Baigts-de-Béarn (, literally Baigts of Béarn; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography Baigts-de-Béarn is located some 6 km north-west of Orthez and 23 km east of Peyrehorade. The western part of the northern border of the commune is also the departmental border between Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Landes. Access to the commune is by road D817 from Puyoô in the west which passes through the south of the commune and the village and continues south-east to Orthez. The D415 (the old Route Imperiale) branches from the D817 west of the commune and passes through the village before continuing east to Orthez. The D315 goes north from the village then east to Saint-Boès. The D915 goes north from the D315 to Saint-Girons-en-Béarn. The A64 autoroute passes through the southern tip of the commune but there is no exit with the nearest exit being Exit some 3 km west of the commune. The commune is mostly farmland with scattered forests.Google Maps
The Gave de Pau forms the southern border of the commune as it flows west to join the Gave d'Oloron at Peyrehorade. Numerous streams rise in the commune and flow south to join the Gave de Pau including the Ruisseau de Montlong. The Ruisseau de Lataillade forms the northern border of the commune as it flows west and forms part of the departmental border with Landes before joining the Gave de Pau west of Puyoô. The Arriou de Bardj rises in the north of the commune and flows west then south to join the Gave de Pau east of Ramous.
Places and hamlets
Arritor Balagué Barroumères Bassot Bellevue (château) Bergeras Bernet Bizens Bordenave Bourdieu Brana Brau Capdebielle Cassecour Castéra Castillon Caubraque Caupet Cossou Cuyoula Domblides Fayet Gassiou Gayou Les Glycines Grihou Hau Hourquebie Hourquérou Hourquet Hours Labasse Labiste Laborde Laboudigue Lacabanne Lacarrère Lacrouts Lagouarde Lagourque Lahéouguère Lalanne Lanuque Latéoulère Laulhé Loustaunau Luns Martimour Mongay Mousquès Panaut Parrabéou Pédeboscq Petit Peyrou Pierroulin Pitche Planté Pommes Poublan Pourret Régis Rey Riche Saint-Laurent Sére Temple Tilhète Toucayré Touriangle (château)
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy The commune name in béarnais is Vaths de Bearn.
The name Baigts means "valley" in Gascon but, according to Michel GrosclaudeMichel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, that meaning is to be avoided. According to him Baigts comes from the Gascon vaths which is derived from vallis meaning "hollow" or "depression" or from vallum meaning "palisade" or "entrenchment". In the old village there is a Rue de l'Embarrat meaning "fortified redoubt".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Baigts Baigs 13th century Raymond Fors de Béarn Village Baigx 1318 Raymond Béarn Bags 1343 Raymond Béarn Bachs 1505 Raymond Garos Batz 1540 Raymond Reformation Vagtz 1548 Raymond Reformation Baitz 1582 Raymond Alienations Baigts 1750 Cassini Baziart Bessiart 1540 Raymond Reformation Farm Brau Lo Brau 1540 Raymond Reformation Farm Braü 1863 Raymond Castillon Castelhoo-Susoo 1385 Raymond Census Fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn Castilhon 1682 Raymond Reformation Labasse La Basse 1540 Raymond Reformation Farm Lacoumayou Cau-Mayor 1385 Raymond Census Farm La Caumayo 1540 Raymond Reformation Le Petit-Hameau Le Petit-Hameau 1863 Raymond Hamlet Portes Portes 1385 Raymond Census Fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn and dependent on the bailiwick of Rivière-Gave Portas de Bags 1538 Raymond Reformation Turon de Castéra Le Touron de Castéra 1675 Raymond Reformation Moor
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 Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 – Baigts-de-Béarn
Origins: Fors de BéarnManuscript from the 14th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Béarn: Titles of Béarn,Titles of the Viscounts of Béarn in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Garos: Notaries of GarosNotaries of Garos in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Alienations: Alienations of the Diocese of DaxRegisters of alienations from the old Imperial Library in the Bibliothèque nationale de France Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
History Paul Raymond noted on page 19 of his 1863 dictionary that the commune depended on the Diocese of Dax and was the capital of the Notary of Rivière-Gave, the name of an arch-priesthood of the diocese of Dax which gave its name to the Gave de Pau. In 1385 the commune had 59 fires.
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2014 Christian Palette 2014 2026 Guy Pemartin
Inter-communality The commune is part of three inter-communal structures: the Communauté de communes de Lacq-Orthez; the water and sanitation association of Trois Cantons; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Batchois or Batchoises in French.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr
Economy In addition to an economy focused on agriculture (livestock and corn), the commune has a hydroelectric plant.
The commune is part of the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Béarn.
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage The Chateau of Bellevue is a nursing home for disabled workers.
Religious heritage The Parish Church of Saint Vincent and Saint Bartholomew (17th century) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Facilities The commune has a primary school.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
References
External links
Baigts on the 1750 Cassini Map