Aldudes is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France. It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.

Geography

Location

The village Aldudes is part of Le Pays Quint (Kintoa in Basque or Quinto Real in Spanish). The commune is an area of pasture belonging to Spain but cultivated by French farmers. It is located in the Aldudes valley on the banks of the Nive des Aldudes in the Basque province of Lower Navarre. It is on the Spanish border some 20 km southwest of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port although it can not be directly accessed from there.

Access

Access is by the D948 road from Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry in the north, which passes through the village then continues south to Urepel. The D58 road goes from the village through the length of the commune before continuing to Spain through Urepel commune. The Spanish border of Navarre forms the southwestern and northeastern borders of the commune.

Hydrography

Located in the watershed of the Adour, Aldudes is traversed by the Nive d'Aldudes with its many tributaries, such as the Urbeltch Labiaringo erreka, the Aktieltako erreka, and numerous unnamed streams. Paul Raymond mentioned the Autrin, a stream which rises in Aldudes and joins the Nive des Aldudes.

Localities and hamlets

Toponymy

The name of the commune in Basque is Aldude. Aldudes was also the name given to the entire valley bordering the Baigorry Valley and the Spanish border. Jean-Baptiste Orpustan proposes the construction ald(a)-uhide meaning "the path beside the water". According to Ernest Nègre however, the name Aldudes is a contraction of the basque Aldubide meaning "way to the summits" from the root aldu meaning "heights" and bide meaning "way". The romanisation into Aldudes is actually a plural. The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Sources: Origins: Camara: Titles of Camara de Comptos

History

The commune originated in the 16th century when young noblemen of the Baigory family founded the village which, by the ancient Basque succession rule, reserved the legacy of the family house exclusively to the eldest child. The parish was established in 1793.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

The commune of Aldudes participates in five intercommunal organisations:

Population

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aldulais in French.

Economy

A fish farm is active on the road to Urepel. Basque pig breeding is an activity in full revival in the Aldudes valley, under the leadership of the Technical Institute of Pork (ITP). The commune hosts the Ets Pierre Oteiza company (gourmet pork products) which is one of the fifty top agribusinesses in the department. It is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and heritage

Languages

According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces, published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, the dialect of Basque spoken in Aldudes is western Lower Navarrese dialect.

Laxoa

In 1952 the square in front of the church and the town hall was converted into a playing field for "laxoa". This ancient game of basque pelote is played with leather gloves. At the entrance porch of the church is the target for the game.

Civil heritage

The commune contains a number of sites that are registered as historical monuments:

Religious Heritage

The commune has two religious sites that are registered as historical monuments:

Environmental heritage

Picture Gallery

Facilities

Education

The commune has a private primary school (Mendi-Alde).

Notable People linked to the commune