Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette

Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.

Geography

Location

Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette is located in the former province of Soule. It is located some 35 km west by south-west of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and 10 km north of Larrau.

Access

The commune can be accessed by the small D247 road from the village to Tardets-Sorholus in the north-east. The D149 branches off this road in the commune and goes north to Camou-Cihigue. There is also the D117 road which goes west from the village to Mendive.

Hydrography

Located in the drainage basin of the Adour, most of the southern border of the commune is formed by the Alphoura river which also flows through the village and continues northeast to join the Saison near Alos-Sibas-Abense. The Alphoura is fed by many tributaries rising in the commune including the Azaléguy and Ardounc. The Escalérako erreka rises in the south and flows west with its many tributaries.
Paul Raymond mentioned the Arangaïxa, a brook that rises at Alçay and flows into the Alphoura.

Localities and hamlets

Aguer
Albinzé
Alçabéhéty
Alçay
Ampo
Andoche
Arangaitz
Arhansus
Arhex Borde
Atheis
Azaléguy
Azaléguiko Karbia
Bagadoya
Bagazaguita
Bagothusta
Belhy
Berrayde
Bethalia
Bidalunia
Bordagagna
Borda Iribarneko
Bordapia
Burdin Olatzé
Burgance
Çaro
Chaldupia
Chuburu
Croix Garat
Elichabeborda
Eltzegagnia
Erbinia
Espoulapia
Esquirassy
Etcheberri Borda
Etcheverry
Etchecopar Borda
Eyhéraber
Ezpalako Larria
Goyheneix Borde
Gutux Borde
Habrague
Handia
Haquits
Harizmendy
Harristolatzia
Houretaborda
Ibarburia
Ibarria
Illaberria
Inharchoury
Irriko Borda
Kamitchel
Kharalda
Lapistoy
Larramendia
Laxunia
Laze
Lechardoy
Lecharria
Lekayborda
Leziague
Lomendi
Luchiloa
Lucu
Lutogagne
Maraizolatzé
Méthola
Miranda
Néquézaurborda
Ourdanberhartia
Oxapuria
Oxibar
Pista Uthurria
Poyuko Borda
Sallaberriko borda
Sobieta
Sunharette
Thipinka
Ursoy
Utzidoy
Uztarila
Uztubulia

Toponymy

The commune name in Basque is Altzai-Altzabeheti-Zunharreta.
According to Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, the base altz meaning "aulne" was used for both the toponyms Alcay and Alçabéhéty. beheti means "at the bottom".
The name Sunharette comes from the Basque zunhar using the romanized locative suffix ette meaning the "place of elm".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Name	Spelling	Date	Source	Page	Origin	Description
Alçay	Aucet Suson	1337	Orpustan	196		Village
	Alsay	1385	Raymond	4	Duchesne
	Ausset-Suson	1479	Raymond	4	Ohix
	Alçay	1520	Orpustan	196
	Aucet Suson	1690	Orpustan	196
	Auset Suson	1690	Orpustan	196
	Alsai	17th century	Raymond	4	Chronicles

Alçabéhéty	Aucet Juson	1337	Orpustan	196		Village
	Ausec-Juson	1385	Raymond	4	Duchesne
	Auset Juzon	1385	Orpustan	196
	Auzat Juzon	1385	Orpustan	196
	Aucet Juzon	1690	Orpustan	196
	Alcabehety	1793	Cassini1
	Alçabehety	1801	Cassini1		Bulletin des lois

Sunharette	Sunarte	1337	Orpustan	196		Village
	Sunharrete	1475	Raymond	165	Ohix
	Sunharrette	1690	Orpustan	196
	Sunarrette	1690	Orpustan	196
	Sonharette	1793	Cassini2
	Sunharrette	1801	Cassini2		Bulletin des lois

Arangaïxa	L'Arangaïxa	1863	Raymond	8		Stream

Arhansus	Arhansus	1863	Raymond	10		Wood

Athaguy	Athagui	1520	Raymond	16	Soule	Farm
	Atagui	1520	Raymond	16	Soule

Belhy	Belhy	1863	Raymond	27		Mountain

Burunolatxé	Le Col de Burunolatxé	1863	Raymond	37		Pass

Couhourre	Couhourre	1863	Raymond	53		Wood

Esquirassy	Esquirassy	1863	Raymond	62		Mountain

Etcheverry	Etcheberri	17th century	Raymond	63	Chronicles	Fief, under the Viscounts of Soule

Handiague	Handiague	1863	Raymond	75		Mountain

Sources:

Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
Raymond: , 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table.
Cassini1: Alçabéhéty on the Ldh/EHESS/Cassini database
Cassini2: Sunharette on the Ldh/EHESS/Cassini database

Origins:

Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIV
Ohix: Contracts retained by Ohix, Notary of Soule
Chronicles: Chronicles of Arthez-Lassalle
Soule: Custom of Soule

History

In 1790 Sunharette was the chief town of a canton which was part of the District of Mauleon. The canton included the communes of Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette, Alos-Sibas-Abense, Camou-Cihigue, Etchebar, Lacarry-Arhan-Charritte-de-Haut, Lichans-Sunhar, and Ossas-Suhare.
In 1833, the three communes of Alçay, Alçabéhéty, and Sunharette merged to form a single joint commune.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

From	To	Name
1983	2001	Arnaud Dascon
2001	2026	Anicet Erreçarret

Inter-communality

The town is part of seven intercommunal organisations:

the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque
the association to support Basque culture;
the SIVOM of the canton of Tardets;
the intercommunal association of the gaves d'Oloron and Mauléon
the SIVU for Tourism in Haute-Soule and Barétous;
the AEP association for Soule Country
the association for remediation of Soule Country

Economy

Activity is mainly focused on agriculture. The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée zone of Ossau-Iraty cheese.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

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

The Seven Ibarnaba Tumuli in the Esquirassy district
The Ten Ibarletta Tumuli in the Esquirassy district

;Other sites of interest

The Gaztelu zahar of Maide korralea meaning "the enclosure of Maide" is attributed to Maidé, mythological beings incorporating some of the traits of Jentils and Laminak.

Religious Heritage

The Romanesque Parish Church of Saint-Pierre is registered as an historical monument. The church contains a Processional Cross which is registered as an historical object.

Environmental heritage

The Belhygagne peaks and Gaztelia are the highest points in the commune at, respectively, 1,072 and 1,345 metres high.