Balansun (; ) is a commune of the

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon language, Gascon Occitan language, Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; ) is a Departments of France, department located in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest corner of metropolitan ...

department in the

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...

region of south-western

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Geography

Balansun is a commune in the former province of

Béarn Béarn (; ; or ''Biarn''; or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in Southwestern France. Along with the three Northern Basque Country, ...

located some 6 km east of

Orthez Orthez (; ; , ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the small village of Sai ...

and 4 km north of Argagnon. Access to the commune is by the D946 road from

Arthez-de-Béarn Arthez-de-Béarn (, literally ''Arthez of Béarn''; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France. It took its name from the county of Artois (''Artés'' in Occitan, adapted in French as ''Arthès'' or ''Arthez' ...

in the east which passes through the centre of the commune south of the village and continues south-west to join the D817 west of

Castétis Castétis (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 545 Communes of France, communes of the Pyrénées-Atla ...

. Access to the village is by the ''Chemin de l'Eglise'' which branches north off the D946 on the western side of the commune. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.Google Maps
/ref> The commune is located in the

Drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of the

Adour The Adour (; ; ) is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High- Bigorre ( Pyrenees), in the commune of Aspin-Aure, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean ( Bay of Biscay) near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost ca. is known as the ' ...

with the ''Ruisseau de Clamondé'' forming the southern border of the commune as it flows west to join the

Gave de Pau The Gave de Pau () is a river of south-western France. It takes its name from the city of Pau, through which it flows. The river is long ( including the Gaves réunis), and although its source is considered to be on the Cirque de Gavarnie in t ...

west of Castetis. Three streams flow through the commune from east to west into the Ruisseau de Clamondé gathering many tributaries in the commune/

Places and hamlets

* Barran * Bélou * Bergerayre * Bernadou * Bidau * Bordes * Bourroua * Bousque * Cabalé * Cabanne * Cantegrith * Cantonnier * Carsuzaa * Chou * Cousiner * Craber * Crabérou * Friquet * Garly * Heugarès * Lacabanne * Laheuguère * Larribau * Lasserre * Lay * Loup * Loustalet * Massioo * Menaut * Menusé * Millet * Moncaud * Monhort * Naudou * Rouby * Saint-Martin * Sarraillot * Sautié * Tisnérot * Touyarot * Trotemenut

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

Michel Grosclaude Michel Grosclaude (; ; 8 July 1926 – 21 May 2002) was a French linguist, and an author of works on grammar, lexicography and Occitan onomastics. Biography Born on 8 July 1926 in Nancy. He was the son of Pierre Grosclaude, an academic. He stu ...

said that the origin of the original name is the Gascon

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

name of a man ''Valentius'' with the suffix ''-unum''. The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Sources: *Grosclaude: ''Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn'', 2006

, ''Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn'', Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, p. 293 *

Raymond Raymond is a male given name of Germanic origin. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷ� ...

:''
''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 The Cassini Map or Academy's Map is the first topographic and geometric map made of the Kingdom of France as a whole. It was compiled by the Cassini family, mainly César-François Cassini (Cassini III) and his son Jean-Dominique Cassini (Cas ...

from 1750Cassini Map 1750 – Balansun
/ref> *Ldh/EHESS/Cassini: Origins: *Bérérenx: Chapter of BérérenxTitles of the commune of Bérérenx in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *

Fors de Béarn The Fors de Bearn, or fueros of Béarn, are a series of legal texts (privileges, rulings, judicial sentences, decrees, formularies) compiled over centuries (mostly the eleventh to thirteenth) in the Viscounty of Béarn. Together they formed the ...

Manuscript from the 14th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Pardies: Notaries of

Pardies Pardies (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. Geography Neighbouring communes *North-East: Artix *North-West: Os-Marsillon *East: Bésingrand *West: Noguères *South-East: Parbayse *South ...

Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques *Froissart:

Jean Froissart Jean Froissart ( Old and Middle French: ''Jehan''; sometimes known as John Froissart in English; – ) was a French-speaking medieval author and court historian from the Low Countries who wrote several works, including ''Chronicles'' and ''Meli ...

, Book IV *Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques

History

Paul Raymond noted that on page 20 of his 1863 dictionary that the fief of Balansun was a vassal of the

Viscounts of Béarn The viscounts of Béarn (Basque: ''Bearno'', Gascon: ''Bearn'' or ''Biarn'') were the rulers of the viscounty of Béarn, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinc ...

and, in 1385, had 27

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion reaction when the fuel ...

depending on the

bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. In English, the original French combi ...

of Pau.

Administration

List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

;

from 1942

Inter-communality

The commune is part of four inter-communal structures: * the Communauté de communes de Lacq-Orthez; * the SIVU of Balansun/Castétis; * the water and sanitation association of Trois Cantons; * the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Balansenais'' or ''Balansenaises'' in French.

Economy

Economic activity is mainly agricultural (livestock).

Sites and monuments

The Parish Church of the Assumption of Notre-Dame (1850) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Facilities

The commune has a primary school which is grouped in an RPI (Intercommunal Educational Grouping) with the primary school in

References

External links

''Balensun'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{authority control Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques