Grandson, Switzerland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grandson
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Grandson castle
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 Grandson
Location in Switzerland
Grandson
Location in Canton of Vaud
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Vaud | |
| District | Jura-Nord Vaudois | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 7.85 km2 (3.03 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 447 m (1,467 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 3,358 | |
| • Density | 427.8/km2 (1,107.9/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Les Gransonnois Les Bocans |
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| Postal code |
1422
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| Localities | Corcelettes, Les Tuileries-de-Grandson, Péroset, La Poissine, Bru, La Perraudettaz | |
| Surrounded by | Champagne, Bonvillars, Montagny-près-Yverdon, Valeyres-sous-Montagny, Giez, Fiez | |
Grandson (French: [ɡʀɑ̃sɔ̃]) is a town in Switzerland. It's located in the Vaud area, right on the southwest edge of Lake Neuchâtel. It's about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Lausanne.
Grandson was once part of a kingdom called Upper Burgundy. A very important event happened here on March 2, 1476. During the Burgundian Wars, a powerful leader named Charles the Bold was defeated in the famous Battle of Grandson.
Contents
Grandson's Story Through Time
Ancient Times: Early Settlements
People have lived in the Grandson area for a very long time! In 1895, a farmer found a huge stone pillar, called a menhir, buried underground. It weighed about three tons and was 3.4 meters (11 feet) tall. You can still see it standing near where it was found.
Grandson is also famous for its ancient villages built by the lake. These were often "stilt houses," meaning they were built on poles over the water or marshy land. In 1854, a site at Corcelettes became well-known when many piles for these stilt houses were found, along with old pots.
By 1930, seven lakeside villages were found. The most important stilt house village is at Corcelettes. It's one of the best-preserved and largest lakeside settlements on Lake Neuchâtel.
Archaeologists have found many amazing things there, especially from the Bronze Age. They found pottery, bronze tools, and even organic materials like threads and leaves. Some cool discoveries include a small pig sculpture, a flute, and even a wheel made of wood! They also found tools and molds, which means people were making metal objects right there in the village.
Medieval Grandson: Castles and Priories
The town of Grandson grew up around its castle and the powerful Grandson family. This family became important around the year 1000. The town itself was first mentioned around 1100.
Around 1146, the Grandson family helped start the Saint-Jean Priory, which was a type of monastery. They gave the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste to the priory. The church was later rebuilt with impressive stone columns.
By 1300, the whole town was surrounded by strong walls, except for the side facing the lake. The nearby villages even helped keep these walls in good shape. Otto I of Grandson, a famous knight who worked for King Edward I of England, rebuilt and made the old castle much bigger between 1277 and 1281.
A big fire in 1378 damaged the castle roof. Otto I also gave the town a special charter, which was like a set of rules for how the town would be run. He also allowed the Franciscans, a religious group, to build a monastery in 1289. Today, only the church tower and some parts of the old building remain.
The Battle of Grandson: A Famous Victory
In the late 1400s, Grandson castle belonged to Jacques of Savoy, who was an ally of Charles the Bold. In 1475, the Swiss Confederation took control of the castle.
In February 1476, Charles the Bold brought a huge army of soldiers to take the castle back. The soldiers inside the castle, unsure if help would come, decided to surrender.
Swiss records say that the men only gave up when Charles promised they would be safe. But instead, he ordered all 412 men of the castle's defenders to be executed. This was a terrible act.
On March 2, 1476, the Swiss army arrived near the town of Concise. Charles the Bold didn't know how big the Swiss army really was. When the main part of the Swiss army came out of a forest, Charles's army got confused and started to retreat. This retreat quickly turned into a full-blown escape as his soldiers ran away!
Not many people died on either side in the battle itself. The Swiss didn't have enough cavalry (soldiers on horseback) to chase Charles's army far. The Swiss had embarrassed the most powerful duke in Europe, defeated a very feared army, and captured a huge amount of treasure! After the battle, the Swiss soldiers found the bodies of their countrymen still hanging from trees. This didn't make them give up; it made them more determined than ever.
Grandson in Later Years
After the Burgundian Wars, Grandson was governed by both Bern and Fribourg, two powerful Swiss cities.
The Protestant Reformation started to spread in Grandson in the 1500s. The Franciscan monastery was closed, and its buildings became the City Hall and school.
