Arthez-d'Asson (, literally Arthez of Asson; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

Geography

Arthez-d'Asson is in the Ouzom Valley some 30 km south by south-east of Pau and 35 km east by south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. The commune is almost entirely surrounded by the commune of Asson. Access to the commune is by road D126 which comes from Asson in the north passing through the commune and the village, continuing south up the Valley to Ferrières. The commune is almost entirely farmland although with patches of forest particularly along the river. The Ouzom River flows through the length of the commune from south to north gathering some tributaries on the right bank, such as the Cau du Hau, the Cau du Gat, the Arriou Sec, and the Cau de la Heche, and continuing north to join the Gave de Pau near Coarraze.The Ruisseau de Thouet forms the north-western border of the commune as it flows north-east to join the Ouzom.

Places and Hamlets

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

The commune name in béarnais is Artés d'Asson. Michel Grosclaude indicated that the name Arthez possibly came from the mediterranean radical arte ("green oak" then "undergrowth"), with the collective basque suffix -etz. He proposed it in the sense of "Vegetation of the undergrowth". The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune. Sources: Origins:

History

Paul Raymond noted on page 14 of his 1863 dictionary that the commune was formed in 1749 by the union of the hamlets of Arthez-deçà and Arthez-delà from the commune of Asson.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Inter-communality

The commune is part of four inter-communal structures:

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arthéziens or Arthéziennes in French.

Economy

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

Culture and Heritage

The béarnais singing group from Arthez-d'Asson Los de l'Ouzom was created during the 1980s.

Civil Heritage

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint-Paul (1906) is registered as a historical monument.

Facilities

Arthez-d'Asson has a primary school.

Notable people linked to the commune