Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry

Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Location within Aquitaine region Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Arrondissement	Bayonne
Canton	Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Intercommunality	Garazi-Baïgorri
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Jean-Baptiste Lambert
Area1	69 km2 (27 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	1,617
• Density	23/km2 (61/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	64477 / 64430
Elevation	146–1,049 m (479–3,442 ft) (avg. 273 m or 896 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry (Basque: Baigorri) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France, located at the same time in the former province of Lower Navarre. It borders the municipality of Baztan to the west (Spain, access via the Izpegi Pass).

It is the main access to the Aldudes valley, having nearby the Castle, Echauz Castle, Château d'Etxauz, the river through the place being known as the river Nive des Aldudes.

The town is home to the renowned Day of Navarre (Basque: Nafarroa Eguna), a festival attracting a massive turnout (by thousands) from the Spanish and French side of Navarre in early May intended to strengthen ties between both Navarrese territories and affirming their common Basque identity.

Canton

File:Arrondissements et cantons des Pyrenees Atlantiques.svg

Actual circumscriptions of the French regions limiting with Spain, from Gipuzkoa through Navarre and through Huesca Spanish regions or provinces, described now as the over 500 communes ascribed to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques

File:Communes du canton de Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry.svg

Territorial location and names of the nearby commune districts around Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, named Santisteban de Baïgorry by the Navarrese Kings from around the year 1033 till the first quarter of the 16th century

Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry is the chief town of a district; 11 cities and villages ascribed to the French Canton of Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry had some 5,727 inhabitants on some 311 km². in 2006, with decreasing population, against some 8500 inhabitants on the Westwards nearby Baztan area in some 376 km²., also decreasing population. Eastwards, French area of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a dowry of King Sancho VII of Navarre, deceased 1234, to his sister Berengaria of Navarre, deceased 1230, the quiet wife and widow of Angevin King Richard I the Lionheart of England, also Duke of Aquitaine and Duke of Gascony, deceased April 1199.

French Communes limiting with the town of Saint-Étienne de Baïgorry

• Bidarray, Northwards. 652 inhabitants in 2006. Some 30 km².
• Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa- North-East. 462 inhabitants in 2006.
• Irouléguy. East. Famous vineyards for many years. 316 inhabitants in 2006,
• Anhaux. South-West.280 inhabitants in 2006. 12.3 km².,
• Banca. South. Some 373 inhabitants in 2006,

Demography

Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry has 1617 inhabitants, as of the 2006 census.

Transportation

Set in a mountainous area, Baigorri is communicated by departmental roads D15 and D948, with a coach line offering service to Ossès (Basque Ortzaize) within TER Aquitaine's network.

The Area as a part of the French GR10, French footpaths,(Grand Randonnée 10)

Main sights

File:Saint Etienne de Baïgorry Eglise (1).jpg

Saint Etienne Church

• Saint-Etienne church, in a Viscounty created in 1033 by King Sancho III of Navarre, is mentioned in documents of 1253, but with a Baroque retable of the 17th century displaying the stoning of 1st century AD Saint Étienne
• Château d'Etchaux, built in the 16th century by Viscount of Baïgorry

Coat of arms

120px

The meaning in Basque is the “red bank of the river”, in this case the river Nive, flowing through Bayonne and discharging the waters in the 324 km long Adour River.

Notable people

• Jean Isidore Harispe, 1st Comte Harispe, (Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, 7 December 1768 - Lacarre, 26 May 1855), was a distinguished French soldier of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as well as a of the following period. Harispe was created a Marshal of France in 1851.

See also

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

References

• INSEE commune file
• http://www.euskomedia.org/aunamendi/63865 . An account on the Basque historic works by French born researcher Jean de Jaurgain, (Ossas, (Zuberoa), 1842 - Ziburu, (Laburdi), Lower Navarre, 18 March 1920)

• Arnaud d'Oihenart et sa famille, París, 1885, by Jean de Jaurgin.

External links

• BAIGORRI in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) (in Spanish)