Beaucens (

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

: ''Biussens'') is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the

Occitanie Occitanie may refer to: *Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French *Occitania (administrative region) Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...

region of south-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Beaucinois'' or ''Beaucinoises''.

Geography

Beaucens is located in the

Pyrénées National Park Pyrénées National Park (french: Parc national des Pyrénées) is a French national park located within the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.Le Parc national des Pyrénées (2014). Le Parc national des Pyrénées, un � ...

some 10 km south of

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...

and 30 km south of

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre and of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as ''Turba ...

. Access to the commune is by the D913 from Préchac in the north which passes through the west of the commune and the village and continues south to join the D921 south-east of

Soulom Soulom is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree o ...

. The D13 goes north from the village to

Ayros-Arbouix Ayros-Arbouix (; oc, Airòs e Arboish) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aybouisois'' or ''Aybouisoises''. Geography Ayros-Arbouix i ...

. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Vielle, Gézat, and Nouillan. Most of the commune is rugged and inaccessible with some farmland in the west and forests south-east of the village. The

Hautacam Hautacam is a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, in the Midi-Pyrénées region. In road bicycle racing, the ascent to Hautacam is known as a tough climb, which is used occasionally in the Tour de Fra ...

Ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

is located in the centre of the commune The ''Gave du Pau Ou du Lavedan'' flows through the west of the commune from south to north forming the ''Lac des Gaves'' before continuing north to become the

Gave de Pau The Gave de Pau () is a river of south-western France. It takes its name from the city of Pau, through which it flows. The river is long ( including the Gaves réunis), and its source is at the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees mountains. The ...

north of the commune. The ''Ruisseau des Bariquėres'' rises in the west of the commune and flows east to join the Gave du Pau Ou du Lavedan west of the village. The ''Ruisseau d'Estibos'' rises in the east of the commune and forms part of the north-eastern border before continuing west to join the Gave du Pau Ou du Lavedan. The ''Ruisseau d'Isaby'' flows east from the Lac d'Isaby forming part of the south-eastern border of the commune as it flows south-west to join the ''Gave de Gavarnie Ou de Pau'' at

. The commune is bordered by eight other communes (see table).

Toponymy

;Historical names: *''Belsen'', (around 870, Livre vert de Bénac, around 980, ibid;. 1050–1070, Cartulary of Saint-Savin; 1168, Papal bull of Pope Alexander III). *''Beusen'', (1285, Montre Bigorre; 1300, Enquête Bigorre; 1313 ''Debita regi'' Navarre;). *''de Beucennio'', Latin (1379 procuration of

). *''Beucen, Beussen, Beusen'' (1429 Censier de Bigorre). *''Beaussen, Beaucen'', (1614, Guillaume Mauran). *''Beaucen en Lavedan'', (1737-1779, parish records). *''Beucen'', (1768, Duco). *''Beaucen'', (1790, Department 1 and 2). Beaucens appears as ''Beaucen'' on the 1750

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 ...

and the same on the 1790 version.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 409 inhabitants. Château de Beaucens - Donjon des aigles 2013

Culture and heritage

Condor des andes - Vultur gryphus- Château de Beaucens-002

Civil heritage

The commune has two buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments: *The Manor of Cohitte (1692) *The Chateau of Beaucens (ruins) (14th century) is a former castle of the Viscounts of Lavedan. The site was transformed into a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

, the ''Keep of Eagles'', where there are

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...

flying around the ruins of the castle with a view of the Gaves valley.

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint Vincent contains two items that are registered as historical objects: *An

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

table (12th century) *The Notre-Dame-de-Bedouret Statue (14th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

References

{{authority control Communes of Hautes-Pyrénées