Satigny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Satigny
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 Satigny
Location in Switzerland
Satigny
Location in Canton of Geneva
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Geneva | |
| District | n.a. | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 18.92 km2 (7.31 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 505 m (1,657 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 4,286 | |
| • Density | 226.53/km2 (586.72/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
1242
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| Surrounded by | Aire-la-Ville, Bernex, Dardagny, Meyrin, Prévessin-Moëns (FR-01), Russin, Saint-Genis-Pouilly (FR-01), Thoiry (FR-01), Vernier | |
Satigny (French pronunciation: [satiɲi]) is a town in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It is the largest town in the canton by land area. It is also the biggest wine-producing town in Switzerland! Much of its land is part of the Mandement area, an important historical site shared with nearby towns Russin and Dardagny.
Contents
- What's in a Name? The History of Satigny's Place Names
- Satigny's Coat of Arms
- A Look Back: Satigny's History
- Satigny's Geography and Landscape
- Population and People of Satigny
- Satigny's Economy and Jobs
- Getting Around: Transportation in Satigny
- Learning in Satigny: Education
- Important Historical Sites in Satigny
- See also
What's in a Name? The History of Satigny's Place Names
Satigny was first mentioned in the year 91. Back then, it was called villam Satiniatis. This name likely came from the Gallo-Roman period, referring to Roman owners in the area.
The name of another area, Peney, has a different story. It might come from the Latin word "pinetum," meaning "forest of pine trees." Or it could be from Celtic words "pen" (end) and "nec" (height).
Bourdigny's name comes from the German-speaking Burgundians. It's thought to be from a surname like "Bürdin," which later became "Burdignus" as the region became more Roman.
Finally, Montfleury has a fun story. This group of houses didn't have a name at first. People just called it "The Shacks." But in 1829, the people living there asked for a nicer name. So, it officially became "Montfleury," which means "Flowery Mountain."
Satigny's Coat of Arms
Satigny's coat of arms shows a red shield with a silver key that has two blades. Next to the key are a golden sun and a golden crescent moon.
The town adopted this coat of arms on September 8, 1924. It was approved by the government of Geneva later that month. This design comes from an old seal used in 1340 by the prior (a religious leader) of Satigny. That seal showed a hand holding the key, sun, and crescent.
Satigny removed the hand from the design. They chose colors that represent Switzerland and the Canton of Geneva. The red shield and white key are for the Swiss confederation. The red shield with the golden sun and crescent are for the Republic and Canton of Geneva.
A Look Back: Satigny's History
In the beginning, Satigny was under the control of a religious group called Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens. This group grew quickly by getting land from the lords of Gex.
An old document from 912, one of the oldest about Geneva's history, talks about land in Satigny being given to a monastery. This shows how important the area was even back then.
In 1134, the bishop of Vienna took control of the priory (a type of monastery) in Satigny. The main town of Satigny grew around this religious building. By 1305, the people of Satigny and nearby villages formed a community. The castle of Peney-Dessus, a fortified village, was the main center for the Peney area.
In 1282, a monk from Satigny caused some trouble. He dressed as a woman to meet someone he liked. This led to a big argument between the bishop and the lord of Gex over who controlled the Peney area. In the end, the lord of Gex gave up his claims to the bishop.
The castle of Peney was built or rebuilt around 1230 by Bishop Aymon of Grandson. It was attacked and taken over in 1287 by Amadeus V, Count of Savoy. The bishop got it back in 1305, but it fell again to the count of Geneva between 1349 and 1355. Over time, the monks at the priory became less strict. The bishop decided to manage the convent directly. Its money then went to help the cathedral instead of the monastery.
In 1512, the monks were very poor. So, Pope Julius II changed the priory into a parish church. In 1534, Geneva faced big changes during the Reformation (a time when many people changed from Catholicism to Protestantism). Supporters of Catholicism fled to Peney castle. From there, they attacked the Republic of Geneva, stealing and robbing. They were called the "Peneysans." In 1536, troops from Bern took over the castle and destroyed it.
The town of Bourdigny joined Satigny in 1749. This happened with the Treaty of Paris. After the Reformation, the Mandement region, which included Satigny, remained under the control of Geneva. This area was cut off from the city of Geneva by French land. The land finally connected to Geneva in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna. The Treaty of Turin in 1816 gave more towns to Geneva, like Aire-la-Ville, Meyrin, Vernier, and Bernex. These towns now border Satigny, creating a continuous area. Peney and its castle joined Satigny in 1817.
Satigny's Geography and Landscape
Satigny covers 18.92 square kilometers. This makes it the largest town in the canton of Geneva by size.
Because it's so big, Satigny includes many smaller areas. These include the neighborhoods of Satigny-Dessous and Satigny-Dessus. It also has hamlets (small villages) like Bourdigny, Peney (Dessous and Dessus), Choully, Montfleury, and Peissy. There are also large industrial areas called ZIMEYSA and Bois-de-Bay.
Satigny is part of the Mandement area. It borders Swiss towns like Meyrin and Vernier to the east. To the south, it borders Bernex and Aire-la-Ville, separated by the Rhône river. To the west, it borders Russin and Dardagny. France is to the north-west, separated by the Allondon river.
The CERN (a famous science research center) is to the north-east of Satigny. This area, along with the ZIMEYSA industrial zone, shows where the countryside changes into the urban areas of Meyrin and Vernier, which are close to the city of Geneva.
The Jura mountains form the beautiful background of the landscape. You can also see the Salève mountain, Lake Geneva, and the French Alps in the distance.
