Aldudes (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France. It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aldulais'' or ''Aldudar''.

Geography

Location

The village Aldudes is part of ''Le

Pays Quint ''Quinto Real'' (French: ''Pays Quint'', Basque: ''Kintoa'') is a Spanish territory with exclusive rights of use by France on the border between the two countries, in the Pyrenees mountains, in northeastern Navarre. Places Toponymy For the arc ...

'' (''Kintoa'' in Basque or ''Quinto Real'' in Spanish). The commune is an area of pasture belonging to Spain but cultivated by French farmers. It is located in the Aldudes valley on the banks of the Nive des Aldudes in the Basque province of Lower Navarre. It is on the Spanish border some 20 km southwest of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port although it can not be directly accessed from there.

Access

Access is by the D948 road from Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry in the north, which passes through the village then continues south to Urepel. The D58 road goes from the village through the length of the commune before continuing to Spain through Urepel commune. The Spanish border of

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

forms the southwestern and northeastern borders of the commune.Google Maps
/ref>

Hydrography

Located in the watershed of the

Adour The Adour (; eu, Aturri; oc, Ador) is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High-Bigorre (Pyrenees), in the commune of Aspin-Aure, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay) near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost ca. i ...

, Aldudes is traversed by the Nive d'Aldudes with its many tributaries, such as the Urbeltch Labiaringo erreka, the Aktieltako erreka, and numerous unnamed streams. Paul Raymond mentioned the ''Autrin'', a stream which rises in Aldudes and joins the Nive des Aldudes.

Localities and hamlets

* Abanjo * Abrakou * Achtieta * Aguerréa * Ahadilépo * Alachontro * Alamontcho * Alasta * Alastagaraya * Ametzlépo * Antonénéa * Aranbelea * Arrokia * Asketa * Atabala * Aucho * Autrin * Auzkia * Barbachuri * Baztanchuria * Behorsubuztan * Berha * Bidartea * Chabadinénéa * Chalosa * Chekalebeherea * Chekalegaraya * Chiloénéa * Chotro * Chotroenborda * Domingoénéa * Egnauténéa * Elgartéa * Elhocady * Elichaga * Erremedio * Errienta * Esnazu (or Eznazu, or ''Esnaratsu'' on the

Cassini Map The Cassini Map or Academy's Map is the first topographic and geometric map made of the Kingdom of France as a whole. It was compiled by the Cassini family, mainly César-François Cassini (Cassini III) and his son Jean-Dominique Cassini (Ca ...

) * Etcheberria * Etchemendia * Ferranjagaraya * Hachketa * Haritzchilo * Harribeltzia * Iguxkagerrea (or Iguchkaguerrea) * Joanessénéa * Joangnakei * Koche * Koskartéa * Koskarteko Borda * Koskorziloa * Landart * Lechaka * Lekuederra (or Lekuederrea) * Col de Lepeder * Luichénéa * Mahatcheta * Makurea * Manechuna * Marquitchaénéa * Martinénéa * Mate * Meharroztegui (Pass, 738m)) * Menementa * Miguelartzaina * Miguelénéa * Munichta * Munichtagaraya * Murruoin * Nobléa * Oliopitchar * Otsachar * Ohhanburua * Otsanhaitz * Oyhanzelhaya * Paratzelhaï * Patchiko * Pilaria * Pocomotzénéa * Poko * Le Pont Romain * Predotinéa * Premundoa * Pritchia * Sabina * Salaria * Sallaberria * Sarahandia * Sarahandiko Ithurria * Sarkindéa * Semeder * Soldadoénéa * Ttattola * Turrieta * Uhaldéa * Urrichka * Zelhaybeguia Géoportail
IGN

Toponymy

The name of the commune in Basque is ''Aldude''. Aldudes was also the name given to the entire valley bordering the Baigorry Valley and the Spanish border. Jean-Baptiste Orpustan proposes the construction ''ald(a)-uhide'' meaning "the path beside the water". According to Ernest Nègre however, the name ''Aldudes'' is a contraction of the basque ''Aldubide'' meaning "way to the summits" from the root ''aldu'' meaning "heights" and ''bide'' meaning "way".Ernest Nègre, ''General Toponymy of France'', Librairie Droz, 1990, , No. 19228 The romanisation into ''Aldudes'' is actually a plural. The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Sources: *Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
'' New Basque Toponymy''
ref name="Orpustan">Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
''New Basque Toponymy''
Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, *Mérimée: Ministry of Culture Mérimée database: Presentation of the Commune ), * Raymond:''
''Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees''
1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. ''Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees''
Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011 Origins: Camara: Titles of Camara de ComptosTitles published by don José Yanguas y Miranda - ''Diccionario de Antiguedades del reino de Navarra'', 1840, Pamplona

History

The commune originated in the 16th century when young noblemen of the Baigory family founded the village which, by the ancient Basque succession rule, reserved the legacy of the family

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

exclusively to the eldest child. The parish was established in 1793.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

The commune of Aldudes participates in five intercommunal organisations: *the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque *the intercommunal association for the development and management of the slaughterhouse of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port *the joint association of the watershed of the Nive *the association to support Basque culture *the energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Population

Economy

A fish farm is active on the road to Urepel.

