Of Celtic origin, it grew considerably in Roman times thanks to its strategic location along the road that connected Avenches to the Great St Bernard Pass. In the Middle Ages, the village was fortified and had a castle; today, it preserves some traits of its historical past.

The historic centre of Moudon has retained its medieval character, although much of the old fortifications and castle have been lost. Among the most significant remains is the Broye Tower, built in the 12th century during the brief period of Zähringen rule. The evangelical St. Stephen’s Church, dating from the end of the 13th century, is one of the most important Gothic buildings in Canton Vaud after Lausanne Cathedral. Built on a Roman necropolis, the church has a three-nave floor plan and a polygonal choir, surmounted by elegant ribbed vaults. In the lower part of the town, near the church, is the arsenal, a building constructed between 1774 and 1775 that originally served as a grain store. On the other bank of the Broye River, in Rue Mauborger, you can admire the old hospital of Malta, dating from 1556. In Grand-Rue, on the other hand, the town hall, built between 1835 and 1842, houses a Roman votive altar under its arches. The medieval quarter, occupying the entire hill overlooking the Broye, is the oldest part of the town and houses the Rochefort Castle, now a museum. The castle is a vast rectangular complex with a turret on the façade and a portal dating from 1595. Next to the castle is the fountain of Moses, a statue by Laurent Perroud from 1557, with a basin dating from 1679. Another important castle in the area is that of Carrouge, built at the end of the Middle Ages and renovated in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the castle park, a square watchtower dating back to medieval times is still visible. On the way out of the medieval town, you can see numerous houses dating back to the end of the Gothic period (15th-16th centuries). Outside the city walls, Billens Castle represents a stately residence from the 17th and 18th centuries, thus completing the architectural landscape of the city, which is rich in evidence of its historical past.