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

Ollon is first mentioned in 1018 as Aulonum though there is some debate about whether this refers to another settlement. In 1025-32 it was mentioned as Olonum.

Saint-Triphon

The village of Saint-Triphon is situated on three hills overlooking the Rhone 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 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.