Arcangues (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France in what was formerly the Basque province of Labourd.
Geography
Location Arcangues belongs to the urban area of Bayonne and is located some 10 km south by south-west of Bayonne, 8 km south-east of Biarritz, and 6 km north-west of Ustaritz.
Access The A63 autoroute passes through the northern tip of the commune with the nearest exit being Exit to the west of the commune but the slightly farther Exit to the east connects directly to the D3 road which passes south through the commune and the village to Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle. There is also the D755 which branches off the D3 in the north of the commune and continues south through the west of the commune to join the D255 on the commune's south-western border. The D933 road from Anglet to Ustaritz also passes through the eastern tip of the commune with a roundabout linking to country roads in the commune.Google Maps
Hydrography The commune of Arcangues is traversed by the river Uhabia, the Urdainzko erreka, and the Harrietako erreka. The latter two discharge into the Nive, a tributary of the Adour.
Places and hamlets
Ablaintz Abots Amestoia Arantzeta Arantzetakoborda Arnega Berriotz Bidauenea Borda Chipia Bordabaxea Bordattoa le Bosquet Chapelet la Chapelle le Château Chouroumillatché Dornarieta Ehailenborda Errota Handia Errotaxipia Etchegaraya Garaten Borda Gastelhur Gorriaenea Haranburua Harretchea Hirigoina Hotchaenea Kalonjaenea Kastillaborda Lahiton Lanchipiette Larrebidea Larreburua Larrechurria Logis d'Arbela Lortenea Marittipienea Mendibista Moulin d'Alotz Othe Xuria Othe Zahar Oyhambidea Planuya Sainte-Barbe Salazaharia Salha Teileria Xurrumilatx
Toponymy
The basque name of the commune is Arrangoitze.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan proposed a joining of the basque words ar-gain, meaning "high rock", and -goiz meaning "an open position facing east" which results in the compound meaning "high rocks facing east".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Arcangues Archangos 1170 Orpustan Village Archagos 1170 Orpustan Archagos 12th century Raymond Bayonne Village Arcangos 1249 Orpustan Arcangos 1255 Raymond Bayonne Archangos 13th century Raymond Argangois 1302 Raymond Chapter Argangos 1302 Raymond Chapter Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Arcangos 16th century Raymond Collations Ablaintz Ablaintz 1083 Goyheneche Naubeis 1149 Goyheneche (Naubeys in Gascon Abots Abots 1863 Raymond Village Alotz Alots 1863 Raymond Stream which gave its name to the Moulin d'Alotz with a source in Arcangues and fed the Uhabia. Berriotz Le Bois de Berriots 13th century Raymond Bayonne Wood La Chapelle La Chapelle 1863 Raymond Hamlet Chourroumilatch Chouroumillatché 1863 Raymond Mill Dornadieta Dornariette 1863 Raymond Hamlet Gastelhur Gaztelur 1401 Arcangues Farm Gastelur 1764 Raymond Collations There was a prebend of its name in the Church of Arcangues Gastellur 1863 Raymond Jauréguia Jauréguia 1863 Raymond Farm Othe Zahar Othéçarra 1863 Raymond Wood Sainte-Barbe Sainte-Barbe 1863 Raymond A rise in the land between Arcangues and Ustaritz
Sources: Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy p. 31 Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, p. 31 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 Goyheneche: Basque CountryE. Goyheneche, Basque Country, Pau, 1979 Arcangues: Arcangues, Under the direction of Hubert Lamant-Duhart
Origins: Bayonne: Cartulary of Bayonne or Livre d'Or (Book of Gold)Manuscript from the 14th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Chapter: Titles of the Chapter of BayonneChapter of Bayonne in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Collations: Collations of the Diocese of BayonneManuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
History The lordship of Arcangues The lordship of Arcangues has been mentioned since the 12th century. Sanche d'Arcangues and Aner de Archangos were cited as witnesses or guarantors of real estate transactions between 1150 and 1170.
Plague The beginning of the 16th century in Labourd was marked by the appearance of the plague. The Gascon registersGascon Registers, Vol. 1, pages 44, 53, 141, 154, 158-159, 195, and 233 - cited by Manex Goyhenetche in his General History of Basque Country, Vol. 3, Elkarlanean, 2001, , pages 42 and 43. track its expansion. on 8 February 1517 the plague was reported in Arcangues.
The King's Prosecutors The office of King's Prosecutor belonged to the Arcangues family from the 17th century. Also Laurent, Lord and patron of Arcangues, Curutcheta, and Elissagaray was prosecutor of the Bailiwick of Labourd from 1614 to 1643.Bulletin of the Society of Sciences, Letters and Arts of Bayonne, 1921, No. 3-4, p. 166 and following. His son Jean d'Arcangues received the office of King's Prosecutor by letters patent of Louis XIII of 4 July 1643. Pierre d'Arcangues continued in the office from 1670 to 1692. Finally Squire Gaspard d'Arcangues, Lord and patron of Arcangues and Curutcheta was the last family member to hold the office from 15 April 1714 to 1749.
