Barcus (; ; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France in the former province of Soule.INSEE commune file
Geography
Location Barcus is located in the in the former province of Soule some 25 km south by south-east of Sauveterre-de-Béarn and 12 km west of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. The commune covers a complex of valleys formed by the course of the Joos and its left and right tributaries - the Paradis district, for example, is located on the Ibarra and the former hamlet of Guibelhéguiet is on a tributary of the Joos.
Access Access to the commune is by the D24 road from Chéraute in the west which passes through the centre of the commune and continues east to Esquiule. The D347 branches from the D26 west of the village and goes south to Tardets-Sorholus. The D59 comes from Saint-Goin in the north-east through the village and continues south down the eastern side of the commune to Montory. The D859 branches off the D59 in the north of the commune and goes north to join the D25 north of the commune. The D159 branches off the D59 halfway down the commune and goes east to join the D24 east of Esquiule. The D459 branches off the D59 in the south of the commune and goes south-east to Lanne-en-Barétous.
Hydrography The commune is located in the drainage basin of the Adour. The Joos river rises west of the commune and flows east across the commune then north, forming the eastern border of the commune, continuing north-east to eventually join the Gave d'Oloron at Préchacq-Josbaig. Many tributaries rise in the commune and flow east into the Joos including the Bouhatéko erreka, the arréc of Etchanchu, the Handia, the Oyhanart erreka, the arriou of Soulou, the Sustaris erreka, and the Ibarra stream (7 km long) with its tributaries, the Ruisseau Ibarra (4.4 km, which is joined in the commune by the Askontchilo erreka and the Athaketa stream) and the Lecheguita stream (also with its tributary the Ilharra stream). Paul Raymond mentioned another tributary of the Joos crossing Barcus called the Guibéléguiet with its tributary the Paradis.
Tributaries of the Lausset, which also flows into the Gave d'Oloron, also pass through the commune such as the Ascania stream and the Ibarle stream with its tributary the Ambelseko erreka.
Finally the Ruisseau de Lacoste, a sub-tributary of the arréc of Bitole also crosses the commune.
Places and Hamlets There are a large number of places and hamlets in the commune:
Agaras Agor (border) Agorria Aguerborda Aguerret Aistor Alkkatia Ahargo Ainus Alhorchar Arambeaux Aramburu Aranéder Arangaray Arhanchet Arthaxet Artheguiet Artzanüthürry Askain Askonobiet Askoz Askozborda Athaket Athakéta Ayscar Bagardikoborda Baralegne (pass) Barbieborda Barbieko Eyhéra Barcardats Barcochbide Barnetche Barrenkia Belloya Beltchun Beltzantzuburu Berhaburu Berho Bermaillou Betan Beteria Bidau Bigne (pass) Biscay Bohogu Bordabegoïty Bordaburia Bordacharia Bordagay Bordagoyhen Bordetta Burgia Cabana Cachau Chiloua Choko Chourikoborro Cocutchia Cotabaren Cotiart Coyos Coyosborda La Croix Blanche Curutchiga Doronda Duque Eihartzéta Elhar Elhurdoy Eperrape Eperregagne Erguillota Errande Errékartéa Espel Espelia Estecondo Etchahoun Etchanchu Etchandy Etchartéa Etchebarne Etcheberriborda Etcheberry (2 places) Etchecopaberria Etchegoren Eyharche Eyhartzet Eyhea Eyheregaray (2 places) Eyhéramendy Fabiania Gagnéko Borda Galharetborda Garay Garrat Gastellondo Gorostordoy Gorrostibar Goyheneix Goyheski Goyhetsia Goytolia Guibelhéguiet Haritchast Haritchelhar Harritchilondo Haubiga Hégoburu Héguiapal Heguilla Héguitchoussy Ibar Ibarrondo Idiart Ihitzaga Ilharra Itchal Jacobia Jaureguiberry Lagune Lapitz Lapitzia Larragorry Larranda Larrandabuia Larrasquet Larrorry Laxague Laxagueborda Lecheguita (pass, 653 m) Legegaray Lépazka Lescarpé Logeborde Lohidoy Lohidoyborda Lojaborda Malobra Maysonnave Menusketa Mercaptpide Mercaptpide Borda Mignaborda Miranda Mocho Montokoaltéa Muskogorry Nissibart Oholéguy Oilher Ondarzuhia Ordanoulet Ostallaborda Oyhanart Paradis Pelento Pellen Perkain Petchia Petillon Picochet Pinka Pordoy Potho Princi Princiborda Puchulu Restoy Sagardoyhégui Salaber Salazar Salazarborda Salhanka Sapiula Sardo Saruborda Seceneguiet Sinto Sorhotus Suhatsola Thias Topet Udoy Uhalt Uhaltborda Uhart Urrustoy Urruty Uthuère Uthurralt Uthurry Zatzoury
Toponymy The commune name in Basque is Barkoxe.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan proposes a Basque etymological construction in two parts. The first element barr meaning "located inside, at the bottom" is joined to the element -koiz to approximate the Basque goiz meaning "morning or east". Barcus is located in a low valley to the east which justifies the Orpustan analysis.
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Barcus Barcuys 1384 Raymond Navarrenx Village Barcuix 1462 Raymond Oloron Sent-Saubador de Barcuix 1470 Raymond Ohix Barcoys 1520 Raymond Customs Barcois 1520 Orpustan Barcux 1580 Raymond Luxe Barcinx 1650 Raymond Guienne Barcuix 1690 Orpustan Bareus 1801 Bulletin des lois Agaras Agarassi 1479 Raymond Ohix Farm Bilapu Bilapu 1520 Raymond Customs Farm Biscay Biscaya 1479 Raymond Ohix Farm Charritet Charritet 1520 Raymond Customs Farm Gastellondo Gastézoszo 1863 Raymond Hamlet Guibelhéguiet Guibelleguiet 1479 Raymond Ohix Hamlet Guibéléguiet-Ibarra 1863 Raymond Hégoburu Hégoaburu 1479 Raymond Ohix Farm Hégobure 1863 Raymond Iriard Iriard 1520 Raymond Customs Farm Jaureguiberry Jauréguiberry-Harra 1863 Raymond Hamlet Larréja Larréja 1863 Raymond Hamlet Le Paradis Le Paradis 1863 Raymond Chapel and Stream Udoy Udoy 1479 Raymond Ohix Farm Uhart Uhart 1520 Raymond Customs Farm
Sources: 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 Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque ToponymyJean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, p. 204-205, Bulletin des Lois:
Origins: Navarrenx: Notaries of NavarrenxNotaries of Navarrenx in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Oloron: Notaries of Oloron-Sainte-MarieNotaries of Oloron-Sainte-Marie in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Ohix: Contracts retained by Ohix, Notary of SouleManuscripts from the 15th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Customs: Customs of SouleCustoms of Soule in 1520, printed at Pau in 1760 Luxe: Titles of LuxeTitles of Luxe in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Guienne: Government General of Guienne and Guascogne and neighbouring country
History Jean-Baptiste Orpustan noted that the commune was a former "royal town".
Paul Raymond on page 21 of his 1863 dictionary noted that the commune had a Lay Abbey, vassal of the Viscounts of Soule. In 1790 Barcus was the capital of a Canton dependent on the District of Mauleon Licharre and made up of the communes of Barcus, L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise, and Roquiague.
Barcus appears as Barcux on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version.
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1935 1954 Ambroise Bethular 1954 1989 Jean-Baptiste Jaureguiberry 1989 1995 François Uthurry 1995 2001 Jean Barneix 2001 2026 Jean-Marc Baranthol
Inter-communality The commune is part of five inter-communal structures: the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque; the AEP association of Pays de Soule; the sanitation association of Pays de Soule; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the inter-communal association to support Basque culture.
Demography The Journal by Pierre Casalivetery, Notary at Mauléon, during 1460-1481 counted 26 fires at Barcus and 210 for the years 1540–1548, indicating a rapidly growing population.Journal de Pierris Casalivetery, transcribed and published by Jean de Jaurgain in the Archives historiques de la Gascogne, 1909, cited by Manex Goyhenetche in his Histoire générale du Pays basque III: Évolution économique et sociale du xvie au xviiie siècle, Vol. 3, Donostia/Bayonne, Elkarlanean, 2001, 411 p. ( and 9788483317440, ), p. 24. The same work by Manex Goyhenetche indicated on page 284 that there was an average population of 5.5 persons per fire.
The inhabitants of the commune are known in French as Barcusiens or BarcusiennesPyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr and in Basque as Barkoxtar''.Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language
Economy Economic activity is mainly oriented towards agriculture (mixed farming and sheep farming). The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone designation of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage The Lamiñen ziloa ("Cave of laminak" in Basque). Laminak are small lutins in Basque mythology. A treasure trove of Celtiberian currency (400-100 BC.) was discovered in 1879.Vincent Mistrot and Christophe Sirieix, preface by Alain Juppé, In Gallic Times, Aquitaine before Caesar, éditions errance, September 2012, pp. 76-77 (catalogue of the exposition) Composed of 1,750 silver coins from different cities of Navarre and Aragon, the reason for their presence in Barcus remains controversial. A gaztelu zaharA prehistoric fortified place stands at 440 metres above sea level in the Haitzhandia locality.
Religious heritage The Parish Church of the Ascension (Middle Ages) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée It was largely rebuilt in the 19th century and restored in the 20th century. It contains a Bronze Bell (1689) that is registered as an historical object.Ministry of Culture, Palissy
Cultural events
In 2009 Barcus organised a Pastoral, a Soule traditional show mixing theatre, dancing and singing. There is a Pastoral throughout winter until April on Sundays in other villages of Soule.
Notable people linked to the communeLéon Urthuburu, vice-consul for France in Guayaquil, Ecuador, originally from Barcus, he bequeathed Floreana Island in the Galápagos Islands to the commune in 1860. Despite his efforts Barcus never took possession.Philippe Veyrin, The Basques, p. 76, Arthaud, 20 December 1975, Pierre Topet, alias "Etxahun", born in Barcus (1786-1862), a Basque poet.Jean Touan, born in 1817 at Barcus, was the founder of the Café Tortoni in Buenos Aires. The café was bequeathed to Célestin Curutchet in 1872, another native of Barcus.André Chilo''', French rugby player, born on 5 July 1898 at Bordeaux and died on 3 November 1982 at Barcus.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
Notes and references
Notes
References