![Localización del valle de Aezcoa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Localizaci%C3%B3n_del_valle_de_Aezcoa.svg)
Aezkoa Valley is an administrative unit of
Navarre,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. It is formed by several smaller municipalities:
Abaurregaina
Abaurregaina / Abaurrea Alta (''Abaurregaina'' is the Basque name, ''Abaurrea Alta'' its name in Spanish; both are recognised officially) is a municipality and inhabited locality situated in the province and autonomous community of Navarre (Spanis ...
,
Abaurrepea,
Aria
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
,
Aribe Aribe is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto ...
(seat of the Valley administration),
Garraioa,
Garralda,
Hiriberri
Hiriberri/Villanueva de Aezkoa is a town and municipality located in the north of Navarre. It belongs to the Valley of Aezkoa
Aezkoa Valley is an administrative unit of Navarre, Spain. It is formed by several smaller municipalities: Abaurregain ...
(town),
Orbaitzeta
Orbaizeta is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.
History
On 15–17 October 1794, the Battle of Orbaizeta was fought in the area. General Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey led the Frenc ...
and
Orbara
Orbara is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto ...
.
The valley has c. 1200 people inscribed as residents but only around 800 live there regularly.
Geography
Aezkoa valley encompasses the upper course of the
Irati river, a territory full of oak and beech woods (60% of the land). The more mountainous fraction of it is known as the
Irati Forest, that also extends into
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre ( eu, Nafarroa Beherea/Baxenabarre; Gascon/Bearnese: ''Navarra Baisha''; french: Basse-Navarre ; es, Baja Navarra) is a traditional region of the present-day French ''département'' of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It corresponds to the ...
. It has two natural reserves:
Mendilatz, in the Irati Forest, and
Truistuibartea. The upper Irati also has a reservoir known as
Irabia reservoir, in the midst of Irati Forest.
Other points of interest are the ruins of the weapons' manufacture of Orbaizeta. Orbaizeta also has an accommodation and used to have a camping but it is now out of business. There are several
megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
ic monuments in the mountains north of the valley, that are part of the Pyrenees. Best known, maybe because it's easy access, is the dolmen of Urkuilu mountain.
History
It is known that, before the consolidation of the
Kingdom of Navarre in the 9th century, there was already a community in the valley that possibly was participant in the famous
Battle of Roncevaux, not far away. The lineage of Abaurrea is the oldest one to be mentioned living in the valley.
Aezkoans also participated in the
Battle of Navas de Tolosa in 1212. King
Sancho the Wise
Sancho Garcés VI ( eu, Antso VI.a; 21 April 1132 - 27 June 1194), called the Wise ( eu, Jakituna, es, el Sabio) was King of Navarre from 1150 until his death in 1194. He was the first monarch to officially drop the title of ''King of Pamplona'' ...
improved the chart of the valley in 1229. In 1443 Aezkoa gained the control of its mountain passages. In 1462 the Valley gained collective
gentry
Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past.
Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies
''Gentry'', in its widest c ...
rights for all its inhabitants. Since then, all kings gave oath to respect the
chart of the valley until 1609.
After Navarre was annexed by
Castile, the valley suffered two persecutions for
witchery
Witchery is a Swedish blackened thrash metal band formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. The current lineup consists of guitarists Patrik Jensen and Rickard "Rille" Rimfält, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, vocalist Angus Norder, a ...
. In 1525, soon after the consolidation of the Spanish conquest, 9 neighbours were burnt at the stake and many others died in prison or suffered tortures. In 1575 6 women of the valley were brought to
Logroño
Logroño () is the capital of the province of La Rioja, situated in northern Spain. Traversed in its northern part by the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of passage, such as the Camino de Santiago. Its borders were disputed b ...
accused of
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...
, nothing was proven but 4 of them died because of the tortures.
In 1774, the valley suffered, together with other areas of northern Navarre, a massive epidemic that killed all its
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
. The
war of 1793-95 against France caused much destruction in the valley. It was in this period when the weapons' manufacture of Orbaizeta was built(1784–94), employing more than 50 workers and being able to manufacture up to 3600 bombs per year. This manufacture was also affected by the
Napoleonic
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
and
Carlist Wars in the 19th century.
In the 20th century the most important phenomenon is the rural exodus, caused by the crisis of the
cattle-herding sector, that reduced its population to only c.1000 inhabitants.
Basque language and dialect
The
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
sub-dialect of the valley, known as ''Aezkera'', belongs to the
High Navarrese
Upper Navarrese (sometimes called High Navarrese) is a dialect of the Basque language spoken in the Navarre ( eu, Nafarroa or ''Nafarroa Garaia'') community of Spain, as established by linguist Louis Lucien Bonaparte in his famous 1869 map. He a ...
dialect but it has strong influence from
Lower Navarrese and specially nearby subdialect of
Salazar Valley. It used to be a Basque-speaking valley before the
fascist coup of 1936, nowadays Basque-speakers are estimated to be around 40% of the inhabitants. Though the dialect is still alive, its situation is extremely delicate.
The vast majority of children go nowadays to Basque-speaking schools, which is helping to revive the traditional language of the valley.
References
External links
Aezkoa.net(in Spanish and Basque).
{{authority control
Municipalities in Navarre
Basque history
Basque language