Aldudes (; ; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.
It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre in the Basque Country.
Geography
Location The village Aldudes is part of Le Pays Quint (Kintoa in Basque or Quinto Real in Spanish). The commune is an area of pasture belonging to Spain but cultivated by French farmers.
It is located in the Aldudes valley on the banks of the Nive des Aldudes in the Basque province of Lower Navarre. It is on the Spanish border some 20 km southwest of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port although it can not be directly accessed from there.
Access Access is by the D948 road from Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry in the north, which passes through the village then continues south to Urepel. The D58 road goes from the village through the length of the commune before continuing to Spain through Urepel commune. The Spanish border of Navarre forms the southwestern and northeastern borders of the commune.Google Maps
Hydrography Located in the watershed of the Adour, Aldudes is traversed by the Nive d'Aldudes with its many tributaries, such as the Urbeltch Labiaringo erreka, the Aktieltako erreka, and numerous unnamed streams. Paul Raymond mentioned the Autrin, a stream which rises in Aldudes and joins the Nive des Aldudes.
Localities and hamlets
Abanjo Abrakou Achtieta Aguerréa Ahadilépo Alachontro Alamontcho Alasta Alastagaraya Ametzlépo Antonénéa Aranbelea Arrokia Asketa Atabala Aucho Autrin Auzkia Barbachuri Baztanchuria Behorsubuztan Berha Bidartea Chabadinénéa Chalosa Chekalebeherea Chekalegaraya Chiloénéa Chotro Chotroenborda Domingoénéa Egnauténéa Elgartéa Elhocady Elichaga Erremedio Errienta Esnazu (or Eznazu, or Esnaratsu on the Cassini Map) Etcheberria Etchemendia Ferranjagaraya Hachketa Haritzchilo Harribeltzia Iguxkagerrea (or Iguchkaguerrea) Joanessénéa Joangnakei Koche Koskartéa Koskarteko Borda Koskorziloa Landart Lechaka Lekuederra (or Lekuederrea) Col de Lepeder Luichénéa Mahatcheta Makurea Manechuna Marquitchaénéa Martinénéa Mate Meharroztegui (Pass, 738m)) Menementa Miguelartzaina Miguelénéa Munichta Munichtagaraya Murruoin Nobléa Oliopitchar Otsachar Ohhanburua Otsanhaitz Oyhanzelhaya Paratzelhaï Patchiko Pilaria Pocomotzénéa Poko Le Pont Romain Predotinéa Premundoa Pritchia Sabina Salaria Sallaberria Sarahandia Sarahandiko Ithurria Sarkindéa Semeder Soldadoénéa Ttattola Turrieta Uhaldéa Urrichka Zelhaybeguia
Géoportail, IGN
Toponymy The name of the commune in Basque is Aldude. Aldudes was also the name given to the entire valley bordering the Baïgorry Valley and the Spanish border.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan proposes the construction ald(a)-uhide meaning "the path beside the water". According to Ernest Nègre however, the name Aldudes is a contraction of the basque Aldubide meaning "way to the summits" from the root aldu meaning "heights" and bide meaning "way".Ernest Nègre, General Toponymy of France, Librairie Droz, 1990, , No. 19228 The romanisation into Aldudes is actually a plural.
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Aldudes Alduide 1193 Orpustan Village Montes de alduides 1237 Mérimée Aldude 1353 Mérimée Alduyde 1374 Mérimée Alduyde 1381 Orpustan Alduyde 1392 Orpustan Alduide 1614 Raymond Camara Les Aldudes 1863 Raymond Elhocady Elhocady 1863 Raymond Redoubt on the Spanish border Esnazu Eznazu 1863 Raymond Hamlet Le Labiarine Le Labiarine 1863 Raymond Hamlet Lepeder Lépéder 1863 Raymond Mountain Col de Meharroztegui Col de Méharoztéguy 1863 Raymond Pass Col de Phaaçaldéguy Col de Phaaçaldéguy 1863 Raymond Pass to Spain Col d’Urtiague Col d’Urtiague 1863 Raymond Pass to Spain
Sources: Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque ToponymyJean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, Mérimée: Ministry of Culture Mérimée database: Presentation of the Commune ), 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
Origins: Camara: Titles of Camara de ComptosTitles published by don José Yanguas y Miranda - Diccionario de Antiguedades del reino de Navarra, 1840, Pamplona
History The commune originated in the 16th century when young noblemen of the Baigory family founded the village which, by the ancient Basque succession rule, reserved the legacy of the family house exclusively to the eldest child. The parish was established in 1793.
