Ascarat Fronton.jpg

Ascarat ()AZKARATE
Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

The inhabitants are known as ''Azkaratear''.Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, ''Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques'', 2009, Archives and Culture, Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language
(Basque)

Geography

Ascarat is located in the former province of Lower Navarre in the Aldudes Valley immediately north-west of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Access to the commune is by the D918 road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port which passes through the length of the commune on the eastern side and continues to Louhossoa. The D15 road goes north-west from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port through the southern part of the commune continuing to Irouléguy. Access to the village is by country roads - Garategana from the D15 and Learraa from the D918. There are substantial forests in the commune however about 70% of the land area is farmland.Google Maps
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The Nive river forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows north to join the Adour at Bayonne. Three streams flow into the Nive in the commune: the Nive d'Arnéguy, the Nive de Béhérobie, the Berroko erreka, and the Pagolako erreka.

Places and hamlets

* Apelchénéa
* Arbelarréa
* Arrécharborda
* Béhérekoetchéa
* Bentaberria
* Beskinaénéa
* Bidartéa
* Bordia
* Burugorriénéa
* Caracotchéa
* Choko Ona
* Errékaldéa
* Fargas (château)
* Ferrandoénéa
* Garatégaïna
* Haranbiako Borda
* Harguinaénéa
* Harguinchuria
* Hirureta
* Indartéa
* Iputchaénéa
* Ithurraldéa
* Ithurricheta
* Jauberria
* Pontoussénéa
* Puchulua
* La Solitude
* Tofinaenea
* Uhaldéa

Géoportail
Institut géographique national, IGN

Toponymy

The name ''Ascarat'' appears in the forms:
*''Ascarat'' (1106Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, ''New Basque Toponymy'', Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, ),
*''Escarat'' (13th century),
*''Azcarat'' (1350),
*''Atzcarat'' (1366),
*''Azquarat'' (1413),
*''Axcarat'' (1513,''Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees''
Paul Raymond (archivist), Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011, p. 15 Titles of PamplonaTitles published by don José Yanguas y Miranda ),
*''Axcarate'' (1621, Martin Biscay''Derecho de naturaleza que la merindad de San-Juan-del-pie-del-puerto, una de las seys de Navarra, tiene en Castilla - 1622 petit in-4° ), and
*''Sanctus Julianus d'Ascarat'' (1763, Collations of the Diocese of BayonneManuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques ).

Jean-Baptiste Orpustan indicated that the name is composed of ''aitz'' ("rock") and ''garate'' ("high place"), giving "a height of rocks".

''Chubitoa'' was a hamlet in Ascarat and Anhaux, mentioned in 1863''Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees''
p. 50

''Jauréguy'' was a fief, vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre, cited in the 1863 dictionary''Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees''
p. 85 as was ''Larragoyen''.''Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees''
p. 94

The commune name in Basque language, basque is ''Azkarate''.

History

The parish was mentioned in 1256 and was "ravaged by soldiers" in 1396.

In 1391 Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry included the modern communes of Anhaux, Ascarat, Irouléguy, and Lasse, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Lasse.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

The commune is part of nine inter-communal structures:
* the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque;
* the SIVOS of Garazi;
* the SIVU Hiruen Artean;
* the AEP association of Anhice;
* the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
* the inter-communal association for sanitation of Ur Garbi;
* the inter-communal association for the management and development of the abattoir at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port;
* the joint association for the Drainage basin of the Nive;
* the association to support Basque culture.

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 321 inhabitants.

Economy

The commune is part of the production zone of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) of Irouléguy (AOC), Irouléguy and also of the AOC zone of Ossau-iraty.

Economic activity is mainly agricultural.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

There are several houses and farms in the commune which are registered as historical monuments. These are:
*Uhaldea House (18th century)
*Harizpea Farm (1587)
*Chateau de Vergues (or Chateau de Fargas) (18th century)
*Houses and Farms (17th-19th centuries)

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint-Julien-d'Antioche is of medieval origin was heavily rebuilt in the 18th and 19th century.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Notable people linked to the commune

*Pierre Narbaitz, born in 1910 at Ascarat and died in 1984 at Cambo-les-Bains, was a historian, writer, and a Basques, basque French academic of the Basque language, Basque and French languages.

See also

*Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

References

External links

Ascarat on Géoportail
Institut géographique national, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Azcarat'' on the 1750 Cassini Map

{{authority control

Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Lower Navarre