Courtételle

Canton of Jura · District: Delémont · 2'784 inhabitants (31.12.2025)

Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Courtételle

Name origin: first mentioned in 1178 in the form « Curtetele ». The old German name is « Cortitel » (to be cross-checked). The etymology is not explained in the sources consulted.

Founding of Courtételle

Courtételle is a municipality in the district of Delémont made up of the large village of Courtételle, located upstream of Delémont on the right bank of the Sorne, and of various hamlets and farms. No founder is known. The area was occupied long before the first mention of the village: Early Iron Age pottery at Courtemelon, La Tène finds, a Roman layer and early medieval clay extraction pits at Tivila, and a Merovingian hamlet with smithing furnaces at La Pran. The basilica of Saint-Maurice, where the meeting between the duke of Alsace and the first abbot of Moutier-Grandval is said to have taken place in 675, bears witness to the age of the site. Until 1793 Courtételle was one of the thirteen free villages of the Delémont valley, a lordship of the bishopric of Basel.

History of Courtételle

Early Iron Age. Pottery is deposited at Courtemelon.

La Tène and Roman period. Occupation of the locality of Tivila, which has yielded La Tène finds and a Roman archaeological layer.

Merovingian period. A hamlet with smithing furnaces exists at La Pran; a monolithic sarcophagus of this period was found on the site of the basilica of Saint-Maurice.

675. According to the Life of Saint Germanus, the meeting between the duke of Alsace and the first abbot of Moutier-Grandval is said to have taken place in the basilica of Saint-Maurice.

1178. First mention of the village (« Curtetele »): the church of Saint-Imier owns a plot of land there.

1341. First parish priest recorded by name.

1623. Construction of the Courtételle mill, rebuilt in 1805 (to be cross-checked).

1727-1729. The church dedicated to Saint Sixtus is rebuilt.

1740. The basilica of Saint-Maurice is demolished.

1793. End of the status of free village of the Delémont valley; Courtételle belongs to the French department of Mont-Terrible until 1800, then to Haut-Rhin from 1800 to 1813.

1815-1978. Courtételle belongs to the bailiwick and then the Bernese district of Delémont.

1853. Courtételle becomes a mixed municipality.

1874-1907. The parish is attached to that of Courfaivre.

late 19th century. Industrialisation begins, in particular with watchmaking initiated by Amédée Comte.

1927. Opening of the cantonal agricultural school of Jura at Courtemelon.

1974. 77% of voters vote in favour of creating the canton of Jura.

1979. Courtételle becomes part of the new canton of Jura.

1989. The agricultural school at Courtemelon becomes the Institut agricole du Jura.

Population of Courtételle

400 communicants

1660

486

1818

698

1850

1'037

1900

1'234

1910

1'412

1950

1'864

1970

2'180

2000

2'370

2010

2'784

2025

Historic sites in Courtételle

Church of Saint-Sixte. Parish church dedicated to Saint Sixtus, rebuilt in 1727-1729. A first parish priest is recorded by name in 1341; the parish was attached to that of Courfaivre from 1874 to 1907.

Site of the basilica of Saint-Maurice. Site of the basilica where, according to the Life of Saint Germanus, the duke of Alsace is said to have met the first abbot of Moutier-Grandval in 675. The building was demolished in 1740.

Courtemelon. Estate where the cantonal agricultural school of Jura opened in 1927, which became the Institut agricole du Jura in 1989. The site has also yielded Early Iron Age pottery.

Courtételle mill. Mill built in 1623 and rebuilt in 1805 (to be cross-checked).

Remains in Courtételle

Foundations of the basilica of Saint-Maurice. Archaeological excavations uncovered foundations from the 10th and 13th centuries, a monolithic sarcophagus of the Merovingian period and the foundations of a fortified house.

Merovingian hamlet of La Pran. Hamlet of the Merovingian period where smithing furnaces were discovered.

Tivila. Locality that has yielded La Tène finds, a Roman archaeological layer and early medieval clay extraction pits.

Sources

Other villages near Courtételle

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