Barcus (; eu, Barkoxe) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France in the former province of

Soule Soule (Basque language, Basque: Zuberoa; Zuberoan/ Soule Basque: Xiberoa or Xiberua; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Sola'') is a former viscounty and France, French Provinces of France, province and part of the present-day Pyrénées-Atlantiques ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known in French as ''Barcusiens'' or ''Barcusiennes'' and in Basque as ''Barkoxtar''.Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language

Geography

Location

Barcus is located in the ''Massif des Arbailles'' in the former province of

some 25 km south by south-east of

Sauveterre-de-Béarn Sauveterre-de-Béarn (, literally ''Sauveterre of Béarn''; oc, Sauvatèrra; eu, Salbaterra Bearno) is a medieval village perched above the Gave d'Oloron and facing the Pyrenees in south-western France. It is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atl ...

and 12 km west of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. The commune covers a complex of valleys formed by the course of the ''Joos'' and its left and right tributaries - the ''Paradis'' district, for example, is located on the ''Ibarra'' and the former hamlet of Guibelhéguiet is on a tributary of the Joos.

Access

Access to the commune is by the D24 road from

Chéraute Chéraute (; )SOHÜTA

Esquiule. The D347 branches from the D26 west of the village and goes south to Tardets-Sorholus. The D59 comes from

Saint-Goin Saint-Goin (; oc, Sent Goen; eu, Sangoine) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department References

...

in the north-east through the village and continues south down the eastern side of the commune to

Montory Montory (; eu, Montori; oc, Mondòri) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is located in the historical province of Soule (). See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The fo ...

. The D859 branches off the D59 in the north of the commune and goes north to join the D25 north of the commune. The D159 branches off the D59 halfway down the commune and goes east to join the D24 east of Esquiule. The D459 branches off the D59 in the south of the commune and goes south-east to

Lanne-en-Barétous Lanne-en-Barétous (; oc, Lana de Varetons; eu, Landa) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 Communes of ...

Hydrography

The commune is located in the drainage basin of the

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 ...

. The ''Joos'' river rises west of the commune and flows east across the commune then north, forming the eastern border of the commune, continuing north-east to eventually join the Gave d'Oloron at

Préchacq-Josbaig Préchacq-Josbaig (; oc, Preishac de Geusvath; eu, Josibaia) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 co ...

. Many tributaries rise in the commune and flow east into the Joos including the ''Bouhatéko erreka'', the ''arréc of Etchanchu'', the ''Handia'', the ''Oyhanart erreka'', the ''arriou of Soulou'', the ''Sustaris erreka'', and the ''Ibarra'' stream (7 km long) with its tributaries, the ''Ruisseau Ibarra'' (4.4 km, which is joined in the commune by the ''Askontchilo erreka'' and the ''Athaketa'' stream) and the ''Lecheguita'' stream (also with its tributary the ''Ilharra'' stream). Paul Raymond mentioned another tributary of the Joos crossing Barcus called the ''Guibéléguiet'' with its tributary the ''Paradis''. Tributaries of the ''Lausset'', which also flows into the Gave d'Oloron, also pass through the commune such as the ''Ascania'' stream and the ''Ibarle'' stream with its tributary the ''Ambelseko erreka''. Finally the ''Ruisseau de Lacoste'', a sub-tributary of the arréc of Bitole also crosses the commune.

Places and Hamlets

There are a large number of places and hamlets in the commune: * Agaras * Agor (border) * Agorria * Aguerborda * Aguerret * Aistor * Alkkatia * Ahargo * Ainus * Alhorchar * Arambeaux * Aramburu * Aranéder * Arangaray * Arhanchet * Arthaxet * Artheguiet * Artzanüthürry * Askain * Askonobiet * Askoz * Askozborda * Athaket * Athakéta * Ayscar * Bagardikoborda * Baralegne (pass) * Barbieborda * Barbieko Eyhéra * Barcardats * Barcochbide * Barnetche * Barrenkia * Belloya * Beltchun * Beltzantzuburu * Berhaburu * Berho * Bermaillou * Betan * Beteria * Bidau * Bigne (pass) * Biscay * Bohogu * Bordabegoïty * Bordaburia * Bordacharia * Bordagay * Bordagoyhen * Bordetta * Burgia * Cabana * Cachau * Chiloua * Choko * Chourikoborro * Cocutchia * Cotabaren * Cotiart * Coyos * Coyosborda * La Croix Blanche * Curutchiga * Doronda * Duque * Eihartzéta * Elhar * Elhurdoy * Eperrape * Eperregagne * Erguillota * Errande * Errékartéa * Espel * Espelia * Estecondo * Etchahoun * Etchanchu * Etchandy * Etchartéa * Etchebarne * Etcheberriborda * Etcheberry (2 places) * Etchecopaberria * Etchegoren * Eyharche * Eyhartzet * Eyhea * Eyheregaray (2 places) * Eyhéramendy * Fabiania * Gagnéko Borda * Galharetborda * Garay * Garrat * Gastellondo * Gorostordoy * Gorrostibar * Goyheneix * Goyheski * Goyhetsia * Goytolia * Guibelhéguiet * Haritchast * Haritchelhar * Harritchilondo * Haubiga * Hégoburu * Héguiapal * Heguilla * Héguitchoussy * Ibar * Ibarrondo * Idiart * Ihitzaga * Ilharra * Itchal * Jacobia * Jaureguiberry * Lagune * Lapitz * Lapitzia * Larragorry * Larranda * Larrandabuia * Larrasquet * Larrorry * Laxague * Laxagueborda * Lecheguita (pass, 653 m) * Legegaray * Lépazka * Lescarpé * Logeborde * Lohidoy * Lohidoyborda * Lojaborda * Malobra * Maysonnave * Menusketa * Mercaptpide * Mercaptpide Borda * Mignaborda * Miranda * Mocho * Montokoaltéa * Muskogorry * Nissibart * Oholéguy * Oilher * Ondarzuhia * Ordanoulet * Ostallaborda * Oyhanart * Paradis * Pelento * Pellen * Perkain * Petchia * Petillon * Picochet * Pinka * Pordoy * Potho * Princi * Princiborda * Puchulu * Restoy * Sagardoyhégui * Salaber * Salazar * Salazarborda * Salhanka * Sapiula * Sardo * Saruborda * Seceneguiet * Sinto * Sorhotus * Suhatsola * Thias * Topet * Udoy * Uhalt * Uhaltborda * Uhart * Urrustoy * Urruty * Uthuère * Uthurralt * Uthurry * Zatzoury

Toponymy

The commune name in Basque is ''Barkoxe''. Jean-Baptiste Orpustan proposes a Basque etymological construction in two parts. The first element ''barr'' meaning "located inside, at the bottom" is joined to the element ''-koiz'' to approximate the Basque ''goiz'' meaning "morning or east". Barcus is located in a low valley to the east which justifies the Orpustan analysis. The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Barcus-chapelle

Sources: * Raymond:''
''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 *Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
''New Basque Toponymy''
ref name="Orpustan">Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
''New Basque Toponymy''
Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, p. 204-205, * Bulletin des Lois: Origins: *Navarrenx: Notaries of NavarrenxNotaries of Navarrenx in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Oloron: Notaries of Oloron-Sainte-MarieNotaries of Oloron-Sainte-Marie in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Ohix:'' Contracts retained by Ohix, Notary of

*Customs: Customs of

Customs of

in 1520, printed at Pau in 1760 *Luxe: Titles of Luxe *Guienne: Government General of Guienne and Guascogne and neighbouring country

History

Jean-Baptiste Orpustan noted that the commune was a former "royal town". Paul Raymond on page 21 of his 1863 dictionary noted that the commune had a

Lay Abbey Lay may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada *Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France * Lay, Iran, a village *Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community People * Lay (surname) * ...

, vassal of the Viscounts of

. In 1790 Barcus was the capital of a Canton dependent on the District of Mauleon Licharre and made up of the communes of Barcus,

L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise (; eu, Ospitalepea)OSPITALEPEA

, and

Roquiague Roquiague (; eu, Arrokiaga)ARROKIAGA

Cassini Map The Cassini Map or Academy's Map is the first topographic and geometric map made of the Kingdom of France as a whole. It was compiled by the Cassini family, mainly César-François Cassini (Cassini III) and his son Jean-Dominique Cassini (Ca ...

and the same on the 1790 version.

Administration

List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities ...

Inter-communality

The commune is part of five inter-communal structures: * the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque; * the AEP association of Pays de Soule; * the sanitation association of Pays de Soule; * the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; * the inter-communal association to support Basque culture.

Demography

The ''Journal'' by Pierre Casalivetery, Notary at Mauléon, during 1460-1481 counted 26 fires at Barcus and 210 for the years 1540–1548, indicating a rapidly growing population. In 2017 the commune had 642 inhabitants.

Economy

Economic activity is mainly oriented towards agriculture (mixed farming and sheep farming). The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone designation 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 Bé ...

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

*The Lamiñen ziloa ("Cave of

laminak The or (plural: or ) is a siren or nereid-like creature in Basque mythology. , , or are typically portrayed as living in and around rivers. They are depicted as beautiful, long-haired women with webbed duck feet, usually found at the river ...

" in Basque). Laminak are small

lutin A () is a type of hobgoblin (an amusing goblin) in French folklore and fairy tales. Female lutins are called (). A ''lutin'' (varieties include the '' Nain Rouge'' or "red dwarf") plays a similar role in the folklore of Normandy to household ...

s in Basque mythology. *A treasure trove of Celtiberian currency (400-100 BC.) was discovered in 1879. Composed of 1,750 silver coins from different cities of Navarre and Aragon, the reason for their presence in Barcus remains controversial. *A gaztelu zaharA prehistoric fortified place stands at 440 metres above sea level in the Haitzhandia locality.

Religious heritage

*The Parish Church of the Ascension ( Middle Ages) is registered as an historical monument. It was largely rebuilt in the 19th century and restored in the 20th century. It contains a Bronze Bell (1689) that is registered as an historical object.

Cultural events

In 2009 Barcus organised a

Pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...

, a Soule traditional show mixing theatre, dancing and singing. There is a Pastoral throughout winter until April on Sundays in other villages of Soule.

Notable people linked to the commune

*Léon Urthuburu, vice-consul for France in Guayaquil, Ecuador, originally from Barcus, he bequeathed

Floreana Island Floreana Island (Spanish: ''Isla Floreana'') is an island of the Galápagos Islands. It was named after Juan José Flores, the first president of Ecuador, during whose administration the government of Ecuador took possession of the archipelago. ...

in the Galápagos Islands to the commune in 1860. Despite his efforts Barcus never took possession.Philippe Veyrin, ''The Basques'', p. 76, Arthaud, 20 December 1975, *Pierre Topet, alias "Etxahun", born in Barcus (1786-1862), a Basque poet. *Jean Touan, born in 1817 at Barcus, was the founder of the Café Tortoni in Buenos Aires. The café was bequeathed to Célestin Curutchet in 1872, another native of Barcus. *

André Chilo André Chilo (5 July 1898 – 3 November 1982) was a French rugby union player and athlete who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was born in Bordeaux and died in Barcus Barcus (; eu, Barkoxe) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atl ...

, French rugby player, born on 5 July 1898 at Bordeaux and died on 3 November 1982 at Barcus.

Notes and references

Notes

References

{{authority control Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques