Banca (; )BANKA, Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.INSEE commune file It is part of the former province of Lower Navarre.

Geography Banca is located in the Aldudes valley on the banks of the Nive des Aldudes some 15 km south-west of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The western and eastern borders of the commune are the national frontier between France and Spain. Access to the commune is by the D948 road from Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry in the north which passes through the commune and the village and continues south-west to Aldudes. There are no crossing points in the commune to Spain. The commune is mainly rugged alpine pastures.

Hydrography The Nive des Aldudes flows from Aldudes in the south-west, gathering tributaries such as the Antchignoko Erreka, the Ruisseau d'Hayra, the Latcharrako Erreka, and the Belechiko Erreka on the northern border, and continues north-east to join the Nive south of Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa. The Ruisseau d'Hayra rises in the south of the commune and flows north gathering tributaries such as the Lehaltzarteko Erreka, the Caminarteko Erreka, and the Legarzuko Erreka to join the Nive des Aldudes near the village.

Places and Hamlets

Achistoy Agnesto Amosta Antcharteko Borda Antcheigno Antcholako Etchola Antonénéa Apialépoa Ardaza Argaray Argaray (wood) Arrabit Array Artéko Borda Asundreykoborda Atchaurra Ausquiénéa Barberaénéa Barnetchia Basoritz Beguibelcha Behostemetaka Berginanto Berhain (pass) Betripeillonénéa Betrizina Bichar Bidabéheréa Bihurrieta Bordacharréa Bustanénéa Cardinalia Carminatéko Borda Chabukody Lépoa Champagne Chanchoénéa Changala Chaochako Kaskoa Chasperro Chinta Chiriatéguia Chuhy Churritcheguy Cocagaïchto Colomio Curutcheko Kaskoa Curutchetako Borda Dartépé Dominé Ehuntzaroy (pass, 971m) Elhorrieta (pass, 831m) Elichaldia Erdizako Borda Erreguéréa Errekaénéa Erremerreka Errolako Ithurria Esculeguy Etcheberria Eyhérazaïna Eyhérazaïnako Borda> Fagaldénéa Galant Gathuly Béhéréa Gathulyko Ithurria Gnafarénéa Gnimigno Golko Golomio Ithurria Goroldi Gorria Gosnaisto Guichonaenea Guildeizar Guzmuztiko Borda Halzéta Harguintoa Harrigaitzeko Kaskoa Harrigorri Harzia Hauzay Hayra Hayra (forest) Hayra Sar Hortz Zorrotz (rocks) Ilharragorria Ilharragorrikomalda Indiano Iramebako Borda Iramehaca Irausta Ithurrialde Béhéréa Ithurrialde Garaya Jaureguibeheréa Joanes Ederra Jokutako Lépoa Katchaenéa Labaquia Lechéa Legarzuko Borda Legaza (mill) Lehaltzarte Lekayoénéa Lepeder Lepobelcha Lezetako Lépoa Lindus Manechénéa Maneixhandy Marieyhéra Maristola Ithurria Maritcho Marmaroa Martinbelchénéa Matchin Ithurria Meharroztegui (pass, 738m) Mehatzé (pass, 1133m) Menta Minchendo Mizpira (pass, 832m) Mizparachar (pass, 1139m) Moroinborda Mutikoénéa Musquet Ohakoa Olapideko Etchola Olhaberrieta Ondarlako Ithurria Orkastia Otsachar Otsahartéa Otsarrapeguy Otsartéa Oyhançaro Pago Zelhay (pass, 888m) Peilloénéa Peilloeneko Borda Petanénéa Petechaénéa Premonio Tchipitcho Etchola Teylary or Nahala (pass, 932m) Tipitto Todoria Turitchia Uhaillen Borda Uhaldéa Urbaztarréa Urlabéhéréa Urlagaraya Urritzolahandiko Etchola Uzkalépoa Zaku Zakuko Borda Zubiarin Zubiarinzahar Zumazoko

Climate

Toponymy The commune name in Basque is Banka.

For John-Baptiste Orpustan, the origin of the name Banca can have two interpretations: one lent from the Spanish banco designating the bench on which money was exchanged (which gave the French word banque which gave the English bank) or two from bancs de pierre (stone benches).

