24 January 1798, it finally led to the Vaudois revolution.
From 1798 to 1803, it was in the canton of Léman
of the Helvetic Republic
as district capital.
was rebuilt several times. The Catholic Church was consecrated in 1839, and a chapel for the Eglise libre (Free Church) was finished in 1872.
In 1858, a station of the railway line Lausanne-Geneva was built in north of Nyon. New housing developments sprung up around this station, and the city began to spread. The railroads Nyon-Crassier-Divonne (1905) and Nyon-Saint-Cergue-Morez (1916) connected Nyon with its hinterland. To meet the needs of the economy, the shipping industry and the emerging tourism industry, a port was built in 1838 and a quay was added in 1873. By the middle of the 19th Century, a major source of income was the sale of timber from the commons
forest. Other industries included tanneries (closed in 1925), carpentry, saw mills (until 1935), mills (including Andre & Cie.), cooperages and a soap factory. The Faïencerie Baylon closed in 1828. The porcelain factory, Müller et Dortu temporarily closed in 1813, then resumed production of ceramics in the Art Nouveau
style in 1878. From then on until 1980 they produced Stoneware. Other industries in Nyon include the pasta factory Sangal SA (1860–1996), Zyma (1906, since 1996, Swiss Novartis Consumer Health), Stellram (hard metal treatment, 1940–99), Cherix et Filanosa SA (printing and graphic arts, 1932) and several tool factories. Starting in 1966, the companies stopped using the local locks and dams for hydropower and by 1974 they had disappeared from the Asse river.
In 1937, it hosted the Nyon Conference
.
, the governing body for football
in Europe. It is also the seat of the international headquarters of the global union federation
Union Network International
. Nyon is also a major centre for the International Money-Broking Industry.
In the last week of July each year, Nyon hosts the Paléo Festival
, the second largest outdoor festival in Europe (although technically the festival is in the village of L'Asse).
Nyon Rugby Club is one of the top rugby teams in Switzerland and is twinned with Ealing Rugby Club in West London.
Nyon also hosts Visions du Réel
international film festival every April. It hosted the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup draws in December 2008.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.9% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 27.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 14.1%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.6%. Out of the forested land, 5.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 25.9% is used for growing crops and 4.7% is pastures, while 8.5% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality was the capital of the old Nyon District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Nyon became the capital of the new district of Nyon.
The municipality is located between the Jura Mountains
and Lake Geneva. The old core of Nyon, on the right bank of the Asse, is divided into the upper city (which was built on the Roman ruins on a hill) and the lower city along the water. Along the main thoroughfare a residential section developed to the east of the old city, and an industrial sector to the west.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per pale Gules and Azure, overall a Fish nainaint Argent.
Most of the population speaks French
(12,274 or 75.8%), with German
being second most common (918 or 5.7%) and English
being third (647 or 4.0%). There are 565 people who speak Italian
and 9 people who speak Romansh.
The age distribution, , in Nyon is; 2,015 children or 11.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,828 teenagers or 10.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 2,304 people or 12.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 3,150 people or 17.4% are between 30 and 39, 3,051 people or 16.9% are between 40 and 49, and 2,187 people or 12.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,757 people or 9.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,045 people or 5.8% are between 70 and 79, there are 595 people or 3.3% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 130 people or 0.7% who are 90 and older.
, there were 6,796 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 7,538 married individuals, 768 widows or widowers and 1,080 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.65 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.61 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 18.4% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 7,307 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. There were 2,818 households that consist of only one person and 342 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 7,450 households that answered this question, 37.8% were households made up of just one person and there were 27 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 1,785 married couples without children, 2,053 married couples with children There were 493 single parents with a child or children. There were 131 households that were made up of unrelated people and 143 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 650 single family homes (or 40.1% of the total) out of a total of 1,621 inhabited buildings. There were 621 multi-family buildings (38.3%), along with 235 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (14.5%) and 115 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (7.1%).
, a total of 7,072 apartments (86.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,028 apartments (12.5%) were seasonally occupied and 105 apartments (1.3%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.13%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
and the Museum of the History of Porcelain, the Roman
Colonia Iulia Equestris, the Swiss Reformed
Church of Notre-Dame, the Manoir at Rue Maupertuis 2 & 4, the Roman Museum and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. The entire old city of Nyon is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the SP
which received 21.54% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(18.78%), the Green Party
(16.29%) and the FDP
(12.05%). In the federal election, a total of 3,846 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 42.6%.
