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 ...

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlant ...

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by ...

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 ...

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

Irun Irun ( es, Irún, eu, Irun) is a town of the Bidasoaldea region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. History It lies on the foundations of the ancient Oiasso, cited as a Roman-Vasconic town. During the Span ...

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; eu, Donibane Lohitzune,Donibane Lohitzune
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

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 ...

Larrun Larrun (modern French: ''La Rhune'', IPA: a'run - 'good pasture', possibly a folk etymology, in French until the 20th century: ''Larhune'' ) is a mountain (905 m) at the western end of the Pyrenees. It is located on the border of France and Spa ...

Urrugne Urrugne (; eu, Urruña)URRUÑA
Sare. The D918 also comes from

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; eu, Donibane Lohitzune,Donibane Lohitzune
Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle (, literally ''Saint-Pée on Nivelle''; eu, Senpere)SENPERE

Google Maps
/ref> The summit of

Larrun Larrun (modern French: ''La Rhune'', IPA: a'run - 'good pasture', possibly a folk etymology, in French until the 20th century: ''Larhune'' ) is a mountain (905 m) at the western end of the Pyrenees. It is located on the border of France and Spa ...

, a mountain iconic of the Basque country, is situated approximately south of the town at the southern tip of the commune on the border with Spain. The summit can be reached by the

Petit train de la Rhune The Petit train de la Rhune or (in Basque) Larrungo tren ttipia is a metre gauge rack railway in France at the western end of the Pyrenees, in the Basque Country. It links the Col de Saint-Ignace, some to the east of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to the s ...

, which commences from the Col de Saint-Ignace, to the east of the town outside the commune on the D4 road to Sare. The Interurban Network of Pyrénées-Atlantiques bus line has two stops in the commune: one for Route 863 which runs from Hasparren to Saint-Jean-de-Luz; and Route 858 between Sare and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The

Nivelle Nivelle () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department * Nivelle Offensive The Nivelle offensive (16 April – 9 May 1917) was a Franco-British operation on the Western Front ...

river flows through the north of the commune flowing towards the west parallel to the D918 on its way to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Several tributaries rise in the south of the commune and flow north, gathering many more tributaries, into the Nivelle. These streams include the Aniberreko Erreka, the Galardiko Erreka, and the Arraioko Erreka. The Larrunko Erreka forms the south-western border of the commune as it flows north then west to join the Intsolako Erreka which continues north to join the Aniberreko Erreka.

Places and hamlets

* Aïra-Harri * Aldagarai * Ansorlua * Apituxenborda * Arginenia * Arraioa * Askubea * Biscarzoun or Bizkarzun (redoubt) * Bordatxoenia * Dorria * Errotenea * Esnaur (redoubt) * Etxegaraia * Hiriburua * Ihizelaia * Indartea * Jauregikoborda * Kisu Labea * Lanzelai (ZA) * Larrunzola * Lur Eder * Manttobaita * Martinhaurrenborda * Miramar * Monségur * Morzelai * Muga * Nausienborda * Oihanetxeberria * Paxkulinenea * Portua *

Larrun Larrun (modern French: ''La Rhune'', IPA: a'run - 'good pasture', possibly a folk etymology, in French until the 20th century: ''Larhune'' ) is a mountain (905 m) at the western end of the Pyrenees. It is located on the border of France and Spa ...

* Sabadinenborda * Sainte-Hélène * Serres * Telleriaberria * Xakarroko Errota * Xeruenborda * Xorroetaberria * Xuanenborda * Zelaia * Zelaiakoborda Ascain Chalet basque

Géoportail

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

Toponymy

The commune name in basque is ''Azkaine''. The name ''Ascain'' probably comes from ''haitz gain'' meaning "top of the hill" or "rocky height". Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, ''Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques'', 2009, Archives and Culture, The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Sources: *Goyheneche: Eugène Goyheneche, ''Basque Country: Soule, Labourd, Basse-Navarre''Eugène Goyheneche, ''Basque Country: Soule, Labourd, Basse-Navarre'', Société nouvelle d'éditions régionales et de diffusion, Pau, 1979, bnf FRBNF34647711, p. 583 *

Raymond Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

:''
''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 *Lhande: Basque-French Dictionary by

Pierre Lhande Pierre Lhande Heguy ( eu, Pierre Allande Hegi) was a French writer. He was born in Bayonne, France on 9 July 1877 and died 17 April 1957 in Tardets, Soule; for unknown reasons he was given his grandfather's surname, Lhande, as opposed to his fa ...

.

Pierre Lhande Pierre Lhande Heguy ( eu, Pierre Allande Hegi) was a French writer. He was born in Bayonne, France on 9 July 1877 and died 17 April 1957 in Tardets, Soule; for unknown reasons he was given his grandfather's surname, Lhande, as opposed to his fa ...

, Dictionnaire basque-français, 1926. *Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
'' New Basque Toponymy''
ref name="Orpustan">Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
''New Basque Toponymy''
Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, Origins: *Bayonne:

Cartulary A cartulary or chartulary (; Latin: ''cartularium'' or ''chartularium''), also called ''pancarta'' or ''codex diplomaticus'', is a medieval manuscript volume or roll (''rotulus'') containing transcriptions of original documents relating to the fo ...

of Bayonne or ''Livre d'Or'' (Book of Gold)Manuscript from the 14th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Chapter: Titles of the Chapter of BayonneChapter of Bayonne in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Labourd: Titles of LabourdTitles of Labourd in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Collations: Collations of the

Diocese of Bayonne The Diocese of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron, commonly Diocese of Bayonne, (Latin: ''Dioecesis Baionensis, Lascurrensis et Oloronensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Bayonne, Lescar et Oloron''; Basque: ''Baionako, Leskarreko eta Oloroeko elizbarrutia'') ...

Manuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques

History

In 1609 Councillor

Pierre de Lancre Pierre de Rosteguy de Lancre or Pierre de l'Ancre, Lord of De Lancre (1553–1631), was the French judge of Bordeaux who conducted the massive Labourd witch-hunt of 1609. In 1582 he was named judge in Bordeaux, and in 1608 King Henry IV commande ...

intervened in

French Basque Country The French Basque Country, or Northern Basque Country ( eu, Iparralde (), french: Pays basque, es, País Vasco francés) is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitu ...

at the head of a commission of inquiry demanded by

Henri IV Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

. The commission was to "purge the country of all sorcerers and sorceresses under the influence of demons". The priest of Ascain was degraded then burned. The

Bishop of Bayonne The Diocese of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron, commonly Diocese of Bayonne, (Latin: ''Dioecesis Baionensis, Lascurrensis et Oloronensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Bayonne, Lescar et Oloron''; Basque: ''Baionako, Leskarreko eta Oloroeko elizbarrutia'') ...

, Jean VI de Sossiondo, built a large house called "Askunda" here during the middle of the 16th century, which can still be seen. In 1794, at the height of

The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...

and after the desertion of 47 young people from Itxassou, the Committee of Public Safety (Decree of 13 Ventôse Year II - 3 March 1794) arrested and deported some of the men, women, and children from Ainhoa, Ascain,

Espelette Espelette (; ; oc, Espeleta) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies in the traditional Basque province of Labourd. Sights The town is attractive, with traditional Labourd houses and a castle. Th ...

,

Itxassou Itxassou (; Basque ''Itsasu'')ITSASU
Sare, and

Souraïde Souraïde (; eu, Zuraide)ZURAIDE

Biriatou, Cambo,

Larressore Larressore (; eu, Larresoro)LARRESORO

,

Louhossoa Louhossoa (; eu, Luhuso)LUHUSO
Mendionde Mendionde (Basque ''Lekorne'')LEKORNE
Macaye Macaye (; eu, Makea)MAKEA

. The inhabitants were: "gathered in various national houses or in the District of

Ustaritz Ustaritz (; eu, Uztaritze) is a town in the traditional French Basque Country, Basque province of Labourd, now a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department, southwestern France. It is located on ...

or in those of the ''Grande Redoubt'', such as

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

". In reality they were gathered in the churches then deported in very precarious conditions to Bayonne, Capbreton,

Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse (; Gascon: ''Sent Vincenç de Tiròssa'') is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Landes department The following is a list of the 3 ...

, and

Ondres Ondres () is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is only two miles from the nearest beach (Ondres plage), which is well known for being a good surfing spot. Population Culture Ondres is the home ...

. Departments where people from the communes were interned were Lot,

Lot-et-Garonne Lot-et-Garonne (, oc, Òlt e Garona) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the rivers Lot and Garonne, it had a population of 331,271 in 2019.Gers, Landes, Basses-Pyrénées (the Béarnais part), and Hautes-Pyrénées. The return of the exiles and the recovery of their properties were determined by a series of decrees issued on 29 September and 1 October 1794 - driven in this direction by the Director of Ustaritz: "The former communes of Sare, Itxassou, Ascain, Biriatou, and Serres, whose inhabitants have been interned for eight months as a measure of general security people have not been able to farm. The people who wish to obtain freedom to retire to their homes are clamouring for food without us being able to provide them with the means to fulfil this first human need, hunger". The recovery of property was not done without difficulty: their properties had been sequestered but were not registered and so were looted: "Movable and immovable property of the inhabitants of Sare, were neither legally recognized nor disclosed; all our furniture and household effects were removed and brought confusedly to neighbouring communes. Instead of putting them in safe places, some were sold at auction or to any other party without auction".

Heraldry

These arms were registered for the first time on 5 July 1405 by Juan Martinez de Agorreta y Ascain, Lord of Agorreta and Ascain, who married Princess Leonor Tocco de Acciaioli, from the Florence House of Acciaioli.the History page on the commune website

Administration

List of Successive Mayors Ascain Mairie

Moulin à Ascain - Fonds Ancely - B315556101 A JACOTTET 3 007

; Mayors from 1941

Inter-communality

The commune is part of eight inter-communal structures: * the

Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque The communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque ( eu, Euskal Hirigune Elkargoa), is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the cities of Bayonne and Biarritz. It is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques depa ...

; * the AEP association of Nive Nivelle; * the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; * the inter-communal association for secondary educational colleges of Saint-Jean-de-Luz; * the inter-communal association for the rescue centre in Saint-Jean-de-Luz; * the SIED Côte Basque Sud; * the association to support Basque culture. * the Basque Bayonne - San Sebastián Eurocity.

Twinning

Ascain has twinning associations with: *

Bollendorf Bollendorf is a German municipality in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, located on the left bank of the Sauer river, opposite the Luxembourgish town of Bollendorf-Pont Bollendorf-Pont (, ) is a village in the commune of Berdorf, in easte ...

(Germany) since 1979. *

Lesaka Lesaka is a town and municipality in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, in Spain. It is situated in the merindad of Iruña, in the region of Bortziriak (Five Villas) and to 75 km of the capital of the community, Iruña/Pamp ...

(Spain) since 1980.

Demography

In 1670 the commune had 300

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are pr ...

and in 1718 1,560 inhabitants. In 2017 the commune had 4,194 inhabitants.

Economy

Economic activity is mainly agricultural and also tourism. There is a sandstone quarry in the commune. Ascain is part of the

Appellation d'origine contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...

(AOC) zone of

Ossau-iraty Ossau-Iraty is an Occitan- Basque cheese made from sheep milk. Origin Ossau-Iraty or Esquirrou is produced in south-western France, in the Northern Basque Country and in Béarn. Its name reflects its geographical location, the Ossau Valley in B ...

. There are two breweries (Akerbeltz and Oldarki) in the commune.

Culture and heritage

According to the ''Map of the Seven Basque Provinces'' edited in 1863 by Prince

Louis-Lucien Bonaparte Louis Lucien Bonaparte (4 January 1813 – 3 November 1891) was a French philologist. The third son of Napoleon's second surviving brother, Lucien Bonaparte, he spent much of his life outside France for political reasons. After a brief politica ...

, the

basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

dialect spoken in Ascain is Labourdin. The film ''La Danseuse Orchidée'' by

Léonce Perret Léonce Joseph Perret (14 March 1880 – 12 August 1935) was a prolific and innovative French film actor, director and producer.The Museum of Modern Art(retrieved 7 June 2007) He also worked as a stage actor and director. Often described as avant ...

was partly filmed in Ascain in 1928 with Chiquito de Cambo.

Civil heritage

There are several buildings and structures in Ascain that are registered as historical monuments. These are: *House of Ferdinand Pinney Earle (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée *Redoubt of Biscarzoun (partly in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle) (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée *Redoubt of Esnaur (1813)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée *Roman bridge on the Nivelle (5th century). It was rebuilt after the collapse of the central pier caused by flooding of the Nivelle in December 1994. *Group of nine Stone circles at Aïra-Harri (Protohistoric)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The two redoubts were part of the defence by

Marshal Soult Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Fren ...

of the Franco-Spanish border against the British Army under

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

in 1813. In 1947 the village erected the first ''Stèle des évadés de France'' (Stele of escapees of France) in memory of the resistance fighters who left France to join the

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

via Spain during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

.

Religious heritage

The Church of the Assumption has some medieval remains. It was enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries and was inaugurated under

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

in 1626. In 1605 Monseigneur Bertrand d'Etchaux,

Bishop of Bayonne The Diocese of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron, commonly Diocese of Bayonne, (Latin: ''Dioecesis Baionensis, Lascurrensis et Oloronensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Bayonne, Lescar et Oloron''; Basque: ''Baionako, Leskarreko eta Oloroeko elizbarrutia'') ...

