Colombier, Vaud
village and former municipality in Echichens in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland
Colombier (French pronunciation: [kɔlɔ̃bje] ) is a former municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud, located in the district of Morges.
The municipalities of Colombier, Monnaz and Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges merged on 1 July 2011 into the municipality of Echichens.
History
Colombier is first mentioned in 937 as Columbaris.
Bertha of Swabia (c. 907 – after January 2, 966), Queen consort of Burgundy, married with Hugh of Italy on December 12, 937 in the church of Colombier. Scenes can be seen today on the stained glass windows of the church. She lived in the castle of Colombier.
Geography
Colombier has an area, as of 2009, of 5.3 square kilometers (2.0 mi2). Of this area, 4.35 km2 (1.68 mi2) or 82.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.51 km2 (0.20 mi2) or 9.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.36 km2 (0.14 mi2) or 6.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.04 km2 (9.9 acres) or 0.8% is unproductive land.
The public source identifies “Colombier, Vaud” as village and former municipality in Echichens in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Colombier, Vaud and village.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Colombier, Vaud”, the useful work is to connect “village and former municipality in Echichens in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q678901. Authority coordinates are 46.557, 6.473. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2011 and 2009.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Colombier, Vaud”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Colombier, Vaud primary sources, Colombier, Vaud archive and Colombier research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Colombier, Vaud”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Colombier, Vaud” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.