Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan

Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.
The people of the commune are known as Ahastar.

Geography

Location

Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan is part of Cize/Garazi country which was a historical province in Lower Navarre. It includes three former parishes, sometimes counted as four groups of houses in the Middle Ages and with five toponyms: Alciette, Ahaxe, Garatehegi, Ligeta, and Bascassan located at the confluence of the Laurhibar and Esteneko streams.
Alciette is the parish farthest away to the northeast in the combination of the three parishes.
Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan is located some 6 km south-east of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and can be accessed by Highway D18 running from close to there through the heart of the commune southeast to Lecumberry. The village is not on the highway and is left onto the country road Vierge-d'Ahaxe off the D18 heading southeast. There is a country road from Aincille in the west to the village of Bascassin in the commune and there are other country roads entering from the north and the southeast.

Hydrography

The commune is located in the Drainage basin of the Adour, the commune lands are watered by the Laurhibar, a tributary of the Nive, and a tributary of that, the Esteneko stream. The Apatéko stream, a tributary of the Arzubiko stream also crosses the territory of Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan.

Localities and hamlets

Aguerréa
Ahatsaxilo
Ahaxamendy
Ahaxe
Alciette
Bascassan
Bastida
Bernetcheko Borda
Bidartéa
Bordes
Buirguista
Buluntza
Chilinchabidéa
Chilo
Curutchet
Dorrea
Errékaldéa
Erromatéguia
Etcheverria
Garatehegi
Garatéko Eyhéra
Gastelua
Gastalepo
Haraune
Harguindéguia
Idioinea
Irahane
Iriberria
Irigaraya
Irustikoborda
Italatzé
Kapila
Larluzia
Libiéta
Lietamendy
Ligeta
Olherry
Orido
Ospitaletchia
Sagardoyguibel
Seineguy
Uhaïtzia
Urrutia

Toponymy

The commune's name in Basque is Ahatsa-Alzieta-Baskazane.
;Ahaxe
The toponym Ahaxe appears in the forms:

Hatce
Fax
domine de ahacha
Assa, Aassa, and Hassa
Ahatxa
Ahaxa
Haxa and Ahaxe
Axa
Hatxa
Hadssa
Ahtxe, Visits of Bayonne
Sanctus Julianus Ahaxe.

Jean-Baptiste Orpustan indicates that the toponym comes from the Basque oronymic base of aitz meaning "rock" or "height".
The people of the commune are called in Basque Ahatsar.
;Alciette
The toponym Alciette appears in the forms:

Alsuete
La Grange Alsuete
Alçueta
Alzueta
Alçuete and Alçueta )
Alchuete
Alchuette
Alçueta
Alsiette

The Basque name for the people of this area is Alzietar.
According to Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, Alciette is derived from the medieval Alzueta which itself comes from the Basque alzu meaning "place where there are abundant alder trees".
;Bascassan
The name Bascassan appears in the forms:

Bazquazen
Bascaçen
Bascacen )
Bazcacen )
Basquacen )
Bazcacen
Vazquacen
Vazcazen and Vazaçan
Bascassan

Its origin is uncertain. The people of the area are called Bazkazandar in basque.
Ahaxachillo is mentioned in the 1863 dictionary.)
Bastida is also indicated by Raymond.
Errékaldéa is mentioned with the spelling Errecaldia referring to the flowing stream of Bascassan flowing into the Laurhibar.
;Curutchet
Curutchet was a former fief of Ahaxe, a vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre.
;Etcheverria
Paul Raymond mentioned an Etcheberry, a fief located in the parish of Alciette and a vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre.
;Garatehegi
The name Garatehegi appears in the forms:

Garateguia
sent jullian et garateheguj
la parropie de garatehegi
Garatteguy
Garatéhéguy
Garateguy

Garatehegi from Basque means "summit of the high country".
;Gastelua
Gastelua appears with the spelling Gastellu in 1863.
;Libiéta
Libiéta is a toponym that appears in the forms:

Libiet
Libiette

;Ligeta
Ligeta is mentioned in the forms:

Lagueta
Ligueta
Liguete.

The origin of this toponym could be the Latin Liger.

History

The Lordship of Ahaxe, also called the Lordship of Cize, was allied with the Viscounts of Arbéroue in the 11th century as well as the lordships of Guiche and to the Counts of Biscay.
Ahaxe and Alciette-Bascassan were reunited on 11 June 1842.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan

From	To	Name	Party
1995	2008	Simone Ithurbide
2008	2026	Jean-Paul Bidart	DVD

Inter-communality

The commune belongs to seven inter-communal structures:

the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque;
the AEP union of Ahaxe-Lecumberry-Mendive;
the energy union of Pyrenees-Atlantiques;
the RPI union Hergaray;
the inter-communal union for the development and management of the abattoir of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port;
the joint association for the watershed of the Nive;
the union to support Basque culture.

Economy

Economic activity is mainly agricultural. The commune is part of the zone designation of the Ossau-Iraty cheese.

Culture and heritage

Languages

According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, the Basque dialect spoken in Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan is eastern low Navarrese.

Civil heritage

There is a gaztelu zahar at a place called Gaztalepo, located 550 metres above sea level. There is also a lice or a fence surrounding a fortification running at 313 metres above sea level at a place called Gaztelua or Gastellia. These artifacts represent the ancient past of the commune.
There are several buildings, houses, and farms in the commune that are listed as historical monuments. These are:

Houses and Farms
Kapila House
Idioinea farm
Gohonetxea farm
'''Château Saint-Julien'''

Religious Heritage

A number of churches and sites in the commune have been classified as historical monuments. These are:

Parish Church of Saint Julien of Antioch The cemetery contains a remarkable collection of Hilarri.
Chapel of Saint-Saveur of Alciette. The chapel contains several historical objects:
*Pulpit
*2 Benches
*Main Altar, Retable and 4 Candlesticks
*Secondary Altar. Retable, 2 Candlesticks
*Baptismal fonts
*Ceiling
*Statue: Baby Jesus
*Processional Cross
*Cross: Christ on the Cross
Chapel of Saint-Saveur of Alciette
Former benoîterie of Bascassan.
Former benoîterie of Bascassan garden.
Church of Saint-André-de-Bascassan. The church contains a number of historical objects. These are:
*2 Altars, 2 Retables, 2 Paintings, 4 Candlesticks
*Baptismal fonts
*Pulpit
*Processional Cross
*Cross: Christ on the Cross
*Bronze Bell
Church of Saint-André-de-Bascassan
Cemetery Cross of Ahaxe

Facilities

The commune has a kindergarten.