, visited the parish of Ascain and permitted "the said parishioners of the said parish to sell or dispose of the tombs that seem good in favour of the proceeds of the sale"... (be used for) ..."the keeping, repair, and completion of the work on the church". Inside the church is a Statue of the Virgin and Child which is a cast of a statue from the 14th century: the original in marble, called the ''Virgin of Longchamp'', is preserved in the Musée national du Moyen Âge (National Museum of the Middle Ages) in Paris. Tombstones in pink sandstone from

Larrun Larrun (modern French: ''La Rhune'', IPA: a'run - 'good pasture', possibly a folk etymology, in French until the 20th century: ''Larhune'' ) is a mountain (905 m) at the western end of the Pyrenees. It is located on the border of France and Spa ...

cover the grounds. File:Ascain (Pyr-Atl., Fr) église.JPG, Church of the Assumption at Ascain Image:Ascain Eglise 3.JPG, Modern Virgin Image:Ascain Eglise 4.JPG, Plaque in pink sandstone from

Larrun Larrun (modern French: ''La Rhune'', IPA: a'run - 'good pasture', possibly a folk etymology, in French until the 20th century: ''Larhune'' ) is a mountain (905 m) at the western end of the Pyrenees. It is located on the border of France and Spa ...

dating to 1648 File:Ascain Horloge.JPG, Clock on the church File:Ascain Eglise 1.JPG, Church entrance File:Ascain Eglise 5.JPG, Statue File:Ascain Eglise 2.JPG, Pulpit and gallery File:Ascain - Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption - 2.jpg, The

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 ...

File:Ascain Eglise 13.JPG, Bas-relief File:Ascain Eglise 12.JPG, The

Nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

File:Ascain Eglise 10.JPG, Statue of Saint Antoine File:Ascain Stèle 1.JPG, Hilarri File:Ascain Svatiska.jpg, Swastika

Hilarri Hilarri (from Basque ''hil'' 'dead' and ''harri'' 'stone') is the name given to disk-shaped funerary steles that are typical of the Basque Country. These funerary steles present a disc-shaped head facing the rising sun on a trapezoidal sta ...

File:Ascain Stèle discoïdale.jpg,

Hilarri Hilarri (from Basque ''hil'' 'dead' and ''harri'' 'stone') is the name given to disk-shaped funerary steles that are typical of the Basque Country. These funerary steles present a disc-shaped head facing the rising sun on a trapezoidal sta ...

File:Ascain Stèle 2.JPG, Stele of General Jean-Pierre Ritter The Chapel of Serres, dedicated to Saint Jacques and recently restored was, in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, a waystation on the Way of St. James.Fascicule, ''Ascain-Azkaine'' prefaced by Léon Labayen

Facilities

Education

The commune has three primary schools: one public, one private catholic (Sainte-Marie school), and one

Ikastola An (, plural ) is a type of primary and secondary school in the Basque Autonomous Community, Navarre and (to a much lesser extent) the French Basque Country (see Basque Country) in which pupils are taught either entirely or predominantly in the ...

(Basque language school).Education page on the commune website
A Music school (Kornelio), in the form of an association offers classic and traditional training.Presentation of the main associations in Ascain from the commune website
The ''Larrundarrak'' drum band, the ''Larrun Kanta'' choir, and the ''Martintxo-Altxalili'' association complete the musical offerings of the commune.

Sports and sports facilities

There are several sports associations in the commune including associations for

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

,

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

, traditional dance,

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

,

basque pelota Basque pelota ( Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronto ...

,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

,

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

, and

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

.

Notable people linked to the commune

*Johannes de Sossiondo, born at Ascain,

Bishop of Bayonne The Diocese of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron, commonly Diocese of Bayonne, (Latin: ''Dioecesis Baionensis, Lascurrensis et Oloronensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Bayonne, Lescar et Oloron''; Basque: ''Baionako, Leskarreko eta Oloroeko elizbarrutia'') ...

from 1566 to 1578;Philippe Veyrin, ''The Basques'', Arthaud, 1975, , page 113 * Edmé-Martin Vandermaesen, born in 1766 at

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

and died in 1813 at Ascain, was a Divisional general, mortally wounded at

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; eu, Donibane Lohitzune,Donibane Lohitzune
Nicolas François Conroux Nicolas François Conroux, Baron de Pépinville (17 February 1770 – 11 November 1813) became a division commander during the Napoleonic Wars and was killed fighting the British in southern France. In 1786 he joined the French Royal Army and b ...

, born in 1770 at

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, Dou ...

