Aussurucq (; ) is a

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 ...

in the

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 ...

department in the

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 ...

region of south-western

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 ...

. The inhabitants are known as ''Altzürükütar''.Euskaltzaindia
- Academy of the Basque Language Aussurucq (Pyr-Atl, Fr) eglise trinitaire, façade

Aussurucq (Pyr-Atl, Fr) vieux stèles discoïdales

Geography

Aussurucq is located in the former province of

Soule Soule (Basque: Zuberoa; Zuberoan/ Soule Basque: Xiberoa or Xiberua; Occitan: ''Sola'') is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''département''. It is divided into two cantons of the arrond ...

in the ''Massif des Arbailles'' some 30 km west by south-west of

Oloron-Sainte-Marie Oloron-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Auloron e Senta Maria; eu, Oloroe-Donamaria) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Aquitaine), southwestern France. History The town was founded by the ...

and 25 km east of

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (literally "Saint John t theFoot of hePass"; eu, Donibane Garazi; es, San Juan Pie de Puerto) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean footh ...

. Access to the commune is by road D147 from Idaux-Mendy in the north which passes through the village and continues south through the commune to join the D117 on the southern border of the commune. A pastoral road from Béhorléguy to Alçay and Aussurucq passes through the ''Col d'Aphanize'' (without crossing it) and generally follows the line of the watershed along the ''Col de Burdin Olatzé''. The commune is mostly rugged and heavily forested however there is some farmland in the north.Google Maps
/ref> The ''Ruisseau de Guessalia'' rises in the south of the commune and flows north-east gathering some tributaries to join the ''Apouhoura'' north of the commune. The ''Arangorena'' forms the north-western border as it flows north-east to join the

Saison Saison (French, "season," ) is a pale ale that is highly carbonated, fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned. It was historically brewed with low alcohol levels, but modern productions of the style have moderate to high levels of alcohol. ...

near Gotein-Libarrenx. The Bidouze rises in the south of the commune and flows north to eventually join the Adour north of Bardos.

Places and Hamlets

* Abeheaborda * Ahancetaborda * Ahanzolha * Ahusquy: known for its spring of the same name * Althabéa (ruins) * Althabegoïty * Ambukoborda * Ardiaénéa * Ascune (rocks) * Athekaketa * Bagadoy * Barnexborda * Baskinabe * Behegayborda * Beherégaray (barns) * Burdin-Clatze (col) * Capara (barn) * Carriquiborda * Chalunia * Cumba * Elsareko Ordokia * Erbinia (cayolar) * Etchakokoua * Etchaltia (rocks) * Etchebidea * Etchecopar * Etchekolaz * Exaltia (cayolar) * Gettaborda * Goyheneix * Guessalia * Harribiribile * Hasgagnia * Haspia (rocks) * Héguilloré (cayolar) * Hidogaratia (col) * Hidondo * Ibarrondoa * Ihatia * Inharpu (col) * Istaurdy (cayolar) * Jaguiborda * Jaragoyhen * Karkatz * Lagay * Lapistoy * Lapitz (field) * Larraguy * Larramendy * Latchéra * Lecharegaratia (cayolar) * Lecharéguibela (cayolar) * Leycharzepia (fountain) * Lhastéria * Lohiolha * Lucugnébehety (cayolar) * Miadore (cayolar) * Mouchako * Naboleguy (cayolar) * Nébélé (fountain) * Nékolha * Olhatzezarre (cayolar) * Otxolatzé (fontaine) * Potcho (cayolars) * Sallaberria * Sorzauqui (col) * Souhourtia (cayolar) * Thartassu * Udoya (cayolar) * Uhalberryborda * Uhaldéa * Uhaltéberria * Uhartéa * Urrutchoya * Urrutia (château) * Uthurbietta (fountain) * Uthurieta (cayolar) * Zouhourtia 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 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 ...

is ''Altzürükü''. Jean-Baptiste Orpustan indicated that the name comes from the basque ''altzu'' ("

alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...

tree") which is explained by the position of the valley covered in alder trees. The second part of the name is more enigmatic. According to Orpustan it could be from ''Urru'' ("the other side") or ''iri'' giving ''alzu-(i) ri-ku'' meaning "place in the Alder field". The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Sources: *Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, ''New Basque Toponymy''Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, ''New Basque Toponymy'', Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, *

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 Origins: *Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIVDuchesne Collection, volumes 99 to 114, containing the papers of Oihenart, former Imperial Librarian - Bibliothèque nationale de France *Notaries: Notaries of

Navarrenx Navarrenx (; oc, Navarrencs, ; eu, Nabarrengose, eu, label=Zuberoan dialect, Zuberoan, Nabarrenkoxe) is a town and communes of France, commune in the departments of France, French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Béarn) and the region of ...

Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Chapter: Titles of the Chapter of BayonneChapter of Bayonne in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Soule: Customs of

Customs of

in 1520, printed at Pau in 1760

History

In the

Middle Palaeolithic The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Pale ...

era

was already populated as remains of

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While the ...

prehistoric man have been found in the ''Xaxixiloaga'' caves in Aussurucq. A

tumulus A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones bu ...

was also reported at shepherd's cabins in Potxo along the D147 road. The central part of Soule is also called the ''Messagerie des Arbailles'' between ''Basabürü'' and ''Pettarra'' (in the Sauguis-Saint-Étienne, Aussurucq, and Barcus regions).

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

The commune is part of six 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 sanitation association for Pays du Soule; * the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; * the inter-communal association of Arbailla; * the inter-communal association for transport from Musculdy to Ordiap; * the inter-communal association to support Basque culture.

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 245 inhabitants.

Economy

Economic activity is based on agriculture (livestock and pasture). The commune 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 ...

Culture and Heritage

The village features a dynamic scene related especially to Basque culture. The inhabitants of the village performed the pastoral ''Ürrüti Jauregiko Peirot'' in 2002, a play written by the son of the village

Niko Etxart Niko Etxart is a Basque singer-songwriter and musician born in 1953 in Altzürükü, Soule, Basque Country. He's widely reputed in the Basque area for being a forerunner of Basque rock and bridging the gap between Basque old tradition and mod ...

, an acclaimed

Basque music Basque music refers to the music made in the Basque Country, reflecting traits related to its society/tradition, and devised by people from that territory. While traditionally more closely associated to rural based and Basque language music, the ...

ian.

Civil heritage

*The Chateau of Ruthie (11th century) is registered as an historical monument. *A Gaztelu Zahar ( Castellum) is at a place called ''gaztelu'' at an altitude of 582 metres.

Religious heritage

The town has a church with a Trinitarian steeple or a tower surmounted by three points of nearly equal height. The church contains a processional cross (17th century) which is registered as an historical object.

Environmental heritage

At the end of the 19th century, the Arbailles Forest covered parts of the communes of Aussurucq, Béhorléguy, Camou-Cihigue,

Musculdy Musculdy (; eu, Muskildi)MUSKILDI

Ordiarp Ordiarp (; eu, Urdiñarbe)URDIÑARBE

, and Saint-Just-Ibarre. A wealth of heritage in Aussurucq commune is contained in its sub-soil. Most of the territory of the commune is karstic. The environment is characterized by the presence of natural cavities in complex shapes that have not all yet been discovered or much less explored to date. Departmental

cavers Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is ...

have undertaken the exploration, description, and publication of this heritage respecting the environment and the local population. One of the most beautiful caves in the commune is the ''Nébélé'' which has been the subject of works and regular explorations since 1972. The peak of ''Ascune'' stands at 860 m, ''Echagorry'' is 935 m, ''Elsarré'' is 1,153 m, ''Sihigue'' is 1,193 m, and ''Etchecortia'' is 1,204 m. In the south-west of the commune, ''Bohorcortia'' is 1,214 metres high.

Amenities

The town has a primary school (Garaibie).

Notable people linked to the commune

*Pierre V de Charritte de Ruthie, born in Aussurucq, was chaplain to

François I Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...

.Claude de Vic, Joseph Vaissète, and Alexandre Du Mège, ''General History of Languedoc: with notes and justification pieces'', J.B. Paya, 1841 *Gilen Epherre, born at Aussurucq in 1911 and died in Bayonne in 1974, was a writer, priest, scholar and important cultural player in the post-war period