Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. It is located in the historic Basque province of Soule.

Geography

Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby is located in the former Basque province of Soule some 10 km east of Saint-Palais and 10 km south of Sauveterre-de-Béarn. Access to the commune is by the D11 road from Domezain-Berraute in the west passing through the west fork of the commune then Etcharry then the east fork and the village before continuing south-east to Charritte-de-Bas. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.Google Maps

Located in the Drainage basin of the Adour, the commune is traversed from south to north by the Lafoure (a tributary of the Saison) with its tributary the Hourquet and the Lauhirasse with its tributary the Thiancoenia erreka.

Places and hamlets

Abbadie (château) Aïntcia Aitzaguer Aroue Bagardoy Bartulague Begorre Beheria Benoscar (Forest) Bentaberria Berhon Berrogain Bethe Bidauria Bohoteguia Bouhaben Carriquiry Ertorraenia Etchebarnia Etcheberria Etchecoin Etchelecu Etchemborde Eyherabide Garay Guestereguia Hagoua Harguina Harguinaborda Ithorots Jaureguiberria Joantho (château) Landaco Landuchia Larraburuzahar Larrartia Lassartia Linchinbiague Mendiburia Mendicoi Mendionde Metcha (Mill) Olhaïby Olhassaria Oxaïby Oxart Oxidoya Oyhamburia Oyhenart-Chipi Oyhençabal Pagueguy Poulit Quillilauquy Salla Sallagaray Saubidet

Géoportail, IGN

Toponymy The commune name in basque is Arüe-Ithorrotze-Olhaibi.Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language

Jean-Baptiste Orpustan indicated that Ithorots possibly signified "source of cold water" and Olhaïby "the ford of the huts".

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

Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Aroue Aroe 1337 Orpustan Village Aroa 1385 Raymond Duchesne Aroe 1460 Raymond Ohix Sent Stephen d'Aroe 1469 Raymond Ohix Degaierie de Aroa 1520 Orpustan Aroue 1690 Orpustan Aroüe 1750 Cassini Ithorots Ithorrodz 1337 Orpustan Village Uthorrotz 1469 Orpustan Itorrotz 1469 Raymond Ohix Utorrotz 1478 Raymond Ohix Utorrotz 1480 Raymond Ohix Ytorrotz 1482 Raymond Ohix Y Ptorrotz 1690 Orpustan Iptorrotz 1690 Orpustan Ithorrotz 1750 Cassini Ittorrolz 1801 EHESS (1) Bulletin des Lois Olhaïbi Olhaivi 1308 Orpustan Village Olhabie 1375 Raymond Luntz Olƒabie 1376 Raymond Military Olhaibie 1385 Raymond Duchesne Olhabia 1407 Raymond Duchesne Olhayvi 1496 Raymond Ohix Olharby 1563 Raymond Languedoc Olhayby 1690 Orpustan Olhaybié 1690 Orpustan Olhaybi 1750 Cassini Olhaiby 1793 EHESS (2) Abbadie L'Abbadie 1863 Raymond Lay Abbey of Ithorots, vassal of the Viscounts of Soule Bartulague Batrulague 1477 Raymond Ohix Farm of Ithorots-Olhaïby Barthulague 1863 Raymond Béloscar Belhoscar 1496 Raymond Ohix Farm in Aroue Lafaure La Phaura 1538 Raymond Reformation Stream which rises in Aroue, crosses Etcharry and joins the Saison at Espiute La Phaure 1863 Raymond Olhassaria Olhassari 17th century Raymond Arthez-Lasalle Fief under the Viscounts of Soule Olhassarry 1863 Raymond

Sources: Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque ToponymyJean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, on the page numbers indicated in the table. 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 Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 – Ithorrots EHESS (1): EHESS (2):

Origins: Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIVDuchesne Collection, volumes 99 to 114, containing the papers of Oihenart, former Imperial Librarian - Bibliothèque nationale de France Ohix: Contracts retained by Ohix, Notary of SouleManuscripts from the 15th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Luntz:Contracts retained by Luntz, Notary of Béarn in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Military: Military Inspection of BéarnManuscript from 1376 in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Languedoc: Confessions of LanguedocConfessions of Languedoc in the Archives of the Empire ) Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arthez-Lasalle: Titles of Arthez-LassalleTitles of the Arthez-Lassalle family at Tardets

History Paul Raymond noted on page 11 of his 1863 dictionary that Aroue was one of the seven districts of Soule and depended on the messagerie of Barhoue. There was a Lay Abbey at Ithorots, vassal of the Viscounts of Soule. The fief of Olhaïby was a vassal of the Viscounts of Soule and its owner was one of ten potestats of Soule.

The commune had a "Temple of Reason" during the French Revolution, undoubtedly because in the Béarnais region, Aroue was the only Basque commune to adopt the Jacobin anti-religion policy.

Between 1790 and 1794 Ithorots commune was merged with Olhaïby to form the new commune of Ithorots-Olhaïby. On 1 August 1973 (by prefectural order of 20 July 1973), the commune of Aroue merged with Ithorots-Olhaïby to form the new commune of Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby.

Administration

List of mayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1953 2001 Franz Duboscq 2001 2008 Marcel Gégu 2008 2014 Jean-Pascal Barneix 2014 2020 Jean-Pierre Barneix 2020 2026 Michel Sicre

Inter-communality The commune is part of eight inter-communal structures: the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque; the AEP association of Pays de Mixe; the AEP association of Pays de Soule; the educational regrouping association of Arbérats-Sillègue, Arbouet-Sussaute, Aroue, and Etcharry; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the inter-communal association for the functioning of schools in Amikuze; the joint forestry association for oaks in the Basque and béarnais valleys; the association to support Basque culture.

Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arouetarrak.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr The population data given in the table and graph below for 1968 and earlier refer to the former commune of Aroue.

Economy The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and heritage Civil heritage The village has architecture typical of the eastern Basque Country: gable roofs covered with tiles, whitewashed walls with houses from the 16th century.

As in many Basque villages, the fronton is adjacent to the church.

Religious heritage Two churches are registered as historical monuments: The Church of Saint-Étienne at Aroue (12th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée is a Romanesque church rebuilt in the 19th century. There is a sculpture from the 12th century of Saint Jacques on a horse and a Spanish image of "Matamoro". The Church of Saint-Samson at Ithorots (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Church at Olhaïby has several items that are registered as historical objects: A Retable over the main altar (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Candlestick (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An altar cross (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A tabernacle at the main altar (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A candlestick (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Statuettes (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Painting: The Martyrdom of Saints Cyr and Judith (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Tabernacle, Retable, 2 Candlesticks, Statues, Altar Cross, and Painting (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Processional Cross (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Environmental heritage The town lies on the GR 65. It is at the beginning of the 7th section of the GR which is listed by UNESCO as World Heritage. The presentation file to UNESCO locates the commune on the Via Podiensis on the Way of St. James. There is no real historical justification for this but it is an important fact for this small town. Justification was found by Dr. Urrutibetehy, the pioneer who traced the paths in the region (it was he who set up the so-called Stele of Gibraltar'' and made a point of convergence of these paths). He saw in the horseman shown on the lintel of the door of the sacristy, a representation of Saint Jacques Matamoros.

Notable people linked to the commune Franz Duboscq''', born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1924, MP and senator, former president of the council and mayor of the town until 2001.

See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

References

External links

ITHORROTZE and OLHAIBI in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) Aroue and the 7th stage of GR 65 registered as World Heritage Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Aroüe, Ittorrotz, and Olliaybi on the 1750 Cassini Map