's Swiss subsidiary has its headquarters in Nyon. Cantor Fitzgerald has an office in Nyon.
, Nyon had an unemployment rate of 6%. , there were 49 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 1,331 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 153 businesses in this sector. 10,644 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 1,131 businesses in this sector. There were 8,631 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 46.0% of the workforce.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 10,337. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 39, of which 35 were in agriculture, 2 were in forestry or lumber production and 2 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 1,264 of which 600 or (47.5%) were in manufacturing and 588 (46.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 9,034. In the tertiary sector; 1,592 or 17.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 281 or 3.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 493 or 5.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 400 or 4.4% were in the information industry, 1,414 or 15.7% were the insurance or financial industry, 1,499 or 16.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 595 or 6.6% were in education and 1,150 or 12.7% were in health care.
, there were 7,415 workers who commuted into the municipality and 5,234 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.4 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 12.1% of the workforce coming into Nyon are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 26.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 50.6% used a private car.
(or about 1.08% of the population), there were 17 individuals (or about 0.11% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 936 individuals (or about 5.78% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 32 individuals (or about 0.20% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 750 (or about 4.63% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 63 individuals who were Buddhist
, 98 individuals who were Hindu
and 29 individuals who belonged to another church. 2,893 (or about 17.88% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 996 individuals (or about 6.15% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 3,009 who completed tertiary schooling, 36.4% were Swiss men, 27.4% were Swiss women, 20.4% were non-Swiss men and 15.7% were non-Swiss women.
In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 1,867 students in the Nyon school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts. During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 1,249 children of which 563 children (45.1%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 995 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 806 students in those schools. There were also 66 students who were home schooled or attended another non-traditional school.
Nyon is home to three museums; the Musée historique, the Musée du Léman and the Musée romain. In 2009 the Musée historique was visited by 14,164 visitors (the average in previous years was 26,194). In 2009 the Musée du Léman was visited by 20,596 visitors (the average in previous years was 23,020). In 2009 the Musée romain, was closed for renovations butin previous years it had an average of 9,225 visitors.
, there were 1,582 students in Nyon who came from another municipality, while 415 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Nyon is home to 2 libraries; the Bibliothèque municipale de Nyon and the Ecole d'ingénieurs de Changins. There was a combined total of 53,262 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 117,481 items were loaned out.
, who play in the Challenge League
, and their ground Centre sportif de Colovray Nyon
.
(ECA). The draws for the UEFA Champions League
and the UEFA Europa League are held in Nyon. The 3 main Nyon draws (August for Group stage, December for Round of 16 and March for the last eight until final) are eagerly waited for by football fans whose teams are in UEFA competitions.
line.
The A1 motorway runs nearby and Nyon is served by Junction 11.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Nyon
Nyon (district)
Nyon District is a district in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The seat of the district is the city of Nyon.-Geography:Nyon has an area, , of . Of this area, or 42.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 44.7% is forested...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
, and is the seat of the district of Nyon
Nyon (district)
Nyon District is a district in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The seat of the district is the city of Nyon.-Geography:Nyon has an area, , of . Of this area, or 42.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 44.7% is forested...
. The town has a population of . It is connected to the rest of Switzerland by way of the Route Suisse, the A1 Motorway and the railways of the Arc Lémanique.
Name
Nyon derives from one of the names used by the RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
for the town, Noviodunum
Noviodunum (Switzerland)
Noviodunum or Colonia Iulia Equestris was a Roman era settlement in what is now Nyon in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Origin of the name:...
or Noiodunum. Other names for the town, particularly of colonies placed there, are Colonia Iulia Equestris or Colonia Julia Equestris, Colonia Equestris Noiodunum, Equestris, Civitas Equestrium, and Civitas Equestrium Noiodunum.
History
Nyon is first mentioned around 367-407 as civitas Equestrium id est Noiodunus (in der "Notitia Galliarum"). In 1236 it was mentioned as Neveduni and in 1292 as Nyons.Pre-Roman settlements
A few, scattered neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
items were discovered in the 19th Century. North of the city some bronze rings and the ruins of a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlement were discovered.
