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Baztan is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
from the Chartered Community 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, ...
, northern Spain. It is located from
Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...
, the capital of Navarre. It is the largest municipality in Navarre, with around 376.8 km2 and just over 8,000 inhabitants.


Settlements

The capital of the valley is Elizondo, and includes 15 other villages, as follows: * Amaiur-Maya * Aniz * Arraioz *
Almandoz Almandoz is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre, in Navarre province, Spain, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 184. Geography Almandoz is located 37km north of Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historica ...
*
Arizkun Arizkun is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre, Spain. Hamlets Arizkun is composed of the following hamlets: * Aintzinalde * Arizkun (main village) * Bozate * Ordoki * Pertalats See also * Cagot The ''Cagots'' () ...
*
Azpilkueta , settlement_type = village , image_skyline = Azpilikueta_ikuspegia.jpg , imagesize = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_size = , fla ...
*
Berroeta Berroeta is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links ...
*
Elbete Elbete (Spanish: ''Elvetea'') is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Fo ...
*
Erratzu Erratzu is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre, Spain. It lies on the NA-2600 which runs a few kilometres east to the border with France at Izpegi Pass The Izpegi Pass (french: Col d'Ispeguy, eu, Izpegiko Lepoa, es, P ...
*
Gartzain Gartzain is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre, in Navarre province, Spain, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 232. Geography Gartzain is located 50km north-northeast of Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), ...
*
Irurita Irurita is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links= ...
*
Lekaroz Lekaroz (Spanish: ''Lecároz'') is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako ...
*
Erratzu Erratzu is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre, Spain. It lies on the NA-2600 which runs a few kilometres east to the border with France at Izpegi Pass The Izpegi Pass (french: Col d'Ispeguy, eu, Izpegiko Lepoa, es, P ...
*
Oronoz-Mugairi Oronoz-Mugairi (Spanish: ''Oronoz-Mugaire'') is a village located in the municipality of Baztan, Navarre, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...
* Ziga


Geography

The territory of the Baztan valley extends over an area of 377 square km of which much is common land jointly owned by the residents of the Baztan valley and primarily used as grazing ground for flocks of sheep and herds of semi-wild horses. The Baztan Valley borders with the French Basque regions of Lapurdi and
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 ...
which is accessed by the
Izpegi Pass The Izpegi Pass (french: Col d'Ispeguy, eu, Izpegiko Lepoa, es, Puerto de Izpegui) is a 672 m high Pyrenean mountain pass located right on the border between Spain and France, linking the Baztan and Baigorri valleys in the Basque Country. ...
to the east of the valley and Dantxarinea to the north. This vicinity to France and its ties with its Basque neighbours has greatly characterised the history of the Baztan people over the past centuries. In 2013, there were 7,974 people living in the Baztan Valley with 3489 people living in the capital of Elizondo. :es:Baztán#Poblaci.C3.B3n y ordenaci.C3.B3n urbana The remaining population are spread out between the other 14 mountain villages (see above). The Baztan Valley is sparsely populated with small-scale pastoral farming making use of the verdant pastures along the banks of the Baztan river. Orchards of apple, quince, cherry, pear and peach trees are common and more recently kiwis have been planted in the area. The mountain slopes are densely covered with oak, chestnut, walnut, beech, and ash. The odd palm tree can sometimes be found in the grounds of the larger manor houses in the area and often belies family links to the Americas where many Baztan people have emigrated since the 16th century.


History


Viscounty (1025-1235)

Around 1025 the duke of
Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part ...
, Sancho VI William (son of Duke William II Sánchez and
Urraca Garcés Urraca (also spelled ''Hurraca'', ''Urracha'' and ''Hurracka'' in medieval Latin) is a female first name. In Spanish, the name means magpie, derived perhaps from Latin ''furax'', meaning "thievish", in reference to the magpie's tendency to collect ...
of Navarre, widow of Count Fernán González of Castile), gave part of the duchy to King Sancho III of Navarre. Sancho created a lordship for Ximen I Ochoaniz consisting of the Baztan Valley. His son Garcia Xemeniz became a viscount between 1055 and 1065, and his grandson Ximen I Garciez (
lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage ...
of Lizarra and the
Salazar Valley The Salazar Valley ( eu, Zaraitzu Ibarra, es, Valle de Salazar) is a valley in the east of the Foral Community of Navarre in Spain. It lies within the Merindad of Zangoza-Sangüesa and within that, the Comarca of Roncal-Salazar. The Sierra d ...
from 1051 to 1080) donated land to the monastery of Leire in exchange for a pardon for assassinating his nephew. When his siblings assassinated King Sancho IV of Navarre in 1076, they colluded with the bishops of
Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...
. The kings of Navarre were
Ramiro I of Aragon Ramiro I (bef. 10078 May 1063) was the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death, although he is sometimes described as a petty king. He would expand the nascent Kingdom of Aragon through his acquisition of territories, such as Sobrarbe and ...
and Navarre (Sancho III of Navarre's son, died 1065) and his successor Sancho Ramirez, known as Sancho V of Navarre and Aragon. These Navarrese-Aragonese kings ruled the thinly-populated Aragon with less military strength than Alfonso VI of Castile (1040–1109), a nephew of Ramiro I of Aragon. Viscount Ximen II's daughter, Maria, married Fortun Enneconis de Los Cameros in 1085. They had two sons: Ximen III Fortunez (Viscount of Baztan) in 1119 and Pedro I Fortunez, the following viscount. A son of Viscount Pedro II Pedriz of Baztan married around 1110 and had three sons: Sancho Pedriz de Baztan, Pedro Pedriz de Baztan and Ximen Pedriz de Baztan. At this time, the king of Navarre and Aragon was Sancho V Ramirez. His successor was his son by a second marriage to a French Nordic aristocrat, Félicia de Roucy:
Alfonso I of Aragon Alfonso I (''c''. 1073/10747 September 1134), called the Battler or the Warrior ( es, el Batallador), was King of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Pe ...
and Navarre (died 1134). Alfonso besieged
Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...
for nearly a year in 1131 before conquering it. His successor was Garcia IV Ramirez (died 1150). During the 1150s the fishing towns of the Gulf of Biscay between
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectu ...
and
Vigo Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it sits on the southern shore of an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, the ...
, between the
Duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...
and the new Iberian kingdom of Portugal (including the Basque Country), became trading hubs for iron, wool, gold, silver, glass, salt and leather. Garcia IV's grandson, Sancho VII of Navarre (died 1234), was succeeded by the
count of Champagne The count of Champagne was the ruler of the County of Champagne from 950 to 1316. Champagne evolved from the County of Troyes in the late eleventh century and Hugh I was the first to officially use the title count of Champagne. Count Theobald ...
, Theobald I of Navarre.


Champagne counts (1235–1305)

Theobald I of Navarre was succeeded by
Theobald II of Navarre Theobald II or ''Thibaud'', es, Teobaldo (6/7 December 1239 – 4/5 December 1270) was King of Navarre and also, as Theobald V, Count of Champagne and Brie, from 1253 until his death. He was the son and successor of Theobald I and the second N ...
(c. 1238 – December 4, 1270), who died childless. The Navarrese crown passed to his youngest brother,
Henry I of Navarre Henry the Fat (Basque: ''Henrike I.a, Gizena'', French: ''Henri le Gros'', Spanish: ''Enrique el Gordo'') (c. 1244 – 22 July 1274) was King of Navarre (as Henry I) and Count of Champagne and Brie (as Henry III) from 1270 until his death. E ...
(c. 1244 – 22 July 1274), who ruled for about three years.


Capet-Évreux dynasty (1348-1446)

Joanna II of Navarre (born 1312) married
Philip III of Navarre Philip III ( eu, Filipe, es, Felipe, french: Philippe; 27 March 1306 – 16 September 1343), called the Noble or the Wise, was King of Navarre from 1328 until his death. He was born a minor member of the French royal family but gained prominen ...
, who was killed in 1343. She died in 1349. France and Navarre were ''de facto'' independent kingdoms. Their eldest son was
Charles II of Navarre Charles II (10 October 1332 – 1 January 1387), called Charles the Bad, was King of Navarre 1349–1387 and Count of Évreux 1343–1387. Besides the Pyrenean Kingdom of Navarre, Charles had extensive lands in Normandy, inherited from his fathe ...
(1332–1387), who ruled for about 38 years. His heir was King
Charles III of Navarre Charles III (1361 – 8 September 1425), called the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1387 to his death and Count of Évreux from 1387 to 1404, when he exchanged it for the title Duke of Nemours. He spent his reign improving the infrastructure of ...
(died 1425), who also ruled also for about 38 years. His daughter was Queen
Blanche I of Navarre Blanche I (6 July 1387Anthony (1931) states that she was the fourth-born daughter of King Charles III of Navarre by Queen Eleanor, and she was preceded by Joan, Maria and Margaret and the two latter died early. Anthony defines Blanche's exact birt ...
, who ruled from 1425 to 1441.


Families

The Escors family, from
Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 Janu ...
, settled in the kingdom of Navarre in 1234 after the counts of Champagne inherited the throne. The family represented the kings of Navarre in governmental, financial and military affairs from the 13th to the 15th centuries. Nicolás Ambrosio de Garro y Arizcun, (Madrid, 1747 - Ibidem, 20 April 1825) became Marqués de las Hormazas in 1767. Juan de Goyeneche y Gastón, (Baztan, 1656 -
Nuevo Baztan Nuevo is the Spanish word for "new". It may refer to: * Nuevo, California, a town in the state of California * Nuevo (band), featuring singer and musician Peter Godwin * Nuevo (Bayamón), a settlement in Puerto Rico * "Nuevo", Spanish-language ver ...
,
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, April 1735) became the treasurer and financial adviser to the queen consorts of Spain around 1680, and provided war materiel to the Spanish Army for over 30 years. His palace in Madrid is now the
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF; ), located on the Calle de Alcalá in the heart of Madrid, currently functions as a museum and gallery. A public law corporation, it is integrated together with other Spanish royal acade ...
. Juan Francisco de Goyeneche Irigoyen was the Marqués de Ugena. Francisco Miguel de Goyeneche y Balzá, Conde de Saceda, received his title from King
Felipe V Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mona ...
on 17 December 1743. Miguel Gastón de Iriarte y Elizacoechea built the family palace in Irurita, Baztan. Agustín de Jáuregui y Aldecoa, (Lecaroz, Baztan, 1711 -
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
, 27 April 1784), was Royal Governor of Chile from 1772 to 1780 and Viceroy of Peru from 1780 to 1784. Martín de Ursúa Arizmendi y Aguirre, (Arizcun, Baztan, February 1653 -
Philippine Islands The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, 4 February 1715), Conde de Lizárraga, was governor of the Philippines from 25 August 1709 until his death.


Architecture

The large detached farmhouses which characterise the Baztan valley are built in typical Basque style with solid wooden frames and eaves and wooden balconies often decorated with geraniums. Distinctive pink sandstone is hewn from the quarries in the Baztan valley and blocks of it are used to outline the windows, doors and corners of the houses giving them a very distinctive quality. The Baztan style of architecture is strictly protected by numerous building regulations so that modern buildings in the area blend in harmoniously with the local Basque design. One of the oldest (although lesser publicised) routes of the Camino de Santiago ( Way of St. James) crosses the Baztan valley and runs along much of the valley floor through the villages of Urdax, Amaiur, Arizkun, Elizondo and Ziga and means that some structures in the area date back as far as the 10th century – with specific mention of the Monastery and Pilgrims Hospital in Urdax. However, the majority of the buildings in the area date back to the 17th and 18th centuries when there was a population explosion as many families, having made money in the Americas, returned home. Their new-found wealth was ploughed back into the local community giving rise to opulent churches, with specific reference to the impressive 17th century Herrerian-styled church in Ziga and into the huge manor houses, easily discerned by their four-way sloping roofs, intricately carved eaves and elaborate coats of arms.


