Aydius (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography Aydius is located some 25 km south by south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie just east of Bedous. Access to the commune is by the D237 road from Bedous which goes to the village and terminates there. The commune is alpine in nature with extensive forests, rugged terrain and snow-capped mountains in the east.Google Maps
The Gabarret river rises in the east of the commune and flows west gathering a large number of tributaries including the Ruisseau d'Arces, the Ruisseau du Saslars, the Gave de Béranfueil, the Gave de Bouren, the Ruisseau d'Ilhiec, the Ruisseau Sarité, the Ruisseau de Traillère, and the Ruisseau de Sahun (which forms part of the western border of the commune) before flowing west to join the Gave d'Aspe at Bedous.
Places and hamlets
Anire L'Ardoisière Arès (barn) Arques (forest) Las Arretortes (Cap de) Les Arrouyes Baich (Rangole de) Barca Barrada Bat (barn) Bat (bridge) Bérangueil Bérie (bank) Bérouste (Serrot de) Bésur (cabin) Bouren Cachiquet (cabin) Calhabets (Pas de) Capdarest Capdevielle Capouret Carn de Haut (bank) Casaubon Les Catiasses (forest) Chechit Core de Cam Cot de Picars (alley) La Courade (Col de) Courdé Courrège Longue Cret Arrouy (Cap de) Escarrebirats (Pas d') Escourau (bank) Escut (forest) Guérègne Haut (Rangole de) Hourquet Roes (cabin) Les Ichantes Ichantes (forest) Illes (bank) Le Labay Lacazette Lacazotte Laresse Lartigalot Latoussé (Pènes des) Lespy Luc (barn) Manautton Mariebère (forest) Mirande Mousquaté (forest) Mousté (Col de) Pée Nouqué (ruins) Pouey La Poueye (Hosse de) Salaneuve (ruins) Les Salars Sarrelangue Sartiat (forest) Sézy (barn) Soumaous (Hosse de) Tousset l'Usclat (forest)
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy The commune name in Gascon is Aidius. Michel Grosclaude said that the name probably comes from the same root as Aydie but its origin and meaning remain obscure.
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Aydius Aydius 1385 Grosclaude Village Lo temple de Sent Martin d'Aydius 1590 Raymond Register of Aydius, BB, i, folio 3 Aydius 1750 Cassini Anire Amire 1385 Raymond Census Farm Anire 1863 Raymond Le Col des Arques Le Col des Arques 1863 Raymond Pass from Aydius to Gère-Bélesten Les Arrouyes Les Arrouyes 1863 Raymond Mountain Barca Barca 1863 Raymond Mountain Le Béranguet Le Béranguet 1863 Raymond Stream Le Bouren Le Bouren 1863 Raymond Stream Les Ichantes Les Ichantes 1863 Raymond Hamlet L'Illecq L'Illecq 1863 Raymond Stream Les Jaupins Les Jaupins 1863 Raymond Hamlet Mariebère Marie-Bère 1863 Raymond Mountainfrom Maria beroy, meaning "Beautiful Mary": Robert Aymard (member of the French Onomastic Society), Pyrénéen Toponyms, Lacour, 2009 , page 251 Bois de Mousquaté Mousquété 1863 Raymond Forest Mousté Mousté 1863 Raymond Mountain on the border with Sarrance Col de Pian Le Col de Pian 1863 Raymond Pass to Bedous Col de Picas Le Col de Picas 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass Salars Les Salars 1863 Raymond Hamlet
Sources:
Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, 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 – Aydius
Origins: Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
History A rock shelter dating from prehistory called Abri Gandon-Lassus has been discovered in the commune.
Paul Raymond noted on page 18 of his 1863 dictionary that the commune had a Lay Abbey, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn and that in 1385 there were 30 fires and Aydius depended on the bailiwick of Aspe.
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2014 Bernard Bourguinat 2014 2026 Bernard Choy
Inter-communality The commune is part of four inter-communal structures: the Communauté de communes du Haut Béarn; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the inter-communal association for aid to education in the Vallée d'Aspe; the joint association for Haut-Béarn.
Demography
Economy The economy of the commune is mainly focused towards agriculture and livestock. The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage The commune has many sites that are registered as historical monuments: The Maison Guiraudé (1891)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Maison Pualet (16th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Maison Hontas (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Abri Gandon-Lassus Prehistoric Cave (Prehistory)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Maison Ichante (1807)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Maison Casaubon (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Religious heritage The Parish Church of Saint Martin (14th century) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Environmental heritage Aydie contains a number of high mountains: The Sommet de Tachat (1,408 metres), The Sommet de Talabot (1,591 metres), The Sommet de Pétraube (1,606 metres, The Sommet de Houndarete (1,695 metres), The Soum de la Mousquère (1,778 metres, The Turon de la Goaita (1,805 metres, The Lousquette de Barca (1,870 metres, The Pic de Lariou (1,903 metres, and The Mailh Bassibe (1,973 metres.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
Bibliography In his book L'ours et les brebis (The Bear and the sheep), Etienne Lamazou recounted his life as a transhumant shepherd from 1913 to 1969. Originally from Aydius, he never left except to take his cattle to their winter plain. He recounted the life of a shepherd as it still existed at the beginning of the 20th century. All the action takes place in and around Aydius and the book has many thousands of anecdotes sometimes soothing, sometimes moving, and often instructive.
References
External links
Aydius on the 1750 Cassini Map