Noviodunum
It was founded by the Romans between 50 and 44 BCE under the name of Colonia Iulia Equestris or Colonia Equestris Noiodunum, the urban center of which was called Noviodunum. It grew to be one of the most important Roman colonies in modern-day Switzerland, with a forumForum (Roman)
A forum was a public square in a Roman municipium, or any civitas, reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, along with the buildings used for shops and the stoas used for open stalls...
, a basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
and an amphitheater that was discovered only recently, in 1996, when digging for the construction of a new building.
At Roman contact, the country round the town was held by the Helvetii
Helvetii
The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC...
. The town's importance is reflected in its numerous mentions in ancient sources. The Antonine Itineraries place the town on the road from Geneva to Lacus Lausonius (near Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
). It is first mentioned by Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
(H.N., iv. 7), and then by Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
(ii. 9), who assigns it to the Sequani
Sequani
Sequani, in ancient geography, were a Gallic people who occupied the upper river basin of the Arar , the valley of the Doubs and the Jura Mountains, their territory corresponding to Franche-Comté and part of Burgundy.-Etymology:...
. Pliny and Ptolemy simply name it Equestris; and so it is named in the Itineraries. On some inscriptions it is called Civ. Equestrium (short for Civitas Equestrium), and Col. Julia Equ. (short for Colonia Julia Equestris) from which some have concluded that it was founded by Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
. In the Notitia
Notitia Dignitatum
The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. One of the very few surviving documents of Roman government, it details the administrative organisation of the eastern and western empires, listing several thousand offices from the imperial court down to the provincial...
it is called Civ. Equestrium Noiodunum (short for Civitas Equestrium Noiodunum). The district in which Nyon stands is called Pagus Equestricus in a document of the year 1011; and it is said that the people of the country as of the 18th century still called this district Enquestre. (D'Anville, Notice, &c.; Walckenaer, Géographie, &c., des Gaules, vol. ii. p. 316.)
Noviodunum was part of a loose network of settlements that radiated out from Lugdunum
Lugdunum
Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum was an important Roman city in Gaul. The city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus. It served as the capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis. To 300 years after its foundation Lugdunum was the most important city to the west part of Roman...
(modern Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) and helped to control the Rhone Valley. It served, along with other Roman colonies in the area, to control the Helvetii who were settled in the area against their will after their defeat at the Battle of Bibracte
Battle of Bibracte
The Battle of Bibracte was fought between the Helvetii and six Roman legions, under the command of Gaius Julius Caesar. It was the second major battle of the Gallic Wars....
in 58 BC.
A rectangular grid pattern divided the area of the wall-less city. A monumental center, housing everything needed for the economic, religious and social life of the colony, was established. Only portions of this first forum have been discovered. At its east end was a two-story basilica. Grid-like residential streets radiated out from the center.
Under Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, the forum was expanded and redesigned into a familiar pattern for the provinces. The sacred area was surrounded on three sides by colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
s, which were built on half-sunken Cryptoporticus
Cryptoporticus
In Ancient Roman architecture a cryptoporticus is a covered corridor or passageway. The usual English is "cryptoportico". The cryptoportico is a semi-subterranean gallery whose vaulting supports portico structures aboveground and which is lit from openings at the tops of its arches...
. Two outbuildings, including most likely the seat of the Curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
, flanked the building. A market building (macellum
Macellum
A macellum is an ancient Roman indoor market building that sold mostly provisions . The building normally sat alongside the forum and basilica, providing a place in which a market could be held...
) with a central courtyard around which were the sales rooms, and the baths (tepidarium
Tepidarium
The tepidarium was the warm bathroom of the Roman baths heated by a hypocaust or underfloor heating system.The specialty of a tepidarium is the pleasant feeling of constant radiant heat which directly affects the human body from the walls and floor.There is an interesting example at Pompeii; this...
with geometric shapes and mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s) were renovated. The forum witnessed further transformations, particularly the establishment of another large building. During the same building phase a large mosaic on the central part of the north portico was built.
The amphitheater, which was discovered in 1996, was probably built in the early 2nd Century AD. Its arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
, which was flanked by two prisons and provided with sewers, is about 50 by. The ruins of theater, that should have been in the Colonia, have not been discovered.
The residential quarters consisted of modest homes, in addition to some domi
Domus
In ancient Rome, the domus was the type of house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras. They could be found in almost all the major cities throughout the Roman territories...
with beautiful gardens and pools. The buildings were originally made of wood and clay, but after the mid-1st Century AD were built from masonry. Some villa suburbana stood in the west of the village, while the artisan and merchant quarter, presumably, developed in the southwest. A 10 km (6.2 mi) long aqueduct
Roman aqueduct
The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to serve any large city in their empire, as well as many small towns and industrial sites. The city of Rome had the largest concentration of aqueducts, with water being supplied by eleven aqueducts constructed over a period of about 500 years...
which ran from the Divonne area to the colony, provided the water supply. Sewage canals, that followed the road networks, dumped sewage into the lake.
Decline of the Roman Colonia
After a long period of peace and prosperity, signs of crisis and general insecurity were increasing in the early 3rd Century. As a result of AlamanniAlamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
invasions of 259 or 260 AD, the forum and the public buildings in the city were razed. The stone blocks were scattered all over the Lake Geneva region. The stones were re-used as building material, especially in Geneva, where about 300 were used in the construction of the wall. But the settlement was not abandoned. Nyon-Noviodunum, which had already lost much of its prestige and reputation was as a regional capital, now separated from Geneva. Geneva became the center and seat of the diocese which initially fought to administer the territory that had been part of the Colonia.
Medieval Nyon
During the CarolingianCarolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
era, Nyon belonged to the county of Geneva. In a 926 charter, Rudolph II of Burgundy
Rudolph II of Burgundy
Rudolph II was king of Upper Burgundy , Lower Burgundy , and Italy . He was the son of Rudolph I, king of Upper Burgundy, and it is presumed that his mother was his father's known wife, Guilla of Provence...
mentioned that this area was under a comes de pago Equestrico. During the Second Kingdom of Burgundy, Nyon became independent from Geneva. In 1032, Rudolf III
Rudolph III of Burgundy
Rudolf III of Burgundy was the last King of an independent Burgundy. He was the son of Conrad, King of Burgundy, and Matilda of France...
granted Nyon to the Archbishop of Besançon. The bishop granted Nyon to the Lord of Prangins as a fief. After 1130, Humbert de Cossonay, the Lord of Prangins, held his court in Nyon. A market was built in 1211. In 1272, the Archbishop of Besançon confirmed Philip of Savoy's right to administer high justice
High, middle and low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judiciary power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents....
in Nyon. In 1279, Aymon of Prangins unsuccessfully rebelled against the counts of Savoy, but was forced to acknowledge Savoy authority over him and Nyon.
The Castle is first mentioned in 1272, but probably dates back to the Lords of Prangins. It was rebuilt by Louis I of Savoy. The rectangular building was built in a variety of building styles. In 1463, it was extensively rebuilt. Around the same time, the square César Tower or Tour de Rive (now a residence), was built to defend the city.
In 1293, Amédée V and his brother Louis I, the Lord of Vaud conquered the city by besieging it from both the land and the lake. They confirmed the town rights which had been granted to Nyon by Aymon of Prangins, and extended further rights and freedoms. It became one of the four bonnes villes of Canton Vaud. In 1294, Louis I began to expand Nyon as a center of his power after Amédée granted his share of the conquest to Louis. He created a court and a mint, which minted coins for the lords of Vaud between 1286-1350. In 1323 Louis II, granted the so-called mountains of Nyon, i.e. pastures and forests in the area of Arzier
Arzier
Arzier is a municipality in the district of district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:The first mention of Arzier was in 1306 as the village Argie. Throughout the Middle Ages Arzier's name is seen in documents as Arsie, Argier, and Arsier. Le Muids is first mentioned as a barn ...
and Saint-Cergue
Saint-Cergue
Saint-Cergue is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Saint-Cergue has an area, , of . Of this area, or 27.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 66.0% is forested...