Modern Grandson: Changes and Growth
In the 1800s, many big building projects changed the town. The Franciscan church and cemetery were moved to make way for a new road. In 1858, a dam was built for a railway line, which separated the town from the lake.
Later, the lake's water level dropped, and the old medieval harbor was no longer connected to the lake. So, new docks were built, along with beautiful houses. The main road was also straightened and widened, which meant some houses had to be moved back.
People in Grandson used to make their living from farming, especially raising animals in the Jura Mountains, and also from fishing. Wine production was popular but decreased due to plant diseases. A major industry in the 1800s was processing tobacco. The main tobacco company was even located in the castle!
Today, Grandson is part of the Jura-Nord vaudois District.
Grandson's Location and Landscape
Grandson is located at an elevation of 447 meters (1,467 feet) above sea level. It sits on hills formed by glaciers, on the west side of Lake Neuchâtel. A small stream called the Gransonnet flows into the lake here.
The land in Grandson rises quite steeply from the lake shores up to about 500 meters (1,640 feet) on the plateau. The highest point in the area is called Là Outre, at 540 meters (1,772 feet).
Grandson includes the smaller villages of Les Tuileries-de-Grandson and Corcelettes.
Grandson's Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Grandson shows a golden sun and a golden crescent moon on a blue background. This design was adopted in the early 1900s. Before that, Grandson used the old arms of the Grandson family from the 1200s.
People of Grandson
Grandson has a population of about 3,040 people. About 15.7% of the people living there are foreign nationals. Over the last ten years, the population has grown by about 13.1%.
Most people in Grandson (about 89.3%) speak French. German is the second most common language (4.0%), followed by Italian (1.6%).
About 19.5% of the people living in Grandson in 2000 were born there. Another 39.3% were born in the same canton (Vaud).
The age groups in Grandson are:
- 10.0% are children aged 0-9 years old.
- 12.4% are teenagers aged 10-19.
- The rest are adults, with the largest group (16.6%) being between 40 and 49 years old.
The historical population of Grandson has changed over time, as shown in this chart:
Famous People from Grandson
- Louis de Watteville (1776–1836): A Swiss soldier who served in the Dutch and British armies.
- Paolo Vietti-Violi (1882–1965): An Italian architect.
Important Heritage Sites
Grandson is home to some very important historical sites. One or more of its prehistoric stilt house settlements are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means they are recognized as having global importance!
Grandson Castle and the Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste are also listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. The entire town of Grandson is considered an important Swiss heritage site.
Grandson's Economy
In 2010, Grandson had an unemployment rate of 4.5%. Many people in Grandson work in different areas:
- Agriculture: About 30 people work in farming and fishing.
- Industry: Around 295 people work in factories, mining, and construction.
- Services: The largest number of people, 898, work in service jobs like sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, education, and healthcare.
Many people who live in Grandson also work in other towns, and many people from other towns come to work in Grandson. Most people (66.5%) use a private car to get to work, while 11.2% use public transportation.
Religion in Grandson
Based on a 2000 survey:
- About 27.1% of the population were Roman Catholic.
- About 48.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
- Smaller numbers of people belonged to other Christian churches, Islam, or Buddhism.
- About 13.6% of the population did not belong to any church.
Education in Grandson
Many people in Grandson have a good education. About 37.2% of the population have finished high school, and 13.6% have gone on to higher education at a university or college.
In the 2009/2010 school year, there were 371 students in the Grandson school district. The local schools provide pre-school for young children, and then four years of primary school. After that, students attend six years of lower secondary school.
Grandson is also home to the Fondation du Château de Grandson museum. In 2009, over 54,510 people visited the museum!
Getting Around Grandson
The town has a railway station called Grandson. You can catch trains from here to nearby cities like Yverdon-les-Bains, Lausanne, and Aigle.
Images for kids
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The siege of Grandson castle and the sad execution of its defenders.
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The Burgundian camp was looted after the Battle of Grandson.
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An aerial view of Grandson in 1919, with the castle on the top left.
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Part of the harbor in Grandson.
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A view across Lake Neuchatel towards Grandson.
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The City Hall building in Grandson.
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An aerial photo of Grandson.
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Along Rue Haute in Grandson's old town.
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The famous Grandson Castle.
See also
In Spanish: Grandson para niños
