Saint-Triphon
Encyclopedia
Saint-Triphon is a village and a Swiss heritage site of national significance
in the municipality
of Ollon
in the canton
of Vaud
in Switzerland
. It was a prehistoric to medieval hilltop settlement.
valley. It was first mentioned in 1332 as Triphonis Sancti. Archeological finds include items from the Middle Neolithic
to the Roman
era, including an Early Bronze Age
necropolis
and a Late Bronze Age smelter for copper processing.
On the hill Le Lessus stands a 18 m (59.1 ft) high square tower, probably from the 13th Century. The tower was partially destroyed in 1476. Foundations indicate that the tower was reached by a walkway. Nearby, the remains of a romanesque
chapel from the 12th Century is still visible. In 1232 the Counts of Savoy
granted the castle to Guy de Saillon. The fief was dismembered in the 14th Century and reunited in the 16th Century under the Rovéréa family. Between 1476-1798 it was one of the twelve Zenden des Mandements Ollon in the government of Aigle
. The village was ruled by a Bernese mayor. Since the middle ages
, black marble has been mined in the village.
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...
in the municipality
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...
of Ollon
Ollon
Ollon is a municipality in the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, sited in the foothills of the mountains to the south-east of the Lake of Geneva. The old German language name Olun is no longer used.-History:...
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 was a prehistoric to medieval hilltop settlement.
History
The village is situated on three hills overlooking the RhoneRhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
valley. It was first mentioned in 1332 as Triphonis Sancti. Archeological finds include items from the Middle Neolithic
Neolithic
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...
to 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...
era, including an Early 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...
necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
and a Late Bronze Age smelter for copper processing.
On the hill Le Lessus stands a 18 m (59.1 ft) high square tower, probably from the 13th Century. The tower was partially destroyed in 1476. Foundations indicate that the tower was reached by a walkway. Nearby, the remains of a romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
chapel from the 12th Century is still visible. In 1232 the Counts of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
granted the castle to Guy de Saillon. The fief was dismembered in the 14th Century and reunited in the 16th Century under the Rovéréa family. Between 1476-1798 it was one of the twelve Zenden des Mandements Ollon in the government of Aigle
Aigle
Aigle is the capital of the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The town has a population of 8,100 people.The name of this municipality in French means eagle.-Geography:...
. The village was ruled by a Bernese mayor. Since the middle ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, black marble has been mined in the village.