Pierre Lafitte Ithurralde (21 May 1901 – 23 February 1985) was a French Basque priest and author.
Biography
Lafitte was born in Louhossoa on 21 May 1901. Orphaned at the age of seven, he was raised by his aunt and uncle in Ithorots, where he also went to the local school. From 1914 he continued his education at the seminary in
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country, or Northern Basque Country ( eu, Iparralde (), french: Pays basque, es, País Vasco francés) is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitu ...
where he eventually settled in
Ustaritz
Ustaritz (; eu, Uztaritze) is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, southwestern France. It is located on the river Nive some inland from Bayonne. Ustaritz station has r ...
for good. He contributed to many Basque and Basque-related publications, including ''Eskualduna'' and ''Gure Herria''.
He was deeply involved in the Basque nationalist movement, North and
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
over many years and founded the first nationalist movement in the North. In 1949 he was called to sit on
Euskaltzaindia
Euskaltzaindia (; often translated Royal Academy of the Basque Language) is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It conducts research, seeks to protect the language, and establishes stand ...
, the official institution regulating the Basque language.
In 1982 he received an honorary degree from the
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country ( eu, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, ''EHU''; es, Universidad del País Vasco, ''UPV''; UPV/EHU) is a Spanish public university of the Basque Autonomous Community. Heir of the University of Bilbao, initiall ...
. He died 23 February 1985 in
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-Aquitaine r ...
(
Labourd
Labourd ( eu, Lapurdi; la, Lapurdum; Gascon: ''Labord'') is a former French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées Atlantiques ''département''. It is one of the traditional Basque provinces, and identified as one of the territorial c ...