Ascain (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
The commune has been awarded three flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.Ascain in the Competition for Towns and Villages in Bloom
Geography
Ascain is part of the urban area of Bayonne in the traditional Basque province of Labourd 13 km east of Irun and south of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and the Atlantic Ocean in the western foothills of the Pyrenees. The southern tip of the commune touches the border with Spain at the peak of Larrun mountain. Access to the commune is by the D4 road from Urrugne in the north-west coming into the commune from the west then passing through the town and continuing south-east to Sare. The D918 also comes from Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the north and passes through the north of the commune between two urban areas and continuing east to Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle. Some 30% of the commune is residential with some small forests in the north and farmland mostly in the south with some farms in the north.Google Maps
The summit of Larrun, a mountain iconic of the Basque country, is situated approximately south of the town at the southern tip of the commune on the border with Spain. The summit can be reached by the Petit train de la Rhune, which commences from the Col de Saint-Ignace, to the east of the town outside the commune on the D4 road to Sare.
The Interurban Network of Pyrénées-Atlantiques bus line has two stops in the commune: one for Route 863 which runs from Hasparren to Saint-Jean-de-Luz; and Route 858 between Sare and Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
The Nivelle river flows through the north of the commune flowing towards the west parallel to the D918 on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. Several tributaries rise in the south of the commune and flow north, gathering many more tributaries, into the Nivelle. These streams include the Aniberreko Erreka, the Galardiko Erreka, and the Arraioko Erreka. The Larrunko Erreka forms the south-western border of the commune as it flows north then west to join the Intsolako Erreka which continues north to join the Aniberreko Erreka.
Places and hamlets
Aïra-Harri Aldagarai Ansorlua Apituxenborda Arginenia Arraioa Askubea Biscarzoun or Bizkarzun (redoubt) Bordatxoenia Dorria Errotenea Esnaur (redoubt) Etxegaraia Hiriburua Ihizelaia Indartea Jauregikoborda Kisu Labea Lanzelai (ZA) Larrunzola Lur Eder Manttobaita Martinhaurrenborda Miramar Monségur Morzelai Muga Nausienborda Oihanetxeberria Paxkulinenea Portua Urritzagakoborda Sabadinenborda Sainte-Hélène Serres Telleriaberria Xakarroko Errota Xeruenborda Xorroetaberria Xuanenborda Zelaia Zelaiakoborda
Géoportail, IGN
Toponymy The commune name in basque is Azkaine.
The name Ascain probably comes from haitz gain meaning "top of the hill" or "rocky height".Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture,
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Ascain Escan 1125 Goyheneche Village Escan 1140 Raymond Bayonne Scain 1235 Raymond Bayonne Azcayn 1302 Raymond Chapter Scainh 1450 Raymond Labourd Ascaing 1552 Raymond Labourd Sancta Maria d'Ascaing 1691 Raymond Collations Askaine 19th century Lhande Harania Harania 1863 Raymond Hamlet Olhaberrietta Olhaberrietta 1568 Orpustan House: "Place of the new hut" Serres Villa quœ dicitur Asseres 1140 Raymond Bayonne Sanctus-Jacobus de Serres 1691 Raymond Collations Croix d'Urumendy Croix d'Urumendy 1863 Raymond Place of Pilgrimage Xeruenborda Chérumborda 1863 Raymond Place of Pilgrimage
Sources: Goyheneche: Eugène Goyheneche, Basque Country: Soule, Labourd, Basse-NavarreEugène Goyheneche, Basque Country: Soule, Labourd, Basse-Navarre, Société nouvelle d'éditions régionales et de diffusion, Pau, 1979, bnf FRBNF34647711, p. 583 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 Lhande: Basque-French Dictionary by Pierre Lhande.Pierre Lhande, Dictionnaire basque-français, 1926. Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque ToponymyJean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006,
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 Labourd: Titles of LabourdTitles of Labourd 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 In 1609 Councillor Pierre de Lancre intervened in French Basque Country at the head of a commission of inquiry demanded by Henri IV. The commission was to "purge the country of all sorcerers and sorceresses under the influence of demons". The priest of Ascain was degraded then burned.Philippe Veyrin, The Basques, Arthaud, 1975, , page 249
The Bishop of Bayonne, Jean VI de Sossiondo, built a large house called "Askunda" here during the middle of the 16th century, which can still be seen.
In 1794, at the height of The Terror and after the desertion of 47 young people from Itxassou, the Committee of Public Safety (Decree of 13 Ventôse Year II - 3 March 1794) arrested and deported some of the men, women, and children from Ainhoa, Ascain, Espelette, Itxassou, Sare, and Souraïde; and declared the commune, as for other communes near the Spanish border, a "Notorious commune".Philippe Veyrin, The Basques, Arthaud, 1975, , page 187 This measure was also extended to Biriatou, Cambo, Larressore, Louhossoa, Mendionde, and Macaye.
The inhabitants were: "gathered in various national houses or in the District of Ustaritz or in those of the Grande Redoubt, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau".National Archives, AF II 133/1014, cited by Manex Goyhenetche in General History of Basque Country, Vol. 4, Elkarlanean, 2002, , page 300 In reality they were gathered in the churches then deported in very precarious conditionsThe Mayor and the Municipal Officer of Capbreton demanded the consignment by courier of the letter shown below (text transcribed by P. Haristoy, The Parishes of Basque Country during the Revolutionary period, Pau, Vignancour, 1895-1901, pages 256-257 ) on 24 ventôse Year II (14 March 1794) for the 229 detainees under their protection: 1) How much bread to give to each man (we have no bread so it does not matter)? 2) Can we allow them to purchase wine or other provisions? 3) We note that we have no meat; 4) Can we allow them to have a light at night from a lantern? 5) Can we allow them to have mats or mattresses? We have provided them with straw to sleep; 6) Can we allow them out two-by-two to wash their clothes? 7) If they are sick, are we authorised to take them out of the detention house to show the others that they are to be treated? to Bayonne, Capbreton, Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse, and Ondres. Departments where people from the communes were interned were Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, Landes, Basses-Pyrénées (the Béarnais part), and Hautes-Pyrénées.
The return of the exiles and the recovery of their properties were determined by a series of decrees issued on 29 September and 1 October 1794 - driven in this direction by the Director of Ustaritz: "The former communes of Sare, Itxassou, Ascain, Biriatou, and Serres, whose inhabitants have been interned for eight months as a measure of general security people have not been able to farm. The people who wish to obtain freedom to retire to their homes are clamouring for food without us being able to provide them with the means to fulfil this first human need, hunger".National Archives, F11/394, 18 vendémiaire Year III (9 October 1794), cited by Manex Goyhenetche in General History of Basque Country, Vol. 4, Elkarlanean, 2002, , page 309 The recovery of property was not done without difficulty: their properties had been sequestered but were not registered and so were looted: "Movable and immovable property of the inhabitants of Sare, were neither legally recognized nor disclosed; all our furniture and household effects were removed and brought confusedly to neighbouring communes. Instead of putting them in safe places, some were sold at auction or to any other party without auction".Bulletin of the Society of sciences, letters and arts of Bayonne, 1935, pages 67 to 70, and The Parishes of Basque Country, page 263, Gure Herria, 1930-1932: Sources cited by Manex Goyhenetche in General History of Basque Country, Vol. 4, Elkarlanean, 2002, , page 310
Heraldry
These arms were registered for the first time on 5 July 1405 by Juan Martinez de Agorreta y Ascain, Lord of Agorreta and Ascain, who married Princess Leonor Tocco de Acciaioli, from the Florence House of Acciaioli.Acciaioli familythe History page on the commune website
Administration List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France
From To Name 1808 1813 Michel Monségur 1813 1814 Pierre Theillary 1814 1828 Michel Monségur 1828 1837 Jean Pagès 1837 1844 Jean Gracy 1844 1848 Raymond Monségur 1848 1856 Dominique Hirigoyen 1856 1864 Gustave Hillaire Argelliès 1864 1867 Raymond Monségur 1867 1877 Dominique Hirigoyen 1877 1883 Jean called "Ganich" Gracy 1883 1891 Jean Etcheverry 1891 1900 Jean Larralde 1900 1904 Dominique Berho 1904 1906 René Minier 1906 1912 Jean Gracy 1912 1919 Jean Leholaberry 1919 1924 René Minier 1924 1941 Pierre Pinatel
Mayors from 1941 From To Name Party 1941 1945 Jean-Baptiste Gracy 1945 1946 Charles Minier 1946 1953 Jean Baptiste Aspirot 1953 1963 Jean Baptiste Gracy 1963 1971 Robert Minier 1971 1977 Jean Sauvé 1977 2001 André Luberriaga DVD 2001 2014 Jean-Louis Laduche DVD 2014 2026 Jean-Louis Fournier
Inter-communality
The commune is part of eight inter-communal structures: the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque; the AEP association of Nive Nivelle; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the inter-communal association for secondary educational colleges of Saint-Jean-de-Luz; the inter-communal association for the rescue centre in Saint-Jean-de-Luz; the SIED Côte Basque Sud; the association to support Basque culture. the Basque Bayonne - San Sebastián Eurocity.
Twinning Ascain has twinning associations with:National Commission for Decentralised cooperation Bollendorf (Germany) since 1979. Lesaka (Spain) since 1980.
Demography In 1670 the commune had 300 fires and in 1718 1,560 inhabitants.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Azkaindar.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.frEuskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language (Basque)
Economy
Economic activity is mainly agricultural and also tourism. There is a sandstone quarry in the commune.
Ascain is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
There are two breweries (Akerbeltz and Oldarki) in the commune.
Culture and heritage According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces edited in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, the basque dialect spoken in Ascain is Labourdin.
The film La Danseuse Orchidée by Léonce Perret was partly filmed in Ascain in 1928 with Chiquito de Cambo.
Civil heritage There are several buildings and structures in Ascain that are registered as historical monuments. These are: House of Ferdinand Pinney Earle (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Redoubt of Biscarzoun (partly in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle) (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Redoubt of Esnaur (1813)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée