| Perrefitte | ||||||||||
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| Population | 480 (Dec 2010)[1] | |||||||||
| - Density | 55 /km2 (143 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| Area | 8.57 km2 (3.31 sq mi)[2] | |||||||||
| Elevation | 600 m (1,969 ft) | |||||||||
| Postal code | 2742 | |||||||||
| SFOS number | 0701 | |||||||||
| Surrounded by | Moutier, Champoz, Souboz, Soulce | |||||||||
| Website | Perrefitte.ch SFSO statistics |
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Perrefitte
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Map of Perrefitte
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Perrefitte is a municipality in the administrative district of Jura bernois in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (Jura Bernois).Its old German names Beffert and Pfeffert are no longer in use today.
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Perrefitte has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 480.[1] As of 2007[update], 13.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -6%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks French (84.2%), with German being second most common ( 9.2%) and Italian being third ( 2.9%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SPS which received 35.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (33.4%), the FDP (12.4%) and the CSP (8%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 22.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.6%. In Perrefitte about 69.5% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).[3]
The historical population is given in the following table:[4]
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1755 | 81 |
| 1850 | 236 |
| 1900 | 419 |
| 1950 | 403 |
| 1970 | 569 |
| 2000 | 476 |
Perrefitte is located at 600 meters of altitude. This old agricultural village lies 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Moutier, in the chain of the Jura Mountains, on the left bank of the Chalière brook, which merges into the Birse river in Moutier. It is the western part of the Grand Val (valley of Moutier). In the southern area Combe Fabet, a kind of small throat has formed a secondary valley, from where the Chalière flows down. The Moron mountain marks the southern border of the community, rising to 1,140 meters (3,740 ft) of altitude. To the North, the communal territory extends to the chain from Mountain of Moutier, which constitutes the highest point of Perrefitte with its height of 1,158 m (3,799 ft).
The bordering communities are Moutier, Champoz and Souboz in canton of Bern, and Soulce in canton of Jura
Perrefitte has an area of 8.6 km2 (3.3 sq mi). Of this area, 29.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 66.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.5%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[3]
The first written mention of the village goes back to 1295 under the name of Pierefite.[4] In 1321 appears the Perefiten terminology, then followed by Pierefetteau, and in 1548 Pierrefette. This name is derived from the Latin “petra ficta”. The village remains incorporated to the Moutier-Grandval community until the end of the XVIIIe century. From 1797 to 1815, Perrefitte belongs to France, within the French Department of Mont-Terrible. As from 1800, it becomes a part of the Haut-Rhin Department, to which the department of Mont-Terrible was attached.
By decision of the congress of Vienna, the territory of the old Basel diocese was allotted to canton of Bern, in 1815.
Perrefitte was characterized for a long time by agriculture. Then, following the industrialization of Moutier, some small companies were established along the Chalière, at the border of Moutier. Within the last decades the village was transformed into a quiet residential area. Now, many of its inhabitants work in nearby Moutier or commute even much further.
Perrefitte has an unemployment rate of 1%. As of 2005[update], there were 31 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 9 businesses involved in this sector. 17 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 9 businesses in this sector. 41 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 15 businesses in this sector.[3]
The community lies along the cantonal road which connects Moutier with Bellelay via Souboz. Soon, with the finalization of the "transjura" motorway A16, which shall connect the Swiss motorway network with that of France, Perrefitte shall obtain a fast access to the other areas.
Over the past years, Perrefitte has become, during one weekend, the Swiss capital of the VTT, when the races of SwissPowerCup and Bike Cup Watch Valley proceed through the splendid landscapes of the mountains of the Jura.
The gastronomic guide Gault-Millau mentions a restaurant in Perrefitte: the Restaurant de l’Etoile (13 points out of 20 in the guide 2005) Site of the Restaurant