Dardagny
Intro
The wine-growing village of Dardagny is located on a vast plateau that overlooks the unspoilt valley of the Allondon river to the west. The surrounding topography has for centuries favoured the cultivation of vines on the best oriented slopes.
Dardagny is situated on the western fringes of the Mandement wine-growing region, and grape cultivation plays an important role in the village’s economy. The area of the vineyard – famous for its pinot noir – even doubled during the second half of the 20th century.
The history and development of the site are intrinsically linked to the morphology of its castle, today the majestic centre of gravity of the village. This in fact used to be two fortified houses, from which resulted the formation of two rural complexes that developed in diametrically opposite directions, one to the north and the other to the south. The current building is the result of the unification of these two fortified houses under the same banner in the mid-17th century, then successive transformations.
Characteristic of the region, the many farms form an exceptional rural fabric of the 18th and 19th centuries. They are said to be “tripartite” because they feature the three traditional buildings of a farm: the barn with its wide, low arch door, the stable and finally the house, which is sometimes reached by an outside staircase. The fabric is relatively dense in the north, with adjoining houses arranged along narrow alleys; this contrasts with a looser structure in the south, which underlines the intimate relationship between the built-up area and surrounding fields.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