(Nord) and died in 1813 at St Esprit), was a French General, Baron of Pépinville, mortally wounded at Ascain; *Jean Hirigoyen Larroque, born at Ascain in 1788, father of Martin Hirigoyen Dolagaray (1821-1888) who emigrated to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and was the father of Hipólito Yrigoyen Alem, twice president of Argentina. *José Revilla Haya, born at

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

of a basque family in 1864 and died at Ascain in 1955, Mining engineer and geologist. *Jean-Pierre Borda, called ''Otharré'', born at Ascain in 1866 and died in 1922, was a

basque pelota Basque pelota ( Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronto ...

player in rebot and bare hands. Friend of

Pierre Loti Pierre Loti (; pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud ; 14 January 1850 – 10 June 1923) was a French naval officer and novelist, known for his exotic novels and short stories.This article is derived largely from the ''Encyclopædia Britannica El ...

, he was inspired by one of the characters in the novel ''

Ramuntcho ''Ramuntcho'' (1897) is a novel by French author Pierre Loti. It is a love and adventure story about contraband runners in the Basque province of France. It is one of Loti's most popular stories—"love, loss and faith remain eternal themes"—wit ...

'', which was written at the Hotel de la Rhune. * Ernest Fourneau, born at Biarritz in 1872, died at Ascain in 1949, was the founder of French Medicinal chemistry. *Ferdinand Pinney Earle (1878-1951) was a famous Hollywood cinema decorator in the 1910s and 1920s. In 1930 he moved to Ascain and built a house shaped like a revolver reminiscent of adobe houses built in Santa Fe around 1920. *Jean Élissalde, born at Ascain in 1883 and died at Gréciette in 1961, was a writer,

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

, poet, and basque academic. * Prince Feodor Alexandrovich of Russia, born on 23 December 1898 at Saint-Petersburg (Russia), and died on 30 November 1968 at Ascain. He was buried in the cemetery at

Urrugne Urrugne (; eu, Urruña)URRUÑA
bertsolari Bertsolaritza or bertsolarism is the art of singing extemporaneously composed songs in Basque according to various melodies and rhyming patterns. Bertsos can be composed at a variety of occasions but are performed generally by one or various '' ...

, famous for her duet with Pierre Ibarrart in 1869.Gérard Moutche, ''What do Basque houses say?'', Atlantica, 2010, Paris, , pages 58-59. *Joseph Laduche, born at Ascain in 1919, father of Jean, Philippe, Jean Michel, Marie Jo, Pampi, and Martine Laduche, who became Champion of France in

basque pelota Basque pelota ( Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronto ...

in 1941; *Maurice Abeberry born at Biarritz in 1926 and died at Ascain in 1988, was a doctor of law, lawyer, sports administrator, and music-lover; *Léon Berho born on 4 June 1932 at Ascain and died at

Dax Dax or DAX may refer to: Business and organizations * DAX, stock market index of the top 40 German companies ** DAX 100, an expanded index of 100 stocks, superseded by the HDAX ** TecDAX, stock index of the top 30 German technology firms * Dax ...

in October 2011, was a

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

player, finalist in the championship of France in 1961, 1963, and 1966 with

US Dax Union sportive dacquoise, also known as US Dax, is a French rugby union club currently playing in Nationale, the third level of the French league system. They were founded in 1904. They play at Stade Maurice Boyau (capacity 16,170). They wear ...

; *Philippe Laduche, born at Ascain in 1946, played

basque pelota Basque pelota ( Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronto ...

and became world champion in

Basque trinquete A trinquete (also ''trinquet'') is a special court for various indoor versions of Basque pelota, pelota and it is a modality of the Basque pelota, pelota sport. In South America, especially in Argentina the trinquete is also known as ''close court ...

in 1970 at Saint-Sébastian; * Pampi Laduche, born in 1955 at Ascain, was a

basque pelota Basque pelota ( Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronto ...

player, world champion in Basque trinquete in 1974 at Montevideo (

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

). *Martine Laduche, born in 1960 at Ascain, was a

basque pelota Basque pelota ( Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronto ...

player of ''panla ancha'' and bare hands, champion of France. * Jacques Chaban-Delmas, born in 1915 at Paris and died in 2000 at Paris, was Mayor of Bordeaux, Prime Minister, Honorary President of the National Assembly, General of the Resistance, buried in the cemetery at Ascain where he had a second home.

References

External links

AZKAINE in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)

Ascain official website

Ascain on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Ascain'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{authority control Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Geography

Places and hamlets

Toponymy

History

Heraldry

Administration

Inter-communality

Twinning

Demography

Economy

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

Religious heritage

Facilities

Education

Sports and sports facilities

Notable people linked to the commune

See also

References

External links