Baigts-de-Béarn (French pronunciation: [batʃ beaʁn], literally Baigts of Béarn; Occitan: Vaths de Bearn) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

Baigts-de-Béarn
Location of Baigts-de-Béarn
Map
Baigts-de-Béarn is located in France
Baigts-de-Béarn
Baigts-de-Béarn
Baigts-de-Béarn is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Baigts-de-Béarn
Baigts-de-Béarn
Coordinates: 43°30′46″N 0°50′14″W / 43.5128°N 0.8372°W / 43.5128; -0.8372
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentPyrénées-Atlantiques
ArrondissementPau
CantonOrthez et Terres des Gaves et du Sel
IntercommunalityLacq-Orthez
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Guy Pemartin[1]
Area
1
13.53 km2 (5.22 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
870
 • Density64/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
64087 /64300
Elevation28–167 m (92–548 ft)
(avg. 111 m or 364 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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Baigts-de-Béarn is located some 6 km north-west of Orthez and 23 km east of Peyrehorade. The western part of the northern border of the commune is also the departmental border between Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Landes. Access to the commune is by road D817 from Puyoô in the west which passes through the south of the commune and the village and continues south-east to Orthez. The D415 (the old Route Imperiale) branches from the D817 west of the commune and passes through the village before continuing east to Orthez. The D315 goes north from the village then east to Saint-Boès. The D915 goes north from the D315 to Saint-Girons-en-Béarn. The A64 autoroute passes through the southern tip of the commune but there is no exit with the nearest exit being Exit some 3 km west of the commune. The commune is mostly farmland with scattered forests.[3]

The Gave de Pau forms the southern border of the commune as it flows west to join the Gave d'Oloron at Peyrehorade. Numerous streams rise in the commune and flow south to join the Gave de Pau including the Ruisseau de Montlong. The Ruisseau de Lataillade forms the northern border of the commune as it flows west and forms part of the departmental border with Landes before joining the Gave de Pau west of Puyoô. The Arriou de Bardj rises in the north of the commune and flows west then south to join the Gave de Pau east of Ramous.

Places and hamlets

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  • Arritor
  • Balagué
  • Barroumères
  • Bassot
  • Bellevue (château)
  • Bergeras
  • Bernet
  • Bizens
  • Bordenave
  • Bourdieu
  • Brana
  • Brau[4]
  • Capdebielle
  • Cassecour
  • Castéra
  • Castillon[4]
  • Caubraque
  • Caupet
  • Cossou
  • Cuyoula
  • Domblides
  • Fayet
  • Gassiou
  • Gayou
  • Les Glycines
  • Grihou
  • Hau
  • Hourquebie
  • Hourquérou
  • Hourquet
  • Hours
  • Labasse[4]
  • Labiste
  • Laborde
  • Laboudigue
  • Lacabanne
  • Lacarrère
  • Lacrouts
  • Lagouarde
  • Lagourque
  • Lahéouguère
  • Lalanne
  • Lanuque
  • Latéoulère
  • Laulhé
  • Loustaunau
  • Luns
  • Martimour
  • Mongay
  • Mousquès
  • Panaut
  • Parrabéou
  • Pédeboscq
  • Petit
  • Peyrou
  • Pierroulin
  • Pitche
  • Planté
  • Pommes
  • Poublan
  • Pourret
  • Régis
  • Rey
  • Riche
  • Saint-Laurent
  • Sére
  • Temple
  • Tilhète
  • Toucayré
  • Touriangle (château)

Neighbouring communes and villages

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Toponymy

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The commune name in béarnais is Vaths de Bearn.

The name Baigts means "valley" in Gascon but, according to Michel Grosclaude[5] that meaning is to be avoided. According to him Baigts comes from the Gascon vaths which is derived from vallis meaning "hollow" or "depression" or from vallum meaning "palisade" or "entrenchment". In the old village there is a Rue de l'Embarrat meaning "fortified redoubt".

