The International Border Markers of Jura Vaudois: History Engraved in Stone
At the borders of the canton of Vaud and France, some magnificent historical border markers still line the path of the international Franco-Swiss border. Walking through the Jura forests and pastures, hikers regularly encounter carved stones adorned with various coats of arms. The walk becomes captivating when stunning heraldry and inscriptions engraved in stone catch our attention. Where do the lions, bears, eagles, and roosters that silently watch from their respective markers originate? And the lilies, crosses, and shields? In what context were they engraved? The states of Charles V, Savoy, the Excellencies of Bern, Louis XV, the Helvetic Republic, and Napoleon, among others, successively controlled the Jura crests, leaving numerous traces. How does this all fit together historically?
The first written mention of a border on the Jura crests dates back to the time of Julius Caesar (around 52 BCE). The proconsul of Gaul noted that the Jura chain separates the Sequani (capital Besançon) from the Helvetii (capital Avenches). This was not yet a boundary line but rather a mountainous strip of land separating two Celtic peoples. Their joint integration into the vast Roman Empire softened the Jura chain's role as a boundary. From the 5th century onwards, the establishment of Christian priories and monasteries organized and shaped the Jura space. The first wave of foundations included Saint-Claude (circa 435), Romainmôtier (circa 450), and Baulmes (circa 650). The second wave, in the early second millennium, included Bonmont Abbey in 1131, bordering the Pays de Gex; the Notre-Dame d'Oujon Charterhouse in 1146, neighboring Saint-Claude's lands; and the Premonstratensian Abbey at Lac de Joux in 1126, also in contact with Saint-Claude's holdings. Documents defining these establishments' territorial limits proved crucial during the fixation of the borders of the Bernese Vaud in the 16th and 17th centuries. These monastic establishments thus played a pivotal role in shaping many sections of the Vaudois-French border. However, few markers from this era are still observable today (exceptions include two ancient markers from the Priory of Baulmes: markers no. 13 and no. 16). The systematic placement of border markers began with the Republic of Bern's control of the Savoyard Pays de Vaud in 1536.
The first Bernese border marking on its western frontier took place in Sainte-Croix in 1553. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, Lulier, the receiver of the County of Burgundy, and six Bernese patricians ratified the delimitation between Franche-Comté and Bern. This was followed by the placement of markers engraved with the 1553 date along the borders of Sainte-Croix and Auberson. Further south, the Republic of Bern and the Duchy of Savoy signed a peace treaty in Lausanne on October 30, 1564. Savoy ceded the Pays de Vaud to the Republic of Bern, creating a new border in the middle of Lake Geneva and on land between Versoix and the source of the Valserine, behind La Dôle. This last section was marked between 1564 and 1574 with the coats of arms of Savoy and Bern. After carefully marking the ends, the remaining border along the crests between the source of the Valserine and Auberson required negotiation. Franche-Comté and Bern spent years discussing the matter before finally agreeing on a route and comprehensive marking (carried out in 1648 and 1649). This resulted in beautiful markers featuring the lion of Franche-Comté and the bear of Bern. From 1678 onwards, Franche-Comté became part of France, replacing the lion with lilies. The Kingdom of France densely marked the Risoux ridge in 1716, then collaborated with Bern to revise and densify the marking between 1750 and 1774 along their shared border from Sainte-Croix to Versoix. The markers bearing three lilies and a bear firmly occupied the western limits of Vaud. The French Revolution of 1789 disrupted the old regimes.
France invaded the Swiss plateau in early 1798, replacing the old confederation with a sister republic: the Helvetic Republic, established on April 12, 1798. This short-lived republic collapsed in 1802, giving way to the Act of Mediation Confederation on February 19, 1803. The canton of Vaud became one of the nineteen sovereign cantons of the federal state. The first international markers of the new sovereign canton date from 1807, bearing the abbreviation CdV. Napoleon's fall and the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815 reshaped Europe's power balance and, consequently, the borders. France returned to its 1790 borders, and the Swiss Confederation expanded to include Geneva, Valais, Neuchâtel, and the former Bishopric of Basel. This new situation required extensive border marking between Basel and Geneva. While the international Vaudois border remained largely unchanged, many new markers were installed. These massive stones from 1824 bear the white-and-green Vaudois shield and a lily for France, where the monarchy had been restored. The final significant chapter in the Vaudois-French border story is known as "the Dappes affair." In the Bois d'Amont and Dappes region, a territorial exchange for a strategically important road for France led to the placement of many markers in 1863 bearing the imperial eagle of France's Second Empire along the new border. Since then, the two countries have maintained and occasionally densified the markers without a major overhaul, leaving the tricolor flag, republican rooster, and Swiss cross somewhat overlooked on the Vaudois-French border.
Some Iconic Vaudois-French Border Markers
© Olivier Cavaleri