Basque pig The or Basque, french: Pie Noir du Pays Basque, italic=no, is a breed of pig native to the Basque Country. As suggested by its name in French, the breed is piebald, black and pink. What is today called the Basque pig is one of several historic ...

breeding is an activity in full revival in the Aldudes valley, under the leadership of the Technical Institute of Pork (ITP). The commune hosts the ''Ets Pierre Oteiza'' company (gourmet pork products) which is one of the fifty top agribusinesses in the department. It is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and heritage

Languages

According to the ''Map of the Seven Basque Provinces'', published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, the dialect of Basque spoken in Aldudes is western

Lower Navarrese dialect Navarro-Labourdin or Navarro-Lapurdian ( eu, nafar-lapurtera) is a Basque dialect spoken in the Lower Navarre and Labourd (Lapurdi) former provinces of the French Basque Country (in the Pyrénées Atlantiques ''département''). It consists of t ...

Laxoa

In 1952 the square in front of the church and the town hall was converted into a playing field for "laxoa". This ancient game of

basque pelote Basque pelota (Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronton ...

is played with leather gloves. At the entrance porch of the church is the target for the game.

Civil heritage

The commune contains a number of sites that are registered as historical monuments: *Houses and Farms (18th-19th century) *The Menementa Farm (1827)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée *The Iguxkagerrea Farm (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée *The Joalginenborda Farm (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée ;Other sites of interest *Cromlechs: There are three Harrespils on the Argibel site. These are great circles of stone or " menhirs" for funerary purposes, dated from the 1st millennium BC. The Harrespil are notable due to their number (over 100 registered) and their witness to knowledge of ancient burial rites.

Religious Heritage

The commune has two religious sites that are registered as historical monuments: *The Chapel of the Assumption'' (1868) at a place called Eznazu has been listed on the Inventory of cultural heritage since 21 March 2003.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée It contains a Retable and Statues (17th century) which are registered as historical objects. *The Parish Church of Notre-Dame (17th century) has a rosary which belonged to the Emperor Maximilian. ;Other religious sites of interest *Some Hilarri in the cemetery are from the 19th century - two from 1805.

Environmental heritage

*Palombière is the property of the association of the Baigorry Valley. This hunt at 500 metres above sea level was created in 1840 by the mayor of the town, Charles Schmarsow. Reorganized in 1880, it then passed into the hands of the Ospital family who still lead the hunt. The five Filetiers use five ''pantières'' or special nets and ten beaters to direct the pigeons to the nets.

Picture Gallery

File:Aldudes1.JPG, Church of Aldudes File:Esnazu.Iglesia.JPG, The Church File:Banca1.JPG, The Bank File:Saint Etienne de Baïgorry Salaisons.jpg, Salting along the Nive File:Saint Etienne de Baïgorry Nive Barrage.jpg, The Weir on the Nive File:Saint Etienne de Baïgorry Pont Romain (3).jpg, The Roman bridge on the Nive File:Saint Etienne de Baïgorry Pont Romain (1).jpg, The Roman Bridge File:Saint Etienne de Baïgorry Pont Romain (4).jpg, The Roman Bridge File:Urepel Nive des Alduldes2.jpg, The Urepel Bridge over the Nive File:Urepel Nive des Alduldes1.jpg, The Urepel Bridge File:Urepel Vallée.jpg, The Urepel Valley File:Porc basque elevage.JPG, A

farm File:Alduides.JPG, The War Memorial

Facilities

Education

The commune has a private primary school (Mendi-Alde).

Notable People linked to the commune

*Georges Lacombe, born 31 January 1879 in Orthez and died July 1947 in Paris, was a linguist, bascologuue, and Basque French academic. On the eve of the First World War he prepared, with the help of Dr. Jean Etchepare,Centenario de Euskaltzaleen Biltzarra
/ref> a doctorate in Letters on the Aldudes dialect. *Bernard Delhom, born in 1885 in Aldudes, was the oldest man in France from 30 December 1995 to 7 February 1996 when he died in Paris at the age of 110 years and 213 days * Jean-Baptiste Urrutia, born in 1901 at Aldudes and died in Montbeton, was a missionary in Indochina and Bishop of Huế during the Indochina War and the Vietnam War

Notes

References

External links

Aldude in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia
(Euskomedia Fundazioa)

{{authority control Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Lower Navarre