Arrast-Larrebieu is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

Geography

Arrast-Larrebieu is located in the former province of Soule some 12 km east by south-east of Saint-Palais and 10 km north by north-east of Mauléon-Licharre. Access to the commune is by the D243 road which branches off the D11 west of the commune and north of Espès-Undurein and passes through the village before continuing north-east to join the D115. The D135 from the D11 in the west to Moncayolle-Larrory-Mendibieu in the south-east passes through the south of the commune and the hamlet of Larrebieu. The commune is mainly farmland with many forests scattered throughout the commune. The Laxubie rises in the south of the commune and flows north past the village gathering many tributaries and joins the Apaure north of the commune. Several small streams rise in the west of the commune and flow west to join the Saison.

Places and Hamlets

Toponymy

The commune name in basque today is Ürrüstoi-Larrabile or Ürrustoi-Larrebille. Jean-Baptiste Orpustan indicated that the spelling in Basque Arrast is sometimes given with the determinant Ürrüxtoia meaning "hazel tree grove". He also stated that larrabil means a "rounded moor, squat". The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Sources: Origins:

History

Paul Raymond noted on page 11 of his 1863 dictionary that the commune had a Lay Abbey, vassal of the Viscounts of Soule. Larrebieu was merged with the commune of Arrast on 16 October 1842.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

The commune is part of seven inter-communal structures:

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Urrustoitars. The population data given in the table and graph below for 1836 and earlier refer to the former commune of Arrast.

Economy

Economic activity is mainly agricultural (livestock and pasture). The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée zone designation of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and Heritage

Civil heritage

An enclosure with an earthen parapet (a protohistoric fort or Gaztelu zahar) at an altitude of 282 metres at a place called Gazteluxaga reflects the ancient past of the commune.

Religious heritage

The Parish Church of Sainte-Lucie (19th century) is registered as an historical monument. It has a bell tower called Trinity or Souletin meaning the "top of the wall", pierced by bays for the bells with three roof peaks of approximately equal height, hence the name Trinity. The church contains a Processional Cross (17th century) which is registered as an historical object.

Notable people linked to the commune