Aire-sur-l'Adour (; or simply , before 1962: ''Aire'')Décret du 3 avril 1962 portant changement de noms de communes
'' Journal officiel de la République française'' n° 0085, 8 April 1962, p. 3677. is a commune in the Landes department,

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...

, southwestern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It lies on the river Adour in the wine area of southwest France. It is an

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

of the Diocese of Aire and Dax. The nearest large towns are Mont-de-Marsan to the north and Pau to the south.

History

Aire (''Atura'', ''Vicus Julii'') once was the residence of the kings of the Visigoths. Here in 506

Alaric II Alaric II (, , 'ruler of all'; ; – August 507) was the King of the Visigoths from 484 until 507. He succeeded his father Euric as King of the Visigoths in Toulouse on 28 December 484; he was the great-grandson of the more famous Alaric I, who ...

drew up his code, the '' Breviarium Alaricianum''. Famed Spanish bullfighter Iván Fandiño died at the '' Arènes Maurice-Lauche'' in Aire-sur-l'Adour after being gored by a

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...

on 17 June 2017.

Sights

* Aire Cathedral, built in the 11th century but renovated in the 14th and 17th centuries. *The Gothic church of ''Sainte-Quitterie'' is dedicated to Saint Quiteria, who, according to

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

tradition, was beheaded here in the fifth century. This church is on the

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

route called the Way of St. James.

Population

Personalities

* Pierrette Le Pen, mother of Marine Le Pen and ex-wife of

Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (20 June 1928 – 7 January 2025), commonly known as Jean-Marie Le Pen (), was a French politician, lawyer and activist. He founded the far-right National Front (now National Rally) party and served as the party's presi ...

* Florian Cazalot,

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player, born 1985 in Aire-sur-l'Adour

Twin towns

* Castro-Urdiales, Spain

References

External links

History of CNES base
devoted to launch stratospheric balloons
Image of city's cathedral
Airesurladour World Heritage Sites in France {{Landes-geo-stub