Aincille

Aincille is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.

Geography

Location

The town is part of Cize Country in the former Basque Country|Basque] province of Lower Navarre.
It is located some 50 km south-east of Bayonne and 5 km southeast of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Access

The commune can be accessed by the D401 road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the northwest to the village. From the village the D118 road goes north to join the D18 highway.

Hydrography

Located in the drainage basin of the Adour, the northeastern border of the commune is marked by the Laurhibar river, which flows north to join the Nive north of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A stream rises near the village and flows to the Laurhibar in the north-east. The Urtchipea rises in the south of the commune and flows northwest gathering many tributaries and joins the Nive de Beherobie at Saint-Michel. The Sassitako erreka rises southwest of the village and flows northwest joining the Laurhibar east of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Localities and hamlets

Ahadoa
Aïntzilsarria
Bassaburua
Bentaberria
Berho
Chiramberroa
Esconda
Etcheverrigaraya
Gamaberria
Goyhenetchéa
Handiague
Harchilo
Jaureguia
Oilloquy
Pagola
Sahaby
Sotalda

Toponymy

The commune name in basque is Aintzila meaning "hill of mud", Aintzila or Aintzil-Harrieta.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan wrote the name of the commune in the form Aïncille. He also indicated that in Basque the inhabitants are referred to as Aintzildar.
The following table details the origins of the commune name.

Name	Spelling	Date	Source	Page	Origin	Description
Aincille	Aincibiu	1264	Mérimée			Village
	Aincibiu	1309	Orpustan
	Ancivil	1291	Orpustan
	Ancivil	1292	Mérimée
	Ancil	1304	Mérimée
	Ancil	1344	Orpustan
	Ançill	1307	Mérimée
	Ançill	1307	Orpustan
	Ancibiu	1350	Mérimée
	Ancibiu	1350	Orpustan
	Aincile	18th century	Raymond	4	Intendance
	Ancille	1801	Cassini		Bulletin des lois

Sources:

Mérimée: Presentation of the Commune of Aincille on the Ministry of Culture website
Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
Raymond:, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table.
Cassini:

Origins:

Intendance: Intendance of Pau

History

Part of Aincille territory next to the communes of Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan, Bustince-Iriberry, Çaro, Lecumberry, Mendive, Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, and Saint-Michel, was taken on 11 June 1842 to form of the commune of Estérençuby.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Aincille

From	To	Name
1995	2008	Jean Françaistéguy
2008	2026	Gilbert Oçafrain

Inter-communality

The commune belongs to six intercommunal structures:

the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque
the AEP association of Ainhice
the energy association for Pyrenees-Atlantiques
the intercommunal association for the development and management of the slaughterhouse at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
the joint association for the watershed of the Nive
the association to support Basque culture.

Population

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aintzildars.

Economy

The town is part of the production area of Irouléguy AOC and the Appellation d'origine contrôlée zone of Ossau-iraty.
Economic activity is mainly agricultural.
Aincille had long received saline since the 17th century and had the distinction of being a corporation with ownership of twenty-nine old houses of the town and was reunited with the royal domain in 1683.

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 Aincille is Eastern Low Navarrese.

Civil heritage

The commune has several sites that are registered as historical monuments:

Houses and Farms
The Idiondoa Farmhouse
The '''Ahadoberria Farmhouse'''

Religious Heritage

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

The Croix de Carrefour Wayside Cross
A Cemetery Cross
The Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist The church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
*A Processional Cross
*A Statue: Virgin and child

;Church Picture Gallery
;Stained Glass