Saicourt

Saicourt
The church of the former Bellelay Abbey in Saicourt municipality
Coat of arms
Saicourt
Location of Saicourt
Coordinates: 47°15′N 7°12′E / 47.250°N 7.200°E / 47.250; 7.200Coordinates: 47°15′N 7°12′E / 47.250°N 7.200°E / 47.250; 7.200
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Jura bernois
Government
• Mayor	Maire
Area
• Total	13.78 km2 (5.32 sq mi)
Elevation	749 m (2,457 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	607
• Density	44/km2 (110/sq mi)
Postal code	2732
SFOS number	0706
Localities	2712 Le Fuet, 2713 Bellelay, La Bottiere, Montbautier
Surrounded by	Tramelan, Mont-Tramelan, Tavannes, Reconvilier, Saules, Sornetan, Châtelat, Lajoux, Les Genevez
Website	www.saicourt.ch SFSO statistics

Saicourt is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It comprises the localities of Le Fuet, Bellelay, La Bottiere and Montbautier. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (Jura Bernois).

Saicourt is first mentioned in 1262 as Zacurt.

Bellelay Abbey was established in the nearby Bellelay valley in 1140. The Abbey owned land and rights in the village of Saicourt for most of its history. However, both Saicourt and Le Fuet belonged to the provost of Moutier-Grandval under the Prince-Bishop of Basel. After the 1798 French invasion, the Abbey was secularized and Saicourt became an independent political municipality. The municipality became part of the French Département of Mont-Terrible. Three years later, in 1800 it became part of the Département of Haut-Rhin. After Napoleon's defeat and the Congress of Vienna, Saicourt was assigned to the Canton of Bern in 1815.

During the 18th century a number of German speaking Anabaptists settled in the village of Montbautier. The villages of Saicourt and La Fuet were part of the parish of Tavannes-Chaindon until 1928. At that time Le Fuet and Bellelay went to the Tavannes parish while Saicourt became part of the Reconvilier parish. A Swiss Reformed chapel was built in Le Fuet in 1938.