Heraldry
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1801 1808 Jean Tihista 1808 1815 Jean Ardantz 1815 1816 Jean Uhide 1816 1829 Martin Arrambide 1829 1831 Charles Schmarzow 1831 1833 Salvat Larre 1833 1839 Mathieu Barcelona 1839 1848 Charles Schmarzow 1848 1860 Pierre Mococain 1860 1862 Alfred Saurel 1862 1871 Étienne Ritou 1995 2014 Perio Setoain 2014 2020 Jean-Michel Dendarieta 2020 2026 Martin Suquilbide
Inter-communality The commune of Aldudes participates in five intercommunal organisations: the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque the intercommunal association for the development and management of the slaughterhouse of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port the joint association of the watershed of the Nive the association to support Basque culture the energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Population
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aldulais in French.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr
Economy
A fish farm is active on the road to Urepel.
Basque pig breeding is an activity in full revival in the Aldudes valley, under the leadership of the Technical Institute of Pork (ITP).
The commune hosts the Ets Pierre Oteiza company (gourmet pork products) which is one of the fifty top agribusinesses in the department.
It is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and heritage
Languages According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces, published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, the dialect of Basque spoken in Aldudes is western Lower Navarrese dialect.
Laxoa In 1952 the square in front of the church and the town hall was converted into a playing field for "laxoa". This ancient game of basque pelote is played with leather gloves.
At the entrance porch of the church is the target for the game.
Civil heritage The commune contains a number of sites that are registered as historical monuments: Houses and Farms (18th-19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Menementa Farm (1827)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Iguxkagerrea Farm (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Joalginenborda Farm (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Other sites of interest Cromlechs: There are three Harrespils on the Argibel site. These are great circles of stone or "menhirs" for funerary purposes, dated from the 1st millennium BC. The Harrespil are notable due to their number (over 100 registered) and their witness to knowledge of ancient burial rites.
Religious Heritage The commune has two religious sites that are registered as historical monuments: The Chapel of the Assumption (1868) at a place called Eznazu has been listed on the Inventory of cultural heritage since 21 March 2003.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée It contains a Retable and Statues (17th century) which are registered as historical objects.Ministry of Culture, Palissy The Parish Church of Notre-Dame (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée has a rosary which belonged to the Emperor Maximilian.
Other religious sites of interest Some Hilarri in the cemetery are from the 19th century - two from 1805.
Environmental heritage Palombière is the property of the association of the Baigorry Valley. This hunt at 500 metres above sea level was created in 1840 by the mayor of the town, Charles Schmarsow. Reorganized in 1880, it then passed into the hands of the Ospital family who still lead the hunt. The five Filetiers use five pantières'' or special nets and ten beaters to direct the pigeons to the nets.
Picture Gallery
Facilities
Education The commune has a private primary school (Mendi-Alde).
Notable People linked to the communeGeorges Lacombe, born 31 January 1879 in Orthez and died July 1947 in Paris, was a linguist, bascologuue, and Basque French academic. On the eve of the First World War he prepared, with the help of Dr. Jean Etchepare, Centenario de Euskaltzaleen Biltzarra a doctorate in Letters on the Aldudes dialect.Bernard Delhom, born in 1885 in Aldudes, was the oldest man in France from 30 December 1995 to 7 February 1996 when he died in Paris aged 110 years and 213 daysJean-Baptiste Urrutia''', born in 1901 at Aldudes and died in Montbeton, was a missionary in Indochina and Bishop of Huế during the Indochina War and the Vietnam War
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department Cantons of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department Arrondissements of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
Notes
References
External links Aldude in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) les Aldudes on the 1750 Cassini Map