Baigts-de-Béarn

Baigts-de-Béarn (, literally ''Baigts of Béarn''; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

Geography

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.Google Maps
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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

* Arritor
* Balagué
* Barroumères
* Bassot
* Bellevue (château)
* Bergeras
* Bernet
* Bizens
* Bordenave
* Bourdieu
* Brana
* Brau
* Capdebielle
* Cassecour
* Castéra
* Castillon
* Caubraque
* Caupet
* Cossou
* Cuyoula
* Domblides
* Fayet
* Gassiou
* Gayou
* Les Glycines
* Grihou
* Hau
* Hourquebie
* Hourquérou
* Hourquet
* Hours
* Labasse
* 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

Toponymy

The commune name in béarnais is ''Vaths de Bearn''.

The name ''Baigts'' means "valley" in Gascon but, according to Michel GrosclaudeMichel Grosclaude, ''Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn'', Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, 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.

Sources:
*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
*Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 – Baigts-de-Béarn
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Origins:
*Fors de BéarnManuscript from the 14th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Béarn: Titles of Béarn,Titles of the Viscounts of Béarn in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Garos: Notaries of GarosNotaries of Garos in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
*Alienations: Alienations of the Diocese of DaxRegisters of alienations from the old Imperial Library in the Bibliothèque nationale de France
*Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques

History

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.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

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

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Batchois'' or ''Batchoises'' in French.

Economy

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

Civil heritage

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

Religious heritage

*The Parish Church of Saint Vincent and Saint Bartholomew (17th century) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Facilities

The commune has a primary school.

See also

*Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

References

External links

''Baigts'' on the 1750 Cassini Map

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baigtsdebearn
Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques