Court
Origin of the name Court
The name appears as «Cort» in a bull of Pope Eugene III dated 17 May 1148, then as «Curt» in 1179. The spelling «Court» is recorded in 1461. Its meaning has not been established.[1][3]
Founding of Court
Court stretches along the road beside the Birse, at the eastern end of the Tavannes valley and at the entrance to the gorge that bears its name. The municipality also includes the hamlets and farms of Le Chaluet, the Graitery, Mont-Girod and Montoz. In the Middle Ages the village was less important than its neighbour Mévilier, whose church served as parish church for Court and Sorvilier. Iron mines were already worked here at that time. Court belonged to the great mayoralty of Orval, in the provostry of Moutier-Grandval, and came under the mayoralty of Malleray until 1646, then under that of Tavannes.[1][3]
History of Court
1148. On 17 May a bull of Pope Eugene III names the village for the first time.[3]
1390. Robin de Cormondrèche gives the abbey of Bellelay his property, including holdings at Court.[4]
1531. On 22 January Court accepts the Reformation. The parish of Court and Sorvilier becomes Protestant.[1][4]
1571-1829. A single pastor serves Court and Grandval. From 1600 he lives at Court. Grandval becomes a separate parish on 2 February 1829.[1][4]
1646. Court moves from the mayoralty of Malleray to that of Tavannes.[3]
1658-1738. Four glassworks operate in the Chaluet valley.[1]
1715. The church of Mévilier is demolished, and the parish's place of worship is moved to the site called Pré Ursin.[1][2]
1746-1752. In April 1746 the prince-bishop orders a road to be built through the Court gorge. A violent storm washes away a section on 12 September 1750, and the carriage road opens in 1752.[1][4]
1794. Cattle fairs are established at Court, on the second Tuesday of April and in November.[4]
1797. The jurisdiction of Orval comes to an end. Court passes to France, in the département of Mont-Terrible and then Haut-Rhin, before joining the canton of Bern in 1815.[1]
1864. The church is moved into the village. Contracted in 1861, the new building is inaugurated on 9 September 1864.[1][4]
1876-1877. The Tavannes-Court and Court-Moutier lines open in 1876 and 1877, and the Delémont-Sonceboz-Biel link is completed in 1877.[1][4]
Late 19th century. Industry arrives. In the late 1970s Court has some 70 small and medium-sized firms, and industry still provides two thirds of jobs in 2000.[1]
1928. On 27 October a footbridge is inaugurated in the gorge.[4]
1932. On 6 March a first Catholic service is held in Court.[4]
1937. On 28 March a landslide and rockfall cut the gorge road. From 4 May a coach links Moutier and Court.[4]
Population of Court
Sources and references: [1][4][5]
| 1629 | 314 |
| 1764 | 702 |
| 1850 | 581 |
| 1900 | 1'082 |
| 1950 | 1'355 |
| 2000 | 1'349 |
| 2020 | 1'399 |
| 2025 | 1'387 |
Historic sites in Court
Church of Court. Built after the contract of 1861 and inaugurated on 9 September 1864. The Reformed church received an organ in 1953.[1][4]
Pré Ursin cemetery. The cemetery of the place of worship set up at Pré Ursin in 1715 still exists.[1]
Court gorge. The Birse flows here between Court and Moutier. The road opened in 1752 has been cut several times by rockfalls, in 1770, 1937 and 1939.[1][4]
Erratic boulders and glacial potholes. Two erratic boulders from the Val de Bagnes and the Dent du Midi have been found at Court, along with glacial potholes. Four erratic boulders at the entrance to the gorge have been protected since 1955.[3][4]
Remains in Court
Vanished village of Mévilier. About a kilometre west of Court, west of the present church, stood Mévilier (also Minvilier), recorded in the 12th century and probably inhabited from the 11th to the 14th century. Iron was probably one of its main activities. Excavations from 1996 to 1998 uncovered the foundations of wooden houses about 20 by 10 metres and a large two-storey masonry residential tower of the 14th century. Tradition attributes the end of the village to the plague.[1][2][3]
Chavanney. Another settlement, Chavanney, lay at the entrance to the Chaluet valley.[3]
Iron mines. Iron mines were worked from the Middle Ages. Glass sand was also extracted at the entrance to the gorge.[1][3]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Court » (François Wisard, version du 15.01.2026, lue en italien)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Mévilier » (Stéphanie Lachat, version du 29.09.2009)
- Municipalité de Court, « Histoire »
- Chronologie jurassienne, « Court »
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Court
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