Satigny is like a "green belt" for Geneva. It has a lovely countryside feel with lots of vineyards, wooded areas, and hills. Satigny has 460 hectares of vineyards. This is one-third of all the vineyards in Geneva! This makes Satigny the biggest wine-making town in Geneva and all of Switzerland.
The border with France is not crossed by any roads in Satigny. This, along with the Allondon river, means there's not much connection between Satigny and the French side.
Population and People of Satigny
Satigny has a population of 4,286. Most people in Satigny (about 79.3%) speak French. German is the second most common language (4.9%), and English is third (4.5%).
The population of Satigny was quite stable until the 1950s. From the 1960s to the 1980s, it grew a little, mainly because of new houses built in the Pré-Gentil area. But the biggest growth happened from the 1990s onwards. About 47% of all buildings in Satigny were built after 1980.
The average house size in Satigny is 113 square meters. This is larger than in nearby urban areas like Meyrin (80 sqm) and Vernier (77 sqm). On average, there are 2.72 people living in each home. In 2016, nearly half of the buildings in Satigny were separate houses. However, this number is expected to decrease as new apartment buildings are constructed.
In 2000, about 38.6% of the population was Roman Catholic. Around 26.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church). Many people also belonged to no church or did not state their religion.
Satigny's Economy and Jobs
As of 2019, there were 8,698 workers in Satigny, which is more than double the number of people living there (4,109 residents). This means many people travel to Satigny for work. About 27.7% of workers coming into Satigny are from outside Switzerland.
The main reason for so many jobs in Satigny is its industrial areas. There are three big ones: Bois-de-Bay "ZIBAY," la Tuilière "ZITUIL," and the Zone Industrielle Meyrin-Satigny "ZIMEYSA." ZIMEYSA is the largest industrial area in the canton of Geneva. It has about 15,000 jobs spread across Satigny, Meyrin, and Vernier. ZIMEYSA even has its own train stop, making it easy for workers to get there. Some companies in ZIMEYSA, like Feldschlösschen, have direct train access.
Some of the biggest companies in Satigny include Firmenich, a world leader in making fragrances and flavors. Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Sécheron) makes electrical equipment, including transformers for trains. DeWitt is a luxury watchmaking company. MCI Group organizes large events and conferences. Sécheron Traction Power makes electrical parts for trains. HelvéCie is a large bus company. GVA MONTRES makes watch parts. And Fnac Suisse is a big store for media and electronics.
ZIBAY is completely in Satigny and had 1,700 workers in 2017. This area focuses on recycling and construction companies. It also has the SIG's Bois-de-Bay water treatment plant, which is one of the largest in Switzerland.
Besides industrial areas, Satigny is also famous for its wine. It's the biggest wine-producing town in Geneva and Switzerland. About 80% of Geneva's wine comes from Satigny! It's home to "La Cave de Genève," the largest wine cooperative in the canton. Many types of wine are made here, including Gamay, Pinot Noir, Chasselas, and Gamaret.
Getting Around: Transportation in Satigny
Trains are the most important way to get around Satigny and reach Geneva's city center. Satigny has its own train station in the middle of Satigny-village. Two train lines, L6 (Genève-Bellegarde) and L5 (Genève-La Plaine), serve the town. Trains run often (every 15 minutes) and are fast. It only takes 13 minutes to reach Geneva's main train station in Cornavin. The ZIMEYSA industrial area also has its own train station for commuters.
The TPG, Geneva's public transport company, runs local bus lines in Satigny. Line 72 connects the hamlets of Bourdigny, Choully, and Peissy to Satigny-village and its train station. Line 73 connects Satigny-village to Peney, the Bois-de-Bay industrial area, and ZIMEYSA. Lines 70 and 71 connect Satigny to tram lines in Meyrin (71) and Bernex (70).
All public transport in Satigny uses the unireso network. This means one ticket works for trains, buses, and other connections.
Geneva's airport is close to Satigny, about a 10-minute drive away. You can also get there by public transport in about 25 minutes, usually by taking a train and then a bus.
The main road in Satigny is the route du Mandement. It connects to France and other towns like Meyrin. The A1 motorway (highway) that connects Geneva to the rest of Switzerland and France passes near Satigny. Currently, there are no direct exits to Satigny. However, a project called "barreau routier de Montfleury" is being planned. This project will create a direct connection to the A1 motorway from the industrial areas. This will help reduce traffic on local roads.
Learning in Satigny: Education
In Satigny, about 30.8% of the population has finished high school. About 21.8% have gone on to higher education, like university.
During the 2009–2010 school year, 763 students were in the Satigny school system. In Geneva, young children can attend two years of non-required Kindergarten. In Satigny, 95 children were in pre-kindergarten. The school system requires students to attend six years of primary school. Some children attend smaller, special classes. There were 93 students in kindergarten or primary school in Satigny.
The secondary school program has three required years, followed by three to five years of optional advanced schools. There were 93 students in lower secondary school in Satigny. Another 143 students were in upper secondary school, and 21 were in professional training programs. An additional 43 students attended private schools.
In 2000, 7 students from other towns came to school in Satigny. However, 261 Satigny residents went to schools outside the town.
Important Historical Sites in Satigny
Choully Castle and the Farms in Choully, along with Domaine Pellegrin in Peissy, are listed as important heritage sites of national significance in Switzerland. The villages of Bourdigny, Choully, Peissy, and the Satigny-Dessus area are all part of a larger 'Mandement' site, recognized for its historical value.
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Choully Castle
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Domaine Pellegrin
See also
In Spanish: Satigny para niños