, to Nyon. In 1359 Nyon lost importance after Amédée VI acquired rights over the entire Vaud. In 1364 the town charter of Morges
Morges
Morges is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud, located in the district of Morges and is also the seat of the district.-History:...
replaced the charter in Nyon. This change was reconfirmed in 1439. Under the new charter, the town gained greater self-sufficiency. The mint in Nyon reopened in 1430. In 1530 the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
invaded Vaud and acquired Nyon. Then in 1536, Nyon surrendered again to Bern without a fight as Bernese troops marched through to support Geneva.
Starting in 1323, the municipal government was composed of eight procurators and a mayor. A little later the government was replaced by a community meeting which was headed by two mayors (Syndics). The Town Hall is first mentioned in 1508.
A Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
was founded in the first half of the 12th Century in Nyon. In 1244 it was given to the Augustinian order. The last prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
, before the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in 1535 was Aymon de Gingins, who was also the abbot of Bonmont and the selected Bishop of Geneva.
In 1295-96, Louis I of Savoy, built a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery under the patronage of St. Francis
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
, in which several members of the House of Savoy were buried. In 1530, Bern and Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
plundered the monastery for the first time, and Bern destroyed all the pictures of saints. In 1536, it was burned by the withdrawing Savoy garrison.
In 1110 Geneva granted authority over the church of Notre-Dame to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Oyend (Saint-Claude). The church was built with material from the Roman period and replaced an earlier Christian church. The choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
dates from the 12th Century and the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was built in 1448. The vault and the side chapels were built in 1470-81.
Situated outside the city walls was the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, also known as Corps-Saints. The church is first mentioned in 1346. By 1412, it was administered by the Augustinian Priory. Until the Reformation it was a popular pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
site where the relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s of the martyrs of the Theban Legion
Theban Legion
The Theban Legion figures in Christian hagiography as an entire Roman legion — of "six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — who had converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together, in 286, according to the hagiographies of Saint Maurice, the chief among the Legion's...
were revered. Bern ordered the church destroyed in 1537.
Early Modern Nyon
Nyon was raised to the status of administrative center of a VogtVogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
ei of Bern in 1536. It remained the seat of the vogt until the Vaud revolution of 1798. In 1568, a yearly market took place for the first time. In 1574-80 the castle was converted into the seat of the bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
. It was renovated several times in the following centuries. The municipal government added a Council of Fifty in 1558 and in 1578, a inner council of Twenty-four. The inner council was made up of nobles, citizens and habitants. Later the councils became a Council of Twelve and a council of Twenty-Four, which was headed by a Knight banneret
Knight banneret
A knight banneret, sometimes known simply as banneret, was a Medieval knight who led a company of troops during time of war under his own banner and were eligible to bear supporters in English heraldry.The military rank of a knight banneret was...
.
In 1570, Theodore Beza
Theodore Beza
Theodore Beza was a French Protestant Christian theologian and scholar who played an important role in the Reformation...
headed the regional assembly of Protestant refugee clergymen in Nyon. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
in 1685, many Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s fled to Nyon. In 1688, they founded the Bourse française to help other refugees.
Nyon remained an important transhipment point for trade along Lake Geneva and from France and Italy. Grain and wood came from Burgundy and Franche-Comte
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
through the Col de la Givrine and Saint-Cergue on to Geneva. In 1537-76, the customs post of Nyon was the most profitable in the bailiwick. Over the following centuries, trade through Nyon remained very profitable and by 1772-73, it was again the highest in the region. In the 18th Century trade and commerce grew strongly. The flow of goods allowed four (after 1738, five) yearly markets. A granary was built in the 18th Century. The Bernese rebuilt the Asse canal system to drive tanneries, sawmills and mills. The Faïencerie Baylon earthenware factory was founded in 1769. It was followed by the Jacob Dortu and Ferdinand Müller porcelain factory in 1781, both of which contributed Nyon's reputation for fine ceramics.
With the profits of the Early Modern era, many of the public buildings of Nyon were rebuilt or expanded. Following the suppression of the monasteries, in 1539, the town hospital moved into the offices of the Augustinian convent and received money from the closed monasteries. Hans-Ulrich Heldt rebuilt the College, the original building was from 1559, in 1786 in a neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style. The church of Notre-Dame was rebuilt several times between 1661-1718. The medieval city walls and gates were demolished in 1718. The town hall was rebuilt in 1773. In 1720, Louis de Saint-Georges, a minister of the English King, built the Changins Castle.
