Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette

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Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette (French pronunciation: [alsaj alsabe.eti synaʁɛt]; Basque: Altzai-Altzabeheti-Zunharreta)[3] is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.

Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Altzai-Altzabeheti-Zunharreta
The church of Alçabéhéty
The church of Alçabéhéty
Coat of arms of Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Location of Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Map
Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette is located in France
Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Coordinates: 43°05′46″N 0°54′27″W / 43.0961°N 0.9075°W / 43.0961; -0.9075
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentPyrénées-Atlantiques
ArrondissementOloron-Sainte-Marie
CantonMontagne Basque
IntercommunalityPays Basque
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Anicet Erreçarret[1]
Area
1
34.40 km2 (13.28 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
208
 • Density6.0/km2 (16/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
64015 /64470
Elevation217–1,535 m (712–5,036 ft)
(avg. 344 m or 1,129 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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Location

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Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette is located in the former province of Soule.[3] It is located some 35 km west by south-west of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and 10 km north of Larrau.

Access

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The commune can be accessed by the small D247 road from the village to Tardets-Sorholus in the north-east. The D149 branches off this road in the commune and goes north to Camou-Cihigue. There is also the D117 road which goes west from the village to Mendive.[4]

Hydrography

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Located in the drainage basin of the Adour, most of the southern border of the commune is formed by the Alphoura river (18 km long) which also flows through the village and continues northeast to join the Saison near Alos-Sibas-Abense. The Alphoura is fed by many tributaries rising in the commune including the Azaléguy and Ardounc. The Escalérako erreka rises in the south and flows west with its many tributaries.[4]

Paul Raymond[5] mentioned the Arangaïxa, a brook that rises at Alçay and flows into the Alphoura.

Localities and hamlets

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  • Aguer (Barn)
  • Albinzé (cayolar)
  • Alçabéhéty
  • Alçay
  • Ampo
  • Andoche (cayolar)
  • Arangaitz (Pass)
  • Arhansus (cayolar)
  • Arhex Borde
  • Atheis
  • Azaléguy
  • Azaléguiko Karbia (Cave)
  • Bagadoya
  • Bagazaguita (cayolar)
  • Bagothusta
  • Belhy
  • Berrayde
  • Bethalia
  • Bidalunia
  • Bordagagna
  • Borda Iribarneko
  • Bordapia
  • Burdin Olatzé (cayolar)
  • Burgance
  • Çaro
  • Chaldupia
  • Chuburu
  • Croix Garat (la)
  • Elichabeborda
  • Eltzegagnia (cayolar)
  • Erbinia
  • Espoulapia
  • Esquirassy (district)[6][7]
  • Etcheberri Borda
  • Etcheverry[5]
  • Etchecopar Borda
  • Eyhéraber
  • Ezpalako Larria
  • Goyheneix Borde
  • Gutux Borde
  • Habrague (cayolar)
  • Handia (Borda)
  • Haquits (Mill)
  • Harizmendy
  • Harristolatzia
  • Houretaborda
  • Ibarburia (Pass)
  • Ibarria
  • Illaberria
  • Inharchoury
  • Irriko Borda
  • Kamitchel
  • Kharalda
  • Lapistoy
  • Larramendia
  • Laxunia
  • Laze
  • Lechardoy
  • Lecharria (cayolar)
  • Lekayborda
  • Leziague (fountain)
  • Lomendi
  • Luchiloa
  • Lucu
  • Lutogagne
  • Maraizolatzé
  • Méthola
  • Miranda
  • Néquézaurborda
  • Ourdanberhartia
  • Oxapuria
  • Oxibar (Pass)
  • Pista Uthurria
  • Poyuko Borda
  • Sallaberriko borda
  • Sobieta (Grange)
  • Sunharette
  • Thipinka
  • Ursoy (cayolar)
  • Utzidoy
  • Uztarila (cayolar)
  • Uztubulia

[8]

Toponymy

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View of Alçay village
 
Saint Peter's Church and the cemetery at Alçay
 
Old Hilarri at Alçabéhéty
 
The Church at Sunharette

The commune name in Basque is Altzai-Altzabeheti-Zunharreta.[3][9]

According to Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, the base (h)altz meaning "aulne" was used for both the toponyms Alcay and Alçabéhéty. beheti means "at the bottom".[10]

The name Sunharette comes from the Basque zunhar (Name from Soule meaning "elm" or "poplar") using the romanized locative suffix ette meaning the "place of elm".[10]

The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description
Alçay Aucet Suson 1337 Orpustan
196
Village
Alsay 1385 Raymond
4
Duchesne
Ausset-Suson 1479 Raymond
4
Ohix
Alçay 1520 Orpustan
196
Aucet Suson 1690 Orpustan
196
Auset Suson 1690 Orpustan
196
Alsai 17th century Raymond
4
Chronicles
Alçabéhéty Aucet Juson 1337 Orpustan
196
Village
Ausec-Juson 1385 Raymond
4
Duchesne
Auset Juzon 1385 Orpustan
196
Auzat Juzon 1385 Orpustan
196
Aucet Juzon 1690 Orpustan
196
Alcabehety 1793 Cassini1
Alçabehety 1801 Cassini1 Bulletin des lois
Sunharette Sunarte 1337 Orpustan
196
Village
Sunharrete 1475 Raymond
165
Ohix
Sunharrette 1690 Orpustan
196
Sunarrette 1690 Orpustan
196
Sonharette 1793 Cassini2
Sunharrette 1801 Cassini2 Bulletin des lois
Arangaïxa L'Arangaïxa 1863 Raymond
8
Stream
Arhansus Arhansus 1863 Raymond
10
Wood
Athaguy Athagui 1520 Raymond
16
Soule Farm
Atagui 1520 Raymond
16
Soule
Belhy Belhy 1863 Raymond
27
Mountain
Burunolatxé Le Col de Burunolatxé 1863 Raymond
37
Pass
Couhourre Couhourre 1863 Raymond
53
Wood
Esquirassy Esquirassy 1863 Raymond
62
Mountain
Etcheverry Etcheberri 17th century Raymond
63
Chronicles Fief, under the Viscounts of Soule
Handiague Handiague 1863 Raymond
75
Mountain

Sources:

Origins:

  • Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIV[13]
  • Ohix: Contracts retained by Ohix, Notary of Soule[14]
  • Chronicles: Chronicles of Arthez-Lassalle[15]
  • Soule: Custom of Soule[16]

History

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In 1790 Sunharette was the chief town of a canton which was part of the District of Mauleon. The canton included the communes of Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette, Alos-Sibas-Abense, Camou-Cihigue, Etchebar, Lacarry-Arhan-Charritte-de-Haut, Lichans-Sunhar, and Ossas-Suhare.

In 1833, the three communes of Alçay, Alçabéhéty, and Sunharette merged to form a single joint commune.

Heraldry

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Arms of Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette
Blazon:

Azure, a wolf argent passant at dexter in front of a beehive of Or to sinister and accompanied by 6 bees at dexter chief, 3 bees at sinister chief, one bee at sinister, and 4 bees in base the same.[17]



Administration

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List of Successive Mayors[18]

From To Name
1983 2001 Arnaud Dascon
2001 2026 Anicet Erreçarret

Inter-communality

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The town is part of seven intercommunal organisations:

  • the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque
  • the association to support Basque culture;
  • the SIVOM of the canton of Tardets;
  • the intercommunal association of the gaves d'Oloron and Mauléon
  • the SIVU for Tourism in Haute-Soule and Barétous;
  • the AEP association for Soule Country
  • the association for remediation of Soule Country

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 298—    
1975 262−1.82%
1982 283+1.11%
1990 273−0.45%
1999 246−1.15%
2007 219−1.44%
2012 228+0.81%
2017 226−0.18%
Source: INSEE[19]

Economy

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Activity is mainly focused on agriculture (livestock and pasture). The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-Iraty cheese.

Culture and heritage

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Civil heritage

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The commune has two sites that are registered as historical monuments:

  • The Seven Ibarnaba Tumuli in the Esquirassy district [6]
  • The Ten Ibarletta Tumuli in the Esquirassy district [7]
Other sites of interest
  • The Gaztelu zahar (Basque meaning "fortified place") of Maide korralea meaning "the enclosure of Maide" is attributed to Maidé, mythological beings incorporating some of the traits of Jentils and Laminak.

Religious Heritage

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  • The Romanesque Parish Church of Saint-Pierre (Middle Ages)  is registered as an historical monument.[20] The church contains a Processional Cross (16th century)  which is registered as an historical object.[21]

Environmental heritage

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  • The Belhygagne peaks (also called the peak of Vultures) and Gaztelia are the highest points in the commune at, respectively, 1,072 and 1,345 metres high.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c ALTZAI-ALTZABEHETI-ZUNHARRETA, Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia (in Spanish)
  4. ^ a b c Google Maps
  5. ^ a b c Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011 (in French)
  6. ^ a b Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00084309 Seven Ibarnaba Tumuli (in French)
  7. ^ a b Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00084308 Ten Ibarletta Tumuli (in French)
  8. ^ a b Géoportail, IGN (in French)
  9. ^ Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of placenames - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture, ISBN 978-2-35077-151-9 (in French)
  10. ^ a b c Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, ISBN 2 86781 396 4 (in French)
  11. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Alçabéhéty, EHESS (in French).
  12. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Sunharette, EHESS (in French).
  13. ^ Duchesne Collection, volumes 99 to 114, containing the papers of Oihenart, former Imperial Librarian - Bibliothèque nationale de France
  14. ^ Manuscripts from the 15th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  15. ^ Titles of the Arthez-Lassalle family at Tardets (in French)
  16. ^ Custom of Soule in 1520, printed at Pau in 1760 (in French)
  17. ^ Guy Ascarat Archived November 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ List of Mayors of France
  19. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  20. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA64000703 Parish Church of Saint-Pierre (in French)
  21. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM64000026 Processional Cross (in French)
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