The Marquis of Iranda Squire Michel d'Arcangues, Lord and patron of Arcangues and Curutcheta, baptised at Bayonne on 17 October 1719, captain of the provincial militia of Labourd, married to Rose d'Aragorri (1722–1758), by which the title of Spanish Marquis of IrandaMaison d'Iranda (House of Iranda) (or Irandatz) of Hendaye, cited by Arcangues - under the direction of Hubert Lamant-Duhart, Ekaina, 1986, page 55 passed to their son Nicolas François Xavier d'Arcangues (Arcangues, 1753 - Saint-Pierre-d'Irube 1826). Rights to this title was authorized in France for life in April 1781 by letters patent of Louis XVI.
Michel Louis d'Arcangues (San Sebastian, 1790 - Bayonne, 1868) was the fourth Spanish Marquis of Iranda, Mayor of Arcangues for forty years and General Counsel for Basses-Pyrénées.
His eldest son, Alexis d'Arcangues (Bayonne, 1821 - Saint-Pierre-d'Irube 1877), succeeded him. He was mayor of Villefranque then Arcangues and General Counsel for Basses-Pyrénées.
Miguel Marie (Bayonne, 1857 - Arcangues, 1915), the 6th Spanish Marquis of Iranda, succeeded him.
Pierre d'Arcangues, born 12 April 1886 in Paris and died on 22 May 1973 in Arcangues, the 7th Marquis, was a poet and novelist and the father of Guy d'Arcangues, the 8th Marquis of Iranda, Viscount of Ascubea, and writer, who wrote in particular Les Tambours de Septembre (The Drums of September).
The home to the Marquis d'Arcangues, the Chateau of Arcangues, was used as the Duke of Wellington's headquarters during the December 1813 Battle of the Nive in the Peninsular War. Kincaid, an officer in the Rifle Brigade (95th Regiment of Foot, part of the Light Division) was billeted in the Chateau and makes extensive reference to it and its occupants in his memoirs ‘Adventures in the Rifle Brigade’.Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, T & W Boone, London, 1867, p. 273
During the German occupation of France in World War II, the Nazis used the chateau as the headquarters for their local troops.
The French Thoroughbred racehorse Arcangues, who was given the village's name, won the 1993 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Heraldry
Administration List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France
From To Name 1790 Jean Baptiste Michel Larre 1791 1794 Jean Etcheberry 1794 1795 Jean Laborde 1795 1797 Pierre Mimiague 1797 1799 Bertrand Dunate 1799 1800 Jean Laborde Petita 1800 >1803 Dominique Bastres <1815 1815 Jean-Baptiste Larre 1815 1827 Michel d'Arcangues 1827 1833 Michel Garrin 1833 1837 Étienne Mimiague 1837 1840 Pierre Darthayet 1840 1848 Michel Garrin 1848 1852 Étienne Mimiague 1852 1868 Michel d'Arcangues 1868 1871 Jean Aldabe 1871 1878 Alexis d'Arcangues 1878 1892 Dominique Doyhenard 1892 1904 Alexandre Molinié 1904 1906 Michel d'Arcangues 1906 1908 Jean Aldabe 1908 1915 Michel d'Arcangues 1915 1919 Jean Biolet 1919 1929 André Soulange-Bodin
Mayors from 1929 From To Name 1929 1969 Pierre d'Arcangues 1969 1971 Jean d'Arcangues 1971 1983 Albert Viala 1983 2014 Jean-Michel Colo 2014 2026 Philippe Echeverria
Inter-communality Arcangues is part of seven inter-communal structures: the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque; the SIVOM of Arbonne-Arcangues-Bassussarry; the inter-communal association for management of the Txakurrak centre; the association for promotion of Basque culture; the mixed association for management of drinking water for Ura; the mixed association for sanitation for Ura; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
The commune is part of the Basque Bayonne - San Sebastian Eurocity.
Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arcanguais or Arcanguaises in French,Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.frBrigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture, and as Arrangoiztar in Basque.Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language (Basque)
Economy The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone designation of Ossau-iraty.
ETPM (Multiple Public Works Company) is an independent French company based in Arcangues whose main activity is the execution of works for electrical and telecommunication networks.
Culture and Heritage
The shutters of a Basque house, made with solid wood slats, are painted the same colour as the other wooden parts of the facades or framing. They are generally in a dark red called "basque red". There has also been, since the 19th century, a very dark blue - a kind of Prussian blue - and a "deep" dark green also as well as sometimes a very light gray. At Arcangues the Marquis, Pierre d'Arcangues, introduced a lighter blue, which has retained the name Blue of Arcangues.
It was in Arcangues that the first Seaska Ikastola was created in 1969.
Languages According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte (1863), the Basque dialect spoken in Arcangues is Northern High Navarrese. However, the classification has changed. With new methodological criteria, the Basque dialectology has grown considerably in recent years and, according to the latest work by the philologist Koldo Zuazo, the Basque dialect used in Arcangues is Navarro-labourdin with an east–west sub-dialect. It is an intermediate sub-dialect combining the Navarro-labourdin sub-dialect of the east and the west. Atlas of Basque dialects published by Koldo Zuazo.