The city was one of the most active centers of the revolutionary movement in the Vaud region. The councils of Nyon formed an oversight committee and refused to pay homage to Bern on 10 January 1798. A few days later, they secured the support of the French General Philippe Ménard Romain in support of the independence of Canton Vaud. When this proclamation of support was brought from Nyon to Lausanne, on 24 January 1798, it finally led to the Vaudois revolution.
From 1798 to 1803, it was in the canton of Léman
Canton of Léman
Léman was the name of a canton of the Helvetic Republic from 1798 to 1803, corresponding to the territory of modern Vaud. As a former subject territory of Bern, Vaud had been independent for only four months in 1798 as the Lemanic Republic before it was incorporated in the centralist Helvetic...
of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
as district capital.
Modern Nyon
In the first half of the 19th Century, the city continued with the demolition of the fortifications, but left wall remains at the Promenade des Marronniers and by the tower of Notre Dame. During the 19th Century was the Reformed parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
was rebuilt several times. The Catholic Church was consecrated in 1839, and a chapel for the Eglise libre (Free Church) was finished in 1872.
In 1858, a station of the railway line Lausanne-Geneva was built in north of Nyon. New housing developments sprung up around this station, and the city began to spread. The railroads Nyon-Crassier-Divonne (1905) and Nyon-Saint-Cergue-Morez (1916) connected Nyon with its hinterland. To meet the needs of the economy, the shipping industry and the emerging tourism industry, a port was built in 1838 and a quay was added in 1873. By the middle of the 19th Century, a major source of income was the sale of timber from the commons
The commons
The commons is terminology referring to resources that are owned in common or shared between or among communities populations. These resources are said to be "held in common" and can include everything from natural resources and common land to software. The commons contains public property and...
forest. Other industries included tanneries (closed in 1925), carpentry, saw mills (until 1935), mills (including Andre & Cie.), cooperages and a soap factory. The Faïencerie Baylon closed in 1828. The porcelain factory, Müller et Dortu temporarily closed in 1813, then resumed production of ceramics in the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style in 1878. From then on until 1980 they produced Stoneware. Other industries in Nyon include the pasta factory Sangal SA (1860–1996), Zyma (1906, since 1996, Swiss Novartis Consumer Health), Stellram (hard metal treatment, 1940–99), Cherix et Filanosa SA (printing and graphic arts, 1932) and several tool factories. Starting in 1966, the companies stopped using the local locks and dams for hydropower and by 1974 they had disappeared from the Asse river.
In 1937, it hosted the Nyon Conference
Nyon Conference
The Nyon Conference, held in Nyon, Switzerland, in September 1937, addressed international piracy in the Mediterranean Sea, especially piracy aimed at intervention in the Spanish Civil War...
.
Current situation
It has a high school (Gymnase de Nyon, known as CESSOuest until 1997 or 1998), a modern hospital, a movie theater, numerous hotels, restaurants, cafes, etc. The town is best-known on the international stage as the home of the headquarters for UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, the governing body for football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
in Europe. It is also the seat of the international headquarters of the global union federation
Global union federation
A global union federation is an international federation of national and regional trade unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups, previously known as international trade secretariats [ITSs]....
Union Network International
Union Network International
UNI Global Union is a global union federation for skills and services, gathering national and regional trade unions. It was launched on January 1, 2000. Its more than 900 affiliated unions in 140 countries have 20 million members...
. Nyon is also a major centre for the International Money-Broking Industry.
In the last week of July each year, Nyon hosts the Paléo Festival
Paléo Festival
The Paléo Festival de Nyon, usually just called Paléo, started in a small way in 1976 as the Nyon Folk Festival. It was differently located, near the Lake Geneva and had only two stages. But today it is the second biggest open-air music festival in mainland Europe, after the Sziget Festival. Today...
, the second largest outdoor festival in Europe (although technically the festival is in the village of L'Asse).
Nyon Rugby Club is one of the top rugby teams in Switzerland and is twinned with Ealing Rugby Club in West London.
