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]]