Abère (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.
Geography
Location Abère is located some 22 km northeast of Pau and some 9 km northeast of Morlaas. The D7 road (Route de Vic) heading east from Saint-Jammes passes through the southern portion of the commune and continues to Baleix. Access to the village is by the Chemin de Lapoutge going north from the D7 for about 6 km. The Highway D207 coming south from Simacourbe forms the eastern boundary of the commune. The commune is mostly farmland with forests in the north and eastGoogle Maps
Hydrography Located in the watershed of the Adour, the Grand Léez river forms the western border of the commune, with the Arriutort joining it at the northern tip of the commune and forming the northeastern border of the commune.
Localities and hamlets
Bartot Berducq Bordenave Briscoulet Courde Crouquet Hourcade Labat Larré Piarrette Salabert La Teulère
Géoportail, IGN, consulted on 14 October 2011
Neighbouring communes and towns
Toponymy The name Abère was mentioned in the tenth centuryTopographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011, p. 2 (according to Pierre de MarcaPierre de Marca, History of Béarn p. 268 ) and appeared in the forms: Oere and Bere (1385 Census of BéarnManuscript of the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques ), Vere and Avere (1385Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, , p. 214 Census of Morlaàs, but uncertain if it is the same locality), Oeyre was mentioned in 1487 Registry of Béarnais businesses.Manuscripts of the 15th and 16th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Abere appears on the Cassini Map of 1750Cassini Map 1750 - Abère and in the 1790 map,Cassini Map 1790 - Abère Bulletin of Laws.
Michel Grosclaude proposed a Latin etymology of abellana or abella, derived from the Béarnais abera (according to Brigitte Jobbé-Duval.Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture, ), which means "hazelnut" and by extension "the hazel copse"
The commune's name in Béarnais is Avera.
History Paul Raymond noted that in 1385, there were 8 fires in Abère and that it depended on the bailiwick of Pau. A barony was created in 1672, a vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn. The commune was part of the Archdiocese of Vic-Bihl, which in turn depended on the Diocese of Lescar of which Lembeye was the capital.Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 174
Its Lay Abbey, Ministry of Culture, Mérimée the house of Bosom d'Abadie is mentioned in 1385.
Administration
List of Successive Mayors of AbèreList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2008 Jean-Pierre Lortet 2008 2014 Claude Conte-Hourticq 2014 Current Myriam Cuillet
Intercommunality Abère is a member of three inter-communal organisations: the community of communes of Nord-Est Béarn the AEP Union for the Luy and Gabas Regions the energy Union of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Population
Culture and Heritage
Civil heritage Several structures are listed as historical monuments in the commune. These are: Tile factory at la TeulèreMinistry of Culture, Mérimée Former Lay Abbey: the Bosom d'Abadie Town Hall (former Presbytery) (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Chateau of Bordenave d'Abère (1732)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Menyucq House farm (1841)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Houses and Farms (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Religious Heritage The Church of St. John the Baptist (16th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The church contains several historical objects. These are: Processional Cross (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Altar CrossMinistry of Culture, Palissy Painting: Christ on the Cross with Saint John, the Virgin, and Saint John the Baptist (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Baptismal Fonts (12th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 4 Altar CandlesticksMinistry of Culture, Palissy 2 statues: Angels holding a column and a scaleMinistry of Culture, Palissy TabernacleMinistry of Culture, Palissy Altar (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Altar, Tabernacle, and 4 Candlesticks at the secondary altarMinistry of Culture, Palissy
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
References
External links Abère on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Abere on the 1750 Cassini Map