Gruyères
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
- For other uses, see Gruyères, Ardennes.
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Main street, looking towards the castle |
Gruyères (2002 pop. 1,530) is a small town in the district of Gruyère, cantons of Fribourg, Switzerland. The town and district are famous for their Gruyere cheese.
Gruyères is situated on a small ridge overlooking the valley, its original town walls still intact. It is known from at least 923, and was the capital of a county until it was divided between Fribourg and Bern in 1555. The castle, which dates from 1493, was then the residence of a governor until 1848, when it was acquired by the Bovy family of Geneva.
The castle became the property of the canton in 1938, and has been made into a museum and art gallery. Artists on display include Hans Ruedi Giger.
The commune includes the villages of Epagny and Pringy.
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