Asasp-Arros (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography
Asasp-Arros is located six km south of Oloron-Sainte-Marie on the left bank of the Gave d'Aspe and straddling the old royal route built by Louis XIV to Canfranc in Spain. The commune consists of two portions joined by a narrow neck of land just south-west of Lurbe-Saint-Christau. Access to the commune is by Route nationale N134 (European route E7) from Gurmençon in the north passing through the length of the commune and the village and continuing to Sarrance in the south. The D918 road comes from Issor in the west then goes east from the village over the mountains to Arudy. The southern portion of the commune is heavily forested with few farms while the northern also has extensive forests but with about 40% of the land area farmland.Google Maps
The commune is part of the Drainage basin of the Adour with the Gave d'Aspe forming its entire eastern border as it flows north to join the Gave d'Oloron at Oloron-Sainte-Marie. Many tributaries flow into the Gave d'Aspe in the commune. From south to north these are: the Soum de Bordettes, the Ruisseau des Cournales, the Ruisseau de Labatnere, the Gave de Lourdios at the neck of the commune, and the Ruisseau Toupiette. In the west of the commune the Mielle river flows north with several tributaries rising in the commune: the Arrec de Bernet, the Arrec de Termy, the Arrec de Cazaux, and the Arrec de Sarraude. The Mielle continues north to join the Gave d'Oloron south-east of Moumour.
Places and Hamlets
Arenguet Arripe Arros Asasp Athay (rock) Auquis Ayestène Bellevue Bernet Bordis Boumayou Bourderot (Mill) La Bourdette Bourdette (Soum des) Cambet (Pass - 578 metres) Carrère Casaudoumecq Castets Cazaux Chichet Cousté Croharé Esparbé (Talou of) Estrabeau Feugas Fouistou Garay (Forest) Gouadain Granet Hourc-Gros Les Indes Jeannot Jean-Petit Juncas Labatnère Laborde Lacabe Lacanette (fountain) Le Lagnos Lalanne Lalanne (calvary) Lassalette de l'Arrayous Lestelle Les Louzères Magendie Maunas Minvielle Mirandette Monlong Le Pacq Payssas Perte Peyre Poey Pucheu Ségu Serrelongue (Forest) Serre-Sècque (Pass - 509 metres) Soum Artigue Tachouas Termy (Forest)
Géoportail, IGN
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy The name Asasp appears in the forms: Asap (1364,Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011, p. 14 Fors de BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques ), Azasp (1375, Contracts of LuntzContracts retained by Luntz, Notary of Béarn - Manuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques ), Asasp (around 1630,Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, by Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn), and Asasp on the Cassini Map in 1750Cassini Map 1750 - Asasp
Michel Grosclaude indicated that Asasp is related to the basque as/aitz ("rocky point") and aspi ("behind"), giving "behind the rocky point".
The name Arros is mentioned in the 12th centuryTopographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 13 (Titles of GabasTitles of the hospital of Gabas - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques ) and also in: 1220 (For of Oloron, on a copy of 1551), 1249 (sentence in the Josbaig, vidimus of 1464), 1367 (Cartulary of OloronTitles published in the History of Béarn by Pierre de Marca), 1380 (Departmental archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques), and 1750 on the Cassini Map.
According to Michel Grosclaude, Arros comes from the basque radical (h)arr ("stone") or from a former owner called Arro, in each of the two possibilities expanded by the Aquitaine suffix -ossum, giving "place of stone" or "Domain of Arro".
From 1956 until 1971 (the date of merging with Asasp) Arros was called Arros-d'Oloron to differentiate it from Arros-de-Nay.
Its name in béarnais is Asasp-Arros.
Arripe is a farm in Asasp mentioned in 1385Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 12 (Census of Béarn).
Attay is an area in Asasp cited in the dictionary of 1863.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 16
Boumayou is a hamlet referenced by the dictionary in 1863.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 35
CastetgoulyTopographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 46 and Castetmans were also places in Asasp.
Caup was another name mentioned in the dictionary in 1863.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 47
La Courtie was a place in Asasp cited by the dictionary in 1863.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 53
Croues, another area in Asasp, appears in the Terrier of Asasp,Manuscript from the 18th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in 1778 with the spelling Couroues.
Domec was a fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn, cited in 1863 Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 55 in the forms: Domec-Poe and la Domecq (respectively 1538 and 1546, Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques ).
Hourcq was an area in Asasp in 1863.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 80
Le Lagnos is a forest in Asasp, which in 1538 was called Lo Lanhos (,Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 90 Reformation of Béarn).
Monlong was referenced in 1863 as a moor in AsaspTopographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 116 as was Tachouas.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 165
Ségu is a mountain whose slopes are in both Asasp and Issor.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 159
History Paul Raymond noted that in 1385 Asasp had 17 fires and Arros 7. Both depended on the bailiwick of Oloron.
Arros commune had a Lay Abbey, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn.
On 1 January 1973 (Prefectorial Order of 29 December 1972),History page on the commune website the commune of Arros-d'Oloron (called Arros until 1956) was merged with Asasp to form the new commune of Asasp-Arros.Modifications aux circonscriptions administratives territoriales (fusion de communes), Journal officiel de la République française n° 0024, 28 January 1973, pp. 1114-1117.
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2001 Henri Navailles 2001 2008 Vincent Poey 2008 2014 André Minjuzan 2014 2020 Bernard Mora 2020 2026 Roland Benoît Laperne
Inter-communality The commune is part of seven inter-communal structures:Intercommunality of Pyrénées-Atlantiques , Cellule informatique préfecture 64, consulted on 2 March 2012 the Communauté de communes du Haut Béarn; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the association for the source of the Colombe; the educational regrouping association of the communes of Lurbe and Asasp-Arros; the television association of Oloron-Aspe Valley; the inter-communal association for sanitation of the gateway of the Aspe; the joint association for production of drinking water Jean Petit;
Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Asaspois or Asaspoises in French.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr
Economy The main activity is agriculture (livestock, pasturage, polyculture). The commune is in the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty. The quality of the water from the rivers allows development of Fish farming.
A Hydro-electric power station has been built at the confluence of the Gave d'Aspe and the Gave de Lourdios.
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage Until 1494 there was a dyke on the gave d'Aspe which linked Lurbe to Asasp. It was then replaced with a bridge, making the village an important stage on a secondary way on the via Podiensis (or Puy Route), one of the modern paths on the Way of St. James.
Religious heritage There are two churches in Asasp-Arros which are listed as historical monuments. These are: The Parish Church of Saint-Jean-l'Évangéliste at Asasp (19th century).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The church has several items registered as historical objects: Main Altar and Retable (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Secondary Altar and Retable (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Painting: the Agony of Christ (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Choir enclosure (Communion table) (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy
The Parish Church of Saint-Vincent-Diacre at Arros (19th century).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The church has two items registered as historical objects: Secondary Altar and Retable (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ceiling (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy
Environmental heritage A large wooded area,Environment page on the commune website with many hiking trails extends over the commune.
The peak of Bellevue, which is also called Cambet, is 681 metres high, the summit of Caut is 689 metres, the summit of Las Osques is 691 metres, and Pédeher is 712 metres. On the frontier with Issor the summit of Athay is 728 metres high and that of Ségu is 768 metres.
Facilities
Education The commune has an Elementary school.
Sports The Rugby union club (ASAAR) plays in the championship of France in the 2nd series.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
External links Commune website Asasp-Arros on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Asasp and Arros on the 1750 Cassini Map
References