The Lavedan (; in Gascon eth/lo Lavedan, /et/lu laβedã/), or occasionally vallées des Gaves, denotes a mountainous

natural region A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecology, ecological point of view, the naturally occurring fl ...

of France, located at the heart of the

Pyrénées The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

, and forms a group of valleys upstream 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 Château ...

. The Lavedan is historically part of the

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 o ...

province and of the county of

Bigorre Bigorre ({{IPA-fr, biɡɔʁ; Gascon: ''Bigòrra'') is a region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of t ...

. Today, it is situated in the

Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées (; Gascon/Occitan: ''Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus'' awts piɾeˈnɛʊs es, Altos Pirineos; ca, Alts Pirineus alts piɾiˈneʊs English: Upper Pyrenees) is a department in the region of Occitania, southwestern France. ...

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.

Etymology

The name "Lavedan" is documented under ancient forms: ''in pago Lavetanense'' (v. 860),Livre vert de Bénac. ''Levitanensis vicecomes'' (v. 980), ''vicecomites Levitanicæ vallis'' (v. 1060), ''Ramundus de Levitania'' (1095), ''homines Baredgie et Levitani'' (v. 1110), ''A. de Laueda'' (1114), ''Aramon Garsie de Lavedan'' (1283), ''terram de Lavedaa'' (1285). Il is made up of the Latin ''-etan, -itan'' suffix, typically present in names of iberian peoples. Le radical est Lau- / Leu-.

Geography

Topography

The Lavedan is made up of 7 valleys, which in the past formed relatively self-sufficient and autonomous entities (they were named under ''vath'', ''arribèra'' « valley » ou d'''estrem'' « excentred valley ») : ;La Vath Surguèra (prononcé 'Bat surguère') : A small valley on the left bank at the entrance of the Lavedan which groups the towns of Ségus,

Aspin-en-Lavedan Aspin-en-Lavedan (, literally ''Aspin in Lavedan''; oc, Aspin) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department An intentional community is a volunt ...

Ossen Ossen (; oc, Aussen) 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 ...

Omex Omex 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 of ...

Viger Viger may refer to: People There are a number of prominent Canadians with the surname Viger. This includes: * Amanda Viger (1845–1909), nun, pharmacist and hospital founder * André Viger (1952–2006), wheelchair marathoner and Paralympic * Bo ...

. ;L'estrem de Castèth-lobon (pronounced 'Casteth Loubou') or Castelloubon : which corresponds to the Néez basin, located on

Cheust Cheust 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 ...

and

Ourdis-Cotdoussan Ourdis-Cotdoussan is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.Loup dynastyDukes of Gascony
/ref>'' from which

dukes of Gascony The Duchy of Gascony or Duchy of Vasconia ( eu, Baskoniako dukerria; oc, ducat de Gasconha; french: duché de Gascogne, duché de Vasconie) was a duchy located in present-day southwestern France and northeastern Spain, an area encompassing the ...

and

counts of Bigorre The County of Bigorre was a small feudatory of the Duchy of Gascony in the ninth through 15th centuries. Its capital was Tarbes. The county was constituted out of the dowry of Faquilène, an Aquitainian princess, for her husband Donatus Lupus I ...

were born, at the beginning of the 10th century, the viscounts' residence until the beginning of the 11th century, it comprises the towns of

Juncalas Juncalas 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 ...

, Geu, Ger,

Lugagnan Lugagnan (; oc, Luganhan) 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 ha ...

, Saint-Créac (which today includes Antalos and Justous),

Ousté Ousté (; oc, Ostèr) 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 ...

Berbérust-Lias Berbérust-Lias is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to ...

Ourdis-Cotdoussan Ourdis-Cotdoussan is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.Germs-sur-l'Oussouet,

, Gazost,

Ourdon Ourdon (; oc, Ordon) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is design ...

. ;L'estrem de Sala ou Estrèm de Salles : Argelès (formerly ''Ourout'' and ''Vieuzac'', which became Argelès-Gazost in 1897),

Ayzac-Ost Ayzac-Ost is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department of southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a ...

, Agos-Vidalos,

Ouzous Ouzous 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 ...

, Salles, Sère-en-Lavedan, Gez. ;The

val d'Azun Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Sov ...

: constituted of the Arren and Estaing valleys as well as the Bergons and the right bank of the high valley of l'

Ouzoum The Ouzoum or Ouzom (/ uzũ /) is a left tributary of the Gave de Pau, in the Southwest of France, between the Génie longue and the Béez. It is long. It flows into the Gave in Nay, upstream from Pau. Name Historical graphies were oscilla ...

, comprises the villages of Arrens, Marsous, Aucun,

Gaillagos Gaillagos (; oc, Galhagòs) 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 t ...

, Arcizans-Dessus, Arras-en-Lavedan,

Sireix Sireix ( oc, Shirèish) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have ...

Bun A bun is a type of bread roll, typically filled with savory fillings (for example hamburger). A bun may also refer to a sweet cake in certain parts of the world. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, buns are most commonly round, and are ...

, Estaing, Arbéost, Ferrières (including Hougarou). ;Le Davant-Aiga (pronounces Dabant-Aygues = ''East of the waters'') : It correspond to the eastern bank of the

gave du Lavedan GAVE may refer to: * Gave (Melgaço), a parish in Portugal * Gave (placename element), a French word meaning ''torrential river'' in the west Pyrenees * Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a medical condition * Gabinete de Avaliação Educacio ...

and includes the towns of Préchac, Boô-Silhen (including Asmets), Saint-Pastous (including ''Senta-Maria''),

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 ...

Vier-Bordes Vier-Bordes 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 deg ...

, Artalens-Souin,

Beaucens Beaucens (Occitan: ''Biussens'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Beaucinois'' or ''Beaucinoises''. Geography Beaucens is located in ...

, Villelongue (including Ortiac). ;L'arribèra de Sent Savin ou Rivière de Saint-Savin : Saint-Savin, Lau-Balagnas,

Adast Adast is a village and commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and te ...

Pierrefitte-Nestalas Pierrefitte-Nestalas is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. Geography Pierrefitte-Nestalas is in the southern part of the Lavedan valley in the central French Pyrenees mountains. It is at the point of confluen ...

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 of ...

, Uz,

Cauterets Cauterets (; in Occitan ''Cautarés'', in Catalan ''Cautarés'', in Aragonese ''Cautarès'') is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department and the region of Occitanie in south-western France. Geography Cauterets ...

, Arcizans-Avant. ;The Barèja valley (French 'Barège') named «

Pays Toy In France, a ''pays'' () is an area whose inhabitants share common geographical, economic, cultural, or social interests, who have a right to enter into communal planning contracts under a law known as the Loi Pasqua or LOADT (''Loi d'Orientation ...

» :

Luz-Saint-Sauveur Luz-Saint-Sauveur (; oc, Lus e Sent Sauvaire) is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region of south-western France. It lies on the river B ...

, Sassis, Sazos,

Grust Grust 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 of ...

, Saligos,

Chèze Chèze (; oc, Shèsa) 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 hav ...

, Viscos, Vizos,

Esquièze-Sère Esquièze-Sère (; oc, Esquiesa e Cèra) 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 ...

Esterre Esterre (; oc, Estèrra) 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 h ...

, Viella,

Betpouey Betpouey is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. Geography The Petite Baïse forms part of the commune's southwestern border, then flows north through the middle of the commune. Population See also *Communes o ...

Barèges Barèges (; oc, Varètja, , in the Gascon dialect) is a communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées departments of France, department, administrative regions of France, administrative region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitan ...

Sers Sers may refer to: * Sers, Armenia * Sers, Charente, France * Sers, Hautes-Pyrénées, France * Sers, Tunisia SERS may refer to: * Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) * Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme The Selective En bloc Re ...

, Viey, Gèdre,

Gavarnie Gavarnie (; oc, Gavarnia) is a former commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, Southwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Gavarnie-Gèdre.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 ...

bassin, upstream from

namely with the valleys of the

Gave de Gavarnie GAVE may refer to: * Gave (Melgaço), a parish in Portugal * Gave (placename element), a French word meaning ''torrential river'' in the west Pyrenees * Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a medical condition * Gabinete de Avaliação Educaci ...

, the Gave de Cauterets and the Gave d'Azun.

Delimitation

The Lavedan communicates with the vallée de Campan (vallée de l'

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 ...

) by the

col du Tourmalet Col du Tourmalet (; elevation ) is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the French Pyrenees, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of th ...

and with the vallée d'Ossau by the cirque du Litor (east of

col d'Aubisque The Col d'Aubisque ( oc, Còth d'Aubisca) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine region of France.Chany, Pierre (1988), La Fabuleuse Histoire du T ...

; the left bank of the vallée de l'Ouzom is part of Ossau while the right bank is part of the

). It is separated from

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

by the

France–Spain border The France–Spain border (; ) was formally defined in 1659. It separates the two countries from Hendaye and Irun in the west, running through the Pyrenees to Cerbère and Portbou on the Mediterranean Sea. Features Main border The Franco-Spani ...

, traversable by numerous

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...

es.

Main sites

The main towns are

Argelès-Gazost Argelès-Gazost (; oc, Argelèrs de Gasòst) is a commune and a subprefecture of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. The Pyrénées Animal Park is located in Argelès-Gazost. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes ...

, Gèdre and

Gavarnie Gavarnie (; oc, Gavarnia) is a former commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, Southwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Gavarnie-Gèdre.Vignemale The Vignemale (; Occitan: ''Vinhamala'', Aragonese: ''Comachibosa'', Catalan: ''Vinyamala''), at 3,298 metres, is the highest of the French Pyrenean summits (the highest in the whole of the range is Pic d'Aneto). It lies on the border between ...

Pic de Néouvielle Pic de Néouvielle (3,091 m) is a mountain in the Néouvielle massif in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Saint-Lary-Soulan within the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées, and lies on the border between the Pyrenees National ...

(''Neuvielha'') *

Cirque de Gavarnie __NOTOC__ The Cirque de Gavarnie is a cirque in the central Pyrenees, in Southwestern France, close to the border of Spain. It is within the commune of Gavarnie, the department of Hautes-Pyrénées, and the Pyrénées National Park. Major feat ...

Lac de Gaube Gaube Lake (in French: ''Lac de Gaube'') is a lake in the French Pyrenees, in the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées, near the town of Cauterets. Name The lake's name is tautological, in that ''gaube'' in the Gascon language means "lake ...

Pont d'Espagne Pont d'Espagne is a stone-built bridge that spans the Gave de Marcadau at the point where it meets the Gave de Gaube, near one of its sources high in the French Pyrenees. It is a protected area of the Pyrénées in the Pyrénées National Park. T ...

Notes and references

{{Authority control Pyrenees Valleys of France Landforms of Hautes-Pyrénées