Salies-de-Béarn (, literally ''Salies of

Béarn Béarn (; ; or ''Biarn''; or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in Southwestern France. Along with the three Northern Basque Country, ...

''; ) is a commune in the

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon language, Gascon Occitan language, Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; ) is a Departments of France, department located in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest corner of metropolitan ...

department in south-western

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 ...

. The name comes from its naturally occurring

saline water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wat ...

( Gascon ''salias'' for Standard Occitan ''salinas''). During the expanded, pre-liberation

occupation of France by Nazi Germany The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

, Salies was on the border between the occupied zone and the free zone. Between September 1941 and the summer of 1942, Jean Anouilh wrote his famous adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy, ''Antigone'' in the comparatively idyllic setting of Salies-de-Béarn, relieved of the invader's presence, the evening curfews and the deprivations of Paris. The play premiered in Occupied Paris in February 1944. Salies-de-Béarn served as the setting for the writer Trevanian's novel, The Summer of Katya. In the book, it was renamed Salies-les-Bains. An account of living and working in Salies-de-Béarn in the late sixties is given by Clive Jackson in his book ''Footloose in France''.Adamson, John, and Clive Jackson, ''Footloose in France'', Cambridge: John Adamson, 2023, .

Population

References

Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques {{OloronSainteMarie-geo-stub

Population

See also

References