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

Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description
Baigts Baigs 13th century Raymond
19
Fors de Béarn Village
Baigx 1318 Raymond
19
Béarn
Bags 1343 Raymond
19
Béarn
Bachs 1505 Raymond
19
Garos
Batz 1540 Raymond
19
Reformation
Vagtz 1548 Raymond
19
Reformation
Baitz 1582 Raymond
19
Alienations
Baigts 1750 Cassini
Baziart Bessiart 1540 Raymond
25
Reformation Farm
Brau Lo Brau 1540 Raymond
36
Reformation Farm
Braü 1863 Raymond
36
Castillon Castelhoo-Susoo 1385 Raymond
46
Census Fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn
Castilhon 1682 Raymond
46
Reformation
Labasse La Basse 1540 Raymond
87
Reformation Farm
Lacoumayou Cau-Mayor 1385 Raymond
89
Census Farm
La Caumayo 1540 Raymond Reformation
Le Petit-Hameau Le Petit-Hameau 1863 Raymond
75
Hamlet
Portes Portes 1385 Raymond
138
Census Fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn and dependent on the bailiwick of Rivière-Gave
Portas de Bags 1538 Raymond
138
Reformation
Turon de Castéra Le Touron de Castéra 1675 Raymond
169
Reformation Moor

Sources:

Origins:

History

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Paul Raymond noted on page 19 of his 1863 dictionary that the commune depended on the Diocese of Dax and was the capital of the Notary of Rivière-Gave, the name of an arch-priesthood of the diocese of Dax which gave its name to the Gave de Pau. In 1385 the commune had 59 fires.[4]

Administration

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List of Successive Mayors[13]

From To Name
1995 2014 Christian Palette
2014 2026 Guy Pemartin

Inter-communality

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The commune is part of three inter-communal structures:

  • the Communauté de communes de Lacq-Orthez;
  • the water and sanitation association of Trois Cantons;
  • the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;

Demography

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The inhabitants of the commune are known as Batchois or Batchoises in French.[14]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 935—    
1800 934−0.02%
1806 995+1.06%
1821 1,033+0.25%
1831 995−0.37%
1836 980−0.30%
1841 1,000+0.40%
1846 1,028+0.55%
1851 1,003−0.49%
1856 1,010+0.14%
1861 1,001−0.18%
1866 1,003+0.04%
1872 905−1.70%
1876 893−0.33%
1881 913+0.44%
1886 913+0.00%
1891 866−1.05%
1896 830−0.85%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 849+0.45%
1906 848−0.02%
1911 806−1.01%
1921 743−0.81%
1926 735−0.22%
1931 690−1.26%
1936 641−1.46%
1946 623−0.28%
1954 576−0.98%
1962 633+1.19%
1968 621−0.32%
1975 677+1.24%
1982 744+1.36%
1990 777+0.54%
1999 739−0.56%
2007 799+0.98%
2012 824+0.62%
2017 876+1.23%
Source: EHESS[15] and INSEE[16]

Economy

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In addition to an economy focused on agriculture (livestock and corn), the commune has a hydroelectric plant.

The commune is part of the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Béarn.

Culture and heritage

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Civil heritage

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  • The Chateau of Bellevue is a nursing home for disabled workers.

Religious heritage

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  • The Parish Church of Saint Vincent and Saint Bartholomew (17th century)  is registered as an historical monument.[17]

Facilities

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The commune has a primary school.

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. ^ Google Maps
  4. ^ a b c d e Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011 (in French)
  5. ^ Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, ISBN 2 35068 005 3 (in French)
  6. ^ Cassini Map 1750 – Baigts-de-Béarn
  7. ^ Manuscript from the 14th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  8. ^ Titles of the Viscounts of Béarn in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  9. ^ Notaries of Garos in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  10. ^ Manuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  11. ^ Registers of alienations from the old Imperial Library in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (in French)
  12. ^ Manuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  13. ^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
  14. ^ Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr
  15. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Baigts-de-Béarn, EHESS (in French).
  16. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  17. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA64000622 Parish Church of Saint Vincent and Saint Bartholomew (in French)
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