The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Banca La Fonderie 1750 Cassini Village Lafonderie 1793 Ldh/EHESS/Cassini Banca 1832 Orpustan Bihuntzeguiko erreka Bihuncéguy 1863 Raymond Stream rising in Banca and joining the Nive at Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry Churitcha Le Col de Churitcha 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass on the Spanish border Ehuntzaroy Le Col d'Éhunsaroy 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass on the Spanish border Elhorietta Le Col d'Elhoriéta 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass on the Spanish border Gathuly Gathuly 1863 Raymond Mountain on the border with Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry Forêt d'Hayra Hayra 1863 Raymond Forest shared with Urepel Lindus Lindux 1863 Raymond Mountain (1220m) on the Spanish border Meharroztegui Le Col de Méharoztéguy 1863 Raymond Mountain pass to Aldudes Mehatzé Le Col de Méhatcé 1863 Raymond Mountain pass to Spain Mizpira Le Col de Mizpira 1863 Raymond Mountain pass to Aldudes Mizpirachar Mizpirachar 1863 Raymond Mountain on the Spanish border

Sources: Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque ToponymyJean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, , p. 165 Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750 Ldh/EHESS/Cassini: 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

History

Banca owes its origin to the revival in the 18th century of the copper mines which had operated in ancient times. Banca was known as Le Fonderie (The Foundry) until the 19th century" and, under the Ancien Régime, it was a hamlet or district under the parish of Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry. It was not made a commune until 1793 under the same name, then in 1874 it was renamed "Banca". The remains of a large forge, a steel foundry started in 1828 on the site of the former copper smelter, stands at the entrance of the village on the banks of the Nive des Aldudes. The most visible element is a blast furnace in good condition.

The first armed action by Iparretarrak took place in Banca on 11 December 1973.

Administration

List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2001 Gratien Arambel 2001 2008 Dominique Etcheverry 2008 2026 Michel Oçafrain

Inter-communality The commune is part of four inter-communal structures: the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque; the inter-communal association for the development and management of the slaughterhouse in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port; the association to support Basque culture. the joint association for the drainage basin of the Nive;

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Bankars.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.frEuskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language

Economy

The copper/silver mines and the associated smelter reached their peak in the middle of the 18th century and the forge, with its blast furnace, was in operation from 1828 to 1861.

Economic activity is now mainly agricultural. The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: The Banca Mine on D948 (19th century).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée These remains are at the northern entrance of the village including a blast furnace. The supply canal is fed by the waters of the Nive captured upstream and turn a wheel of a blower machine which injected air at the base of the blast furnace through two nozzles. The adjacent building, still dominated by the canal, housed the forge fires and hammers to make cast iron and a splitting mill for splitting iron bars. Houses and Farms (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Redoubt of Lindus (1813).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée This redoubt was used during the Franco-Spanish War 1813–1814. The Gorria Farmhouse (now a Stable) (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Gixonaenea Farmhouse (1808)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Xangala Farmhouse (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Religious heritage

The Parish Church of Saint Peter (19th century) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Environmental heritage The Petechanea Gallery (0.1 hectares) is one of the locations of the regional conservatory of natural areas of the Pyrenees. Mountain Peaks Mount Harrigorry 806 m Munhogain 853 m Otsamunho 901 m Errola 908 m Abraku 1003 m Ichtauz 1024 m Antchola 1119 m Mehatzé 1209 m Lindus 1220 m Mendimotcha 1224 m Aurigna 1278 m

Facilities

Education The commune has a primary school.

Sports There is a Fronton traversed by a road.

See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

Bibliography Mines and Metallurgical Establishments of Banca, dir. P. Machot, J&D, Biarritz, Izpegi, Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, 1995, 306 p. Pierre Machot and Gilles Parent, "Mines and Metallurgy in the Valley of Baïgorry", in The Valley of Baïgorry, Éditions Izpegi, reprinted in 2002 Gilles Parent, "The handiwork of the Copper Foundry of Banca in the 18th century" in Revue d'Histoire Industrielle des Pyrénées Occidentales, No. 2, 2007, p. 143–222, Éditions Izpegi

References