Pheasant Island (french: Île des Faisans/Île de la Conférence, es, Isla de los Faisanes, eu, Konpantzia, ) is an uninhabited river
island in the
Bidasoa
__NOTOC__
The Bidasoa (, ; french: Bidassoa, ) is a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France that runs largely south to north. Named as such downstream of the village of Oronoz-Mugairi (municipality of Baztan) in the pr ...
river, located between
France and
Spain, whose administration alternates between the two nations.
Etymology
There are no pheasants on the island.
It is proposed that the name could be a misinterpretation of some French word related to "passing" or "toll".
The "Conference" name could come from the international meetings held there.
History
The most important historical event to have taken place on the island was the signing of the
Treaty of the Pyrenees. This was the climax to a series of 24 conferences held between
Luis Méndez de Haro, a
grandee of Spain, and
Cardinal Mazarin
Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis XI ...
,
Chief Minister of France, in 1659 following the end of the
Thirty Years' War. A
monolith
A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often ma ...
was built in the centre of the island to commemorate the meeting.
The island has also been used for several other royal meetings:
*1659 –
Louis XIV met his future wife
Maria Theresa of Spain (1638–1683); they were the parents of
Louis, Grand Dauphin; a year later – at the
Meeting on the Isle of Pheasants – she said farewell to her father,
Philip IV of Spain and much of the Spanish court, before crossing into France to become the consort of Louis XIV.
*1721 –
Louis XV met his intended bride
Mariana Victoria of Spain
pt, Mariana Vitória de Bourbon e Farnesefrench: Marianne Victoire d’Espagne
, house = Bourbon
, father = Philip V of Spain
, mother = Elisabeth Farnese
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, ...
(1718–1781). The two never married; Louis instead married
Marie Leszczyńska
Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska (; ; 23 June 1703 – 24 June 1768), also known as Marie Leczinska, was Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XV from their marriage on 4 September 1725 until her death in 1768. The daughter of Sta ...
, and Mariana, the future
Joseph I of Portugal.
Political status
The island is a
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
, the world's smallest, under joint
sovereignty of Spain and France, and for alternating periods of six months is officially under the governance of the naval commanders of
San Sebastián, Spain (1 February – 31 July) and of
Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitain ...
, France (1 August – 31 January).
Currently, the French position of "adjunct département director, delegate for the sea and coast of the Atlantic Pyrenees and Landes" carries the title of "
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
of Pheasant Island", an unusual name in the French Republic.
One of the French officers with this title was Julien Viaud, better known as the writer
Pierre Loti.
In practice, it is administered in turn by the mayors of
Irun (in
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French dep ...
, Spain) and
Hendaye
Hendaye ( Basque: ''Hendaia'')[HENDAIA]
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atla ...
, France).
Geography
, the island is approximately long and wide, and is eroding.
[
Since the Franco-Spanish boundary line follows the ]thalweg
In geography and fluvial geomorphology, a thalweg or talweg () is the line of lowest elevation within a valley or watercourse.
Under international law, a thalweg is the middle of the primary navigable channel of a waterway that defines the boun ...
of the Bidasoa river's main course, which is located on the northern shore of the islet, the whole territory of Pheasant Island is an enclave located within the borders of Spain.
Access
The island can sometimes be reached on foot from the Spanish side at low tide.[ It is uninhabited, and access is forbidden,] except very occasionally on heritage open days.[ Other than that, employees of the municipal government of Irun or Hendaye may access the island once every six months for cleaning and gardening,] and members of the Naval Commands of San Sebastián (Spain) and Bayonne (France), responsible for monitoring the island, land on it every five days.
See also
* List of islands of France
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
* List of islands of Spain
This list of islands in Spain incapsulates the country's islands both within its territorial borders and its overseas possessions. The total number of islands is 179.
List
Spanish Micronesia
Spain owned several Pacific islands as part of ...
References
External links
Pheasant Island article
from BBC News
The World's Only Border-Swapping Island
by The Tim Traveller on YouTube
Faisanes, Isla de los
(in Spanish) at Auñamendi Encyclopedia
The Auñamendi Encyclopedia is the largest encyclopedia of Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque peopl ...
{{Authority control
River islands of Spain
River islands of France
Islands of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
France–Spain border
Landforms of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Irun
International islands
Condominia (international law)
Diplomatic sites
Landforms of the Basque Country (autonomous community)