Nyon also hosts Visions du Réel
Visions du réel
Visions du Réel is an international documentary film festival held in April each year in Nyon, Switzerland. Established in 1969 as the Nyon International Documentary Film Festival, the event adopted its current name in 1995....
international film festival every April. It hosted the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup draws in December 2008.
Geography
Nyon has an area, , of 6.8 square kilometre. Of this area, 2.66 square kilometre or 39.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.53 square kilometre or 7.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.67 square kilometre or 54.1% is settled (buildings or roads).Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.9% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 27.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 14.1%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.6%. Out of the forested land, 5.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 25.9% is used for growing crops and 4.7% is pastures, while 8.5% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality was the capital of the old Nyon District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Nyon became the capital of the new district of Nyon.
The municipality is located between the Jura Mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
and Lake Geneva. The old core of Nyon, on the right bank of the Asse, is divided into the upper city (which was built on the Roman ruins on a hill) and the lower city along the water. Along the main thoroughfare a residential section developed to the east of the old city, and an industrial sector to the west.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Per pale Gules and Azure, overall a Fish nainaint Argent.
Demographics
Nyon has a population of . , 38.0% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 16.8%. It has changed at a rate of 9.7% due to migration and at a rate of 7.7% due to births and deaths.Most of the population speaks French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(12,274 or 75.8%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (918 or 5.7%) and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
being third (647 or 4.0%). There are 565 people who speak Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and 9 people who speak Romansh.
The age distribution, , in Nyon is; 2,015 children or 11.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,828 teenagers or 10.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 2,304 people or 12.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 3,150 people or 17.4% are between 30 and 39, 3,051 people or 16.9% are between 40 and 49, and 2,187 people or 12.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,757 people or 9.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,045 people or 5.8% are between 70 and 79, there are 595 people or 3.3% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 130 people or 0.7% who are 90 and older.
, there were 6,796 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 7,538 married individuals, 768 widows or widowers and 1,080 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.65 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.61 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 18.4% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 7,307 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. There were 2,818 households that consist of only one person and 342 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 7,450 households that answered this question, 37.8% were households made up of just one person and there were 27 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 1,785 married couples without children, 2,053 married couples with children There were 493 single parents with a child or children. There were 131 households that were made up of unrelated people and 143 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 650 single family homes (or 40.1% of the total) out of a total of 1,621 inhabited buildings. There were 621 multi-family buildings (38.3%), along with 235 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (14.5%) and 115 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (7.1%).
, a total of 7,072 apartments (86.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,028 apartments (12.5%) were seasonally occupied and 105 apartments (1.3%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.13%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
Nyon CastleNyon Castle
Nyon Castle is a castle in the municipality of Nyon of the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-History:...
and the Museum of the History of Porcelain, the Roman
Switzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
Colonia Iulia Equestris, the Swiss Reformed
Swiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
Church of Notre-Dame, the Manoir at Rue Maupertuis 2 & 4, the Roman Museum and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The entire old city of Nyon is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
.
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 21.54% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(18.78%), the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(16.29%) and the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(12.05%). In the federal election, a total of 3,846 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 42.6%.
Economy
GlénatGlénat (publisher)
Glénat Editions SA is a French publisher with its head office in Grenoble. The company publishes many things, including comic books and manga in France, Benelux, and Spain; it was founded by Jacques Glénat. The Spanish subsidiary has its head office in Barcelona. The Benelux subsidiary, Glénat...
's Swiss subsidiary has its headquarters in Nyon. Cantor Fitzgerald has an office in Nyon.
, Nyon had an unemployment rate of 6%. , there were 49 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 1,331 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 153 businesses in this sector. 10,644 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 1,131 businesses in this sector. There were 8,631 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 46.0% of the workforce.
the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 10,337. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 39, of which 35 were in agriculture, 2 were in forestry or lumber production and 2 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 1,264 of which 600 or (47.5%) were in manufacturing and 588 (46.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 9,034. In the tertiary sector; 1,592 or 17.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 281 or 3.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 493 or 5.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 400 or 4.4% were in the information industry, 1,414 or 15.7% were the insurance or financial industry, 1,499 or 16.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 595 or 6.6% were in education and 1,150 or 12.7% were in health care.
