Audaux

Audaux is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

Geography

Audaux is located some 18 km south of Orthez and 6 km north-west of Navarrenx. Access to the commune is by the D27 road from Bugnein in the south-east passing through the south of the commune and the village and continuing to Laàs in the west. The D427 branches off the D27 in the commune and goes to Castetbon in the north. The D947 highway passes through the north of the commune as it goes from Bastanès in the south-east to Orthez. Apart from the village there is the hamlet of Geup west of the village and Lacamoire in the north of the commune on the D947. The commune is mixed forest and farmland with most of the land area farmland.Google Maps
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The Gave d'Oloron forms all of the south-western border as it flows north-west to join the Gave de Pau forming the Gaves réunis at Peyrehorade. The ''Barthes'' forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the ''Gave d'Oloron''. The ''Ruisseau de Labaigt'' flows south through the centre of the commune and through ''Geap'' to join the ''Gave d'Oloron''. The ''Saleys'' river flows across the north of the commune from east to west and it continues north-west to join the ''Gave d'Oloron'' east of Saint-Pé-de-Léren.

Places and hamlets

* Andréou (ruins)
* Anglade
* Arées
* Aureyte (fountain)
* Baherle
* Bendéjac
* Camous
* Camp des Maures
* Capdeville
* Les Carrérasses
* Casenave
* Castet
* Coos
* Coustet
* L'Esquille
* Geup
* Hountet
* Hourpélat
* Hourquabillé
* Hourracq
* Laborde
* Lacamoire
* Lafouillère
* Lalanne
* Mirassou
* Le Moulin
* La Pépinière
* Perdigué
* Puyalou
* Saut
* Les Vignes

Géoportail
IGN

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

The commune name in béarnais is ''Audaus''. Michel Grosclaude proposed a possible etymology from an Aquitaine man's name ''Aldene'' with the suffix ''-os''.

The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Sources:
*Grosclaude: ''Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn'', 2006 Michel Grosclaude, ''Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn'', Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages,
*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
*Cassini:

Origins:
*Marca: Pierre de Marca, ''History of Béarn''.Pierre de Marca, ''History of Béarn''
*Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIVDuchesne Collection, volumes 99 to 114, containing the papers of Oihenart, former Imperial Librarian - Bibliothèque nationale de France
*Insinuations: Insinuations of the Diocese of OloronManuscripts from the 17th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 - Asson
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*Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Castetner: Notaries of CastetnerNotaries of Castetner - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Gassion: Enumeration of GassionManuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Camptort: Titles of CamptortTitles of Camptort in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Military: Military Inspection of BéarnManuscript from 1376 in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Enumeration: Enumeration of Audaux

History

Paul Raymond noted on page 16 of his 1863 dictionary that in 1385 the commune depended on the bailiwick of Navarrenx and had 84 fires. Audaux was dependent of the Marquis of Gassion.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

The commune is part of eight inter-communal structures:
* the Communauté de communes du Béarn des Gaves;
* the AEP association of Navarrenx;
* the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
* the association for promotion of Navarrenx;
* the association for schools in Gaveausset;
* the inter-communal association for sanitation Audaux - Bugnein 2 AB;
* the inter-communal association for the Gaves and the Saleys river;
* the joint oak forest association for the basque and bearnais valleys;

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 164 inhabitants.

Audaux has a very high proportion of non-permanent population (e.g. pupils in boarding schools): 31% (73 of 237) as of 2017.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017
INSEE This is due to the private boarding school of Sainte-Bernadette having 110 students boarding there.

Economy

Economic activity in the commune is mainly agricultural. The commune lies in the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and heritage

Since 1991 the village has held a rally of hot air balloons on the second weekend in July.

Civil heritage

The commune has one building that is registered as a historical monument:
*The Chateau of Audaux (1659). Since 1943 the chateau has belonged to the Foundation of Apprentices of Auteuil who have established a private scholastic institution called DSainte-Bernadette. Although it is a private castle, it can be visited with a historian guide during Heritage Day on the 2nd Sunday in September, on open days for the institution in late May, and during the "Castle Festival" in mid-July.

Facilities

Education

The commune has an elementary school as well as the private institution of Sainte-Bernadette which has a college, a professional school, and a masonry apprenticeship unit.Sainte-Bernadette School page on the ''Apprentices of Auteuil'' website

Notable people linked to the commune

*Isaac de Porthau, called Porthos, was a French military man born at Pau on 2 February 1617. He was the inspiration for Alexandre Dumas for the fictitious character ''Porthos'' in his novel ''The Three Musketeers''. He came from a Béarnais Protestant family originally from Audaux.

See also

*Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

External links

Audaux Commune website

Audaux on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Audaux'' on the 1750 Cassini Map

References

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Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques