The Salazar Valley ( eu, Zaraitzu Ibarra, es, Valle de Salazar) is a valley in the east of the

Foral 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, ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It lies within the Merindad of Zangoza-Sangüesa and within that, the Comarca of Roncal-Salazar. The Sierra de Abodi, part of the Western

Pyrenees 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 ...

, forms the natural boundary in the north. There is a

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 North ...

in Abodi.

Etymology

The first mention of the name was in documents of the

Monastery of Leire The Monastery of San Salvador of Leyre ( eu, Leireko San Salbatore monasterioa; es, Monasterio de San Salvador de Leire) is a religious complex to the south of the Sierra of Leyre, in northern Navarre, Spain, representing one of the most importa ...

, with the denomination of ''Sarasazo'' (924). Later ''Sarasazu'' (1055), ''Sarasaz'' (1111 and 1469), ''Sarasaitz'' (1205) especially in texts written in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

. Zaraitzu seems to derivate from an older form: ''Sarasaitzu''. The Castilian official denomination began being used widely in the 17th century probably influenced by the ''Salazar'' surname, famous in the Nobility of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

. In fact ''Salazar'' is not a common surname in Navarre, but it is very common in the west of the

Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...

, which indicates its origins.

Zaraitzu Basque

The local Basque language dialect was the

Salazarese Salazarese (locally ''Zaraitzuko uskara'') is the Basque dialect of the Salazar Valley of Navarre, Spain. In English it is also known as Zaraitzu Basque, the Zaraitzu dialect or Salazar dialect; in Spanish as ''salacenco'' and in Basque as ''Zar ...

, although nowadays Spanish among the elder population and Spanish and

Euskara Batua Standard Basque ( eu, euskara batua or simply ''batua'') is a standardised version of the Basque language, developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s, which nowadays is the most widely and commonly spoken Basque-language version ...

between younger generations is spoken. However, the last publications of works about the Basque of Zaraitzu (dictionary, learning method, text collection and oral recordings) and some courses of this dialect in the valley have been addressed to the local population in order to maintain it to some extent.

Municipalities

The traditional names of the towns are in brackets. * Uscarrés (Uskartze) *

Esparza de Salazar Esparza is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...

(Espartza Zaraitzu/Esparza) * Ezcároz (Ezkaroze) * Gallués (Galoze) * Güesa (Gorza) * Ibilcieta (Ibiltzieta/Ibizta) * Iciz (Izize) * Igal (Igari) * Izal (Itzalle) * Izalzu (Itzaltzu) * Ochagavía (Otsagabia/Otsagi) * Oronz (Orontze) * Sarriés (Sartze) *

Jaurrieta Jaurrieta or Eaurta is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_ ...

(Eaurta)

Demographics

References

External links

Salazar Valley site
Valleys of Spain Comarcas of Navarre Landforms of Navarre {{navarre-geo-stub