Aigle
532983
219747019
2008-06-16T18:26:12Z
Zacharie Grossen
6414974
/* Geography */
{{Infobox Swiss town
| subject_name = Aigle
| municipality_name = Aigle
| municipality_type = municipality
| imagepath_coa = Aigle-coat of arms.svg|pixel_coa=
| map =
| languages = French
| canton = Vaud
| iso-code-region = CH-VD
| district = [[Aigle (district)|Aigle]]
| lat_d=46|lat_m=19|lat_NS=N|long_d=6|long_m=58|long_EW=E
| postal_code = 1860
| municipality_code = 5401
| area = 16.36
| elevation = 415|elevation_description=
| population = 7712|populationof = December 2003 | popofyear = 2003
| website = www.aigle.ch
| mayor = Frédéric Borloz|mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
| mayor_title = |list_of_mayors =
| places = Le Cloître, Vers Pousaz, Fontanney
| demonym = Les Aiglons
| neighboring_municipalities= Vaud: [[Yvorne]], [[Leysin]], [[Ormont-Dessous]], [[Ollon]]; Valais: [[Vouvry]], [[Collombey-Muraz]]
| twintowns = [[L'Aigle]] (France), [[Tübingen]] (Germany), [[Bassersdorf]] (Switzerland)
|}}
{{otheruses}}
'''Aigle''' is the capital of the district of [[Aigle (district)|Aigle]] in the [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Vaud]] in [[Switzerland]]. The town has a population of 8,100 people.
[[Image:Aigle Schloss1.jpg|thumb|left|Castle of Aigle]]
The name of this municipality in [[French language|French]] means ''[[eagle]]''.
==Geography==
Aigle lies at an elevation of 415 m. about 13 km south-southeast of [[Montreux]]. It is on the east edge of the [[Rhône River|Rhône]] valley, at the foot of the [[Swiss Alps]].
In 1997, about 24 percent of the municipality was residential, 38 percent forested, 35 percent agricultrual, and 3 percent mountainous.
Aigle includes the villages of Le Cloître, Vers Pousaz, and Fontanney. The surrounding municipalities are [[Yvorne]], [[Leysin]], [[Ormont-Dessous]], and [[Ollon]] in the canton of Vaud, and [[Vouvry]] and [[Collombey-Muraz]] in the canton of [[Valais]].
==History==
[[Image:Aigle Kirche.jpg|thumb|left|Church of Aigle]]
The municipality was settled very early. Burials and ceramics from the [[Bronze Age]] have been discovered. During [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times, Aigle lay on the road from the [[Great Saint Bernard]] pass via ''Viviscus'' ([[Vevey]]) to ''Aventicum'' ([[Avenches]]), the Roman capital. The Romans had a number of names for Aigle: ''Ala'' (''Wing''), ''Alena'' (''Little Wing''), ''Aquilegia'' and ''Aquilas'' (''Eagles).
The first medieval mention of the municipality occurs in 1150 under the name of ''Alium''
A mention in 1153 gives the name as ''Aleo''. [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Henry IV]] gave the territory of Aigle in 1076 to the house of [[Savoy]]. The Abbeys of Great Saint Bernard and [[St. Maurice's Abbey|Saint-Maurice]] also had holdings in Aigle, and the latter established a priory, from which the village of Le Cloître takes its name.
In 1231, Aigle was made a market town by [[Thomas I of Savoy]], and in 1314 it was raised to a free city by [[Amadeus V of Savoy]].
It became an important commercial center because of its location on the road to Italy.
It had a common parish with Leysin (until 1702) and with Corbeyrier and Yvorne (until 1831). SInce the 14th century, it had a treaty with [[Sembrancher]] in Valais, that committed the two communities for mutual aid in case of war or natural disaster.
In 1475, Aigle was conquered by the canton of [[Bern (canton)|Bern]], as were also Ollon, [[Bex]], and Les Ormonts. Aigle was thus the first of the [[French language|French]]-speaking parts of Switzerland to become subject to Bern and became the seat of the ''Gouvernement Aigle'', which included all of the present district except [[Villeneuve, Vaud|Villeneuve]]. In 1528, the [[Reformation]] was first preached in Aigle by [[Guillaume Farel]].
From 1798 to 1803, Aigle belonged to the [[canton of Léman]] in the [[Helvetic Republic]], which was transformed into the canton of Vaud with the mediation of [[Napoleon]].
==Culture==
The [[Union Cycliste Internationale]] (UCI) is based in Aigle.
==Transportation==
Aigle SBB/CFF is the mainline train station with connections for the ski resorts of Leysin, Les Diablerets, and Villars.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Aigle02.JPG
Image:Aigle03.JPG
Image:Aigle06.JPG
Image:Aigle05.JPG
</gallery>
==References==
{{de}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Aigle}}
*http://www.aigle.ch
*{{HDS|2276}}
*[http://aigle-webcam1.rcv.ch/ Webcam on the Rue de la Gare]
{{Municipalities of the district of Aigle}}
[[Category:Cities in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the canton of Vaud]]
[[frp:Âgllo]]
[[de:Aigle VD]]
[[es:Aigle]]
[[fr:Aigle (Vaud)]]
[[it:Aigle (Svizzera)]]
[[nl:Aigle (gemeente)]]
[[ro:Aigle, Elveţia]]
[[rm:Aigle]]
[[simple:Aigle]]
[[sv:Aigle]]
[[vo:Aigle]]