, there were 7,415 workers who commuted into the municipality and 5,234 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.4 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 12.1% of the workforce coming into Nyon are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 26.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 50.6% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 6,121 or 37.8% were Roman Catholic, while 4,522 or 27.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 174 members of an Orthodox churchOrthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 1.08% of the population), there were 17 individuals (or about 0.11% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
, and there were 936 individuals (or about 5.78% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 32 individuals (or about 0.20% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 750 (or about 4.63% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 63 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, 98 individuals who were Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and 29 individuals who belonged to another church. 2,893 (or about 17.88% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 996 individuals (or about 6.15% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Nyon about 5,216 or (32.2%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 3,009 or (18.6%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 3,009 who completed tertiary schooling, 36.4% were Swiss men, 27.4% were Swiss women, 20.4% were non-Swiss men and 15.7% were non-Swiss women.
In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 1,867 students in the Nyon school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts. During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 1,249 children of which 563 children (45.1%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 995 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 806 students in those schools. There were also 66 students who were home schooled or attended another non-traditional school.
Nyon is home to three museums; the Musée historique, the Musée du Léman and the Musée romain. In 2009 the Musée historique was visited by 14,164 visitors (the average in previous years was 26,194). In 2009 the Musée du Léman was visited by 20,596 visitors (the average in previous years was 23,020). In 2009 the Musée romain, was closed for renovations butin previous years it had an average of 9,225 visitors.
, there were 1,582 students in Nyon who came from another municipality, while 415 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Nyon is home to 2 libraries; the Bibliothèque municipale de Nyon and the Ecole d'ingénieurs de Changins. There was a combined total of 53,262 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 117,481 items were loaned out.
Sports
Nyon is home to FC Stade NyonnaisFC Stade Nyonnais
FC Stade Nyonnais is a Swiss football club currently playing in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:The club was founded in 1905 and as of the 2010-2011 Season they play in the Challenge League....
, who play in the Challenge League
Challenge League
The Swiss Challenge League is the second highest tier of the Swiss Football League. Sixteen teams play in the Challenge League. The winners of the league are promoted to the Super League, and the bottom two teams are relegated to the 1. Liga...
, and their ground Centre sportif de Colovray Nyon
Centre sportif de Colovray Nyon
Centre Sportif de Colovray Nyon is where FC Stade Nyonnais play their home Football and Rugby games, the site is opposite the UEFA headquarters. The centre has 6 pitches for different things and hosts a variety of activities, Football, Rugby and Athletics...
.
UEFA
Nyon is famous for being the headquarters of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the European Club AssociationEuropean Club Association
The European Club Association is an organization representing football clubs in Europe- History :Formed on the dissolution of the G-14 group in January 2008, the European Club Association represents 201 clubs, made up of 103 ordinary members and 98 associated members, with at least one from each...
(ECA). The draws for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and the UEFA Europa League are held in Nyon. The 3 main Nyon draws (August for Group stage, December for Round of 16 and March for the last eight until final) are eagerly waited for by football fans whose teams are in UEFA competitions.
Transport
Nyon is the starting station for the Chemin de Fer Nyon-St.Cergue-Morez, as well as being on the main Geneva to Lausanne SBB-CFF-FFSSBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
line.
The A1 motorway runs nearby and Nyon is served by Junction 11.
People linked to Nyon
- Louis MercantonLouis MercantonLouis Mercanton was a Swiss film director, Screenwriter and actor.-Selected filmography:Director* Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth co-director* Le mystère de la villa rose * The Nipper * Octave...
- Louis NiedermeyerLouis NiedermeyerAbraham Louis Niedermeyer was a composer chiefly of church music but also of a few operas, and a teacher who took over the Ecole Choron, duly renamed École Niedermeyer, a school for the study and practice of church music, where several eminent French musicians studied including Gabriel Fauré and...
- Tintin, who visited the town during one of his adventures
Weather
External links
- Official site of the town (available in French, English and German)
- Web site of the Roman Museum of Nyon (same languages as above link)
- Paléo Festival
- Rugby Club Nyon
- Ultimate Frisbee Club, Les Mange-Disques de Nyon
- La Redoute, Popular neighbourhood of Nyon
- Villa Sanluca, the boutique hotel in Nyon. A great place in an old mansion.
- Nyon Region Tourism