Economy

Traditionally the Baztan Valley is made up of many small family farming units dedicated to pastoral farming and the raising of pigs, sheep and cows; the last two being raised for both their meat and milk. Small dairies in the area produce yoghurts and cheeses and the sheep's cheese of the area (a local version of the Domination of Origin Idiazabal cheese). Small-scaled enterprises in the Baztan Valley also produce chocolates, cakes, jams, cuts of meat, liqueurs and cider and there are several small saw mills and stone quarries. Given the natural resources of wood, stone and marble that are found in the valley, construction has also been a relatively large employer and traditionally much business has always been done with their French Basque neighbours over the border. Since around the year 2000 the gradual decline in farming activities has been replaced by small-scale rural tourism and many traditional farmhouses have been restored to make impressive rental properties and bed and breakfasts. There is a range of tourist services, including documented and sign-posted walks and the villages offer ethnographical museums and artists’ ateliers, watermills, equestrian centres and outdoor sports companies. The Baztan valley is well known throughout Spain although international tourism is only just starting to arrive.


Culture

The culture of the Baztan valley is quintessentially Basque and Euskera is the main language spoken at home. The majority of the Baztan children are schooled in Basque at local ''Ikastolas'' although the larger schools do offer the opportunity to be schooled in Spanish. In many of the ''Ikastolas'' Spanish is taught as a second language as well as English, which is sometimes allocated more teaching hours than Spanish. There are no universities in the Baztan valley and so many young students leave to study further afield in the larger cities of Pamplona or San Sebastian although their links with the valley remain strong with many young people seeking to return to the valley to settle down at a later age. In 2013 there were 473 more people living in the Baztan valley than in 2001. Each village has its own traditional fiestas and carnivals, many of them dating back to pagan times. These village fiestas and festivals still find a devoted following among the Baztan people where there is a strong sense of identity and a deep-seated loyalty for their Basque language and cultural roots. A clear example of this is the Sagar Dantza (apple dance) in Arizkun which is enacted each Shrove Tuesday. In 2012 Iñaki Elizalde launched his film `Baztan' at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The film was about the Agotes; a mysterious people of pariah status who lived in the hamlet of Bozate, near Arizkun. In 2013
Dolores Redondo Dolores Redondo Meira (born 1 February 1969) is a Spanish writer of noir novels, author of the ''Baztán Trilogy'', and winner of the 2016 Premio Planeta de Novela literary prize. Biography Dolores Redondo began studying for her law degree at ...
published the first of her crime fiction books of The Baztan Trilogy which were translated into over 20 languages.''The Invisible Guardian'', Dolores Redondo, 2013 The stories are situated in the Baztan Valley.


References


External links


CTV.esCode of Honour in the Baztan ValleyBaztan in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)

Guiapueblos.esBaztan Valley Tourist Board

Ayuntamiento de Baztan (in Basque)
*''Witchcraft'' investigated by the
Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ( es, Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition ( es, Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand ...
, (relatively well carried out quite lucidly by Alonso Salazar Frias, (circa 1564 - 1636), Alonso Salazar Frias, for those times compared with the whole of Europe, during the 17th century, 1610), was performed at Zugarramurdi caves, the Urdazabi or
Urdax Urdazubi/Urdax is a village and municipality located in the autonomous community of Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako ...
caves as well as in
Sara Sara may refer to: Arts, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui * ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda * ''Sara'' (2010 film), 2010 Sri Lankan Sinhal ...
, France, nearby. Out of some 300 people whose names have been recorded, males, females, girls and boys, there were some 12 comdened to the fire, mainly women. There is now a Museum of Witchcraft to remember this famous Court case, carried out at
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 ...
, Rioja, Spain. Night celebrations seem to be on August 18. *Gustav Henningsen, ''The Witches' Advocate: Basque Witchcraft and the Spanish Inquisition (1609–1614)'', Nevada, (1980). University of Nevada Press, November 1980, # 607pp. We have tracked also, however: Hardcover, Publishers Association, The, (0-87417-056-7) *Gustav Henningsen (ed.), ''The Salazar Documents: Inquisitor Alonso de Salazar Frías and Others on the Basque Witch Persecution'', Hardcover, Brill Academic Publ., (90-04-13186-8) Leiden: Brill, (2004). {{DEFAULTSORT:Baztan (Municipality) Municipalities in Navarre