Armendarits

Armendarits is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Armendariztar in Basque.

Geography

Amendarits is located some 12 km south-west of Saint-Palais and some 8 km north-east of Irissarry and is in the former province of Lower Navarre. Access to the commune is by road D300 from Iholdy in the south to the village. The D8 going east from Iholdy also passes through the southern part of the commune. The D245 from Hélette in the west passes through the commune and the village and continues north to join the D14 just south-east of Méharin. There is also the D408 which links the village to the D8 road inside the commune. Apart from a few patches of forest the commune is entirely farmland.
Numerous streams rise in the commune: the Erreka Handia and its tributaries flows north past the village, the Iharte also flows north to the east of the village, and the Ossinako Erreka forms part of the south-western border as it flows south.

Places and Hamlets

Aguerréa
Aïntziondoa
Albinoritzéko Borda
Albinoritzia
Altchia
Alziéta
Ameztoya
Arbéletchia
Armandegia
Baratchartéa
Barnetchia
Bazterrechia
Behamendy
Béhitia
Bidondoa
Bigégaïnéa
Bistaberry
Bordaberria
Bordaberriko Borda
Bordamaria
Bordécharria
Bourdinateguia
Carrica
Céhabia
Chichabalé
Chimounénéa
Chingolaénéa
Chocohonia
Curutzétako Borda
Donamaria
Donapétria
Donapétriko Borda
Donamaria
Donastéya
Elhina
Elinume
Elizabéhéréko Borda
Elizatchéko Borda
Errékartéa
Etchartéa
Etchebarne
Etchébazterréa
Etchégoïnberria
Etchégoïnberriko Borda
Etchégorria
Etchénika
Etchéparéa
Eyhérabidé
Eyhéraldéa
Eyhéramounoa
Fermindéguia
Ferminéko Borda
Gaïneko-Etchebarnéa
Gaïneko-Meharu
Garatéa
Garatéko Borda
Haramburua
Harizhanditéguia
Hatsandigaraia
Iparréa
Iribarnéa
Irigaraya
Ithurburua
Ithurburuko Borda
Jauregia
Jauréguicharria
Landetxeberri
Larraldéa
Larramendia
Lazalen Borda
Legartoa
Lekunberria
Marihanditéguia
Mehatzia
Mendihilia
Mendiondo
Mendirigaraya
Olhanéko Borda
Olharanéa
Orgalitegia
Ossina
Oyhanburua
Oyhénartéa
Pékoborda
Pochulua
Salla
Sallaberria
Sallaberriko Borda
Sallagoitinéa
Sorhoéta
Sorogaraia or Sorhogaraya
Suhartéko Borda
Teïleria
Uhaldea
Uhartéa
Urrutia
Urritiko Borda
Zedarria

Toponymy

The commune name in Basque is Armendaritze.
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Name	Spelling	Date	Source	Page	Origin	Description
Armendarits	Armandarys	1249	Orpustan	113		Village
	Armendariz	1256	Raymond	10	Bayonne
	Sancta Maria de Armendaridz	1256	Raymond	10	Bayonne
	Armendariz	1264	Orpustan	113
	Armendarriz	1292	Orpustan	113
	Armendaritz	1366	Orpustan	113
	Armendaritz	1413	Orpustan	113
	Armendaritz	1428	Raymond	10	Duchesne
	Arbendaritz	1529	Raymond	10	Chapter

Aguerréa	Aguerre	1863	Raymond	3		Fief, vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre

Curutzétako Borda	La Croix Boria	1863	Raymond	34		Place of pilgrimage

Élissetche	Élissetche	1863	Raymond	58		Fief, vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre

Etchebarne	Etchebarne	1863	Raymond	63		Place of pilgrimage

Sources:

Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan,
Raymond:, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table.

Origins:

Bayonne: Cartulary of Bayonne or Livre d'Or
Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIV
Chapter: Titles of the Chapter of Bayonne

History

Paul Raymond noted on page 10 of his 1863 dictionary that Armendarits was a former Barony, vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

From	To	Name	Party	Position
1939	1964	Bertrand Ilharreborde
1964	1986	Juliette Richard
1986	1989	Laurent Garat
1989	2026	Lucien Delgue	UMP	President of the Community of Communes

Inter-communality

Armendarits is part of seven inter-communal structures:

the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque;
the AEP association of Arberoue;
the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
the inter-communal association for school transport and educational grouping of Méharin and Armendarits;
the inter-communal association for development and management of the slaughterhouse at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port;
the joint association Garbiki;
the association to support Basque culture.

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 405 inhabitants.

Economy

Economic activity is mainly agricultural. The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and Heritage

Civil Heritage

Several buildings and sites in the commune are registered as historical monuments:

The Jauregia Manor
The Urrutia Farmhouse
The Uhaldea Farmhouse
The Sorogaraia Farmhouse
Houses and Farms

;Other sites of interest

A protohistoric fortified place at Elhina.

Religious Heritage

The Parish Church of Saint Peter. Its cemetery contains many Hilarri:

Facilities

Education

The commune has a primary school.

Notable people linked to the commune

Bernard Renau d'Eliçagaray, called little Renau, born in 1652 at Armendarits and died in 1719, was a mathematician, Inspector General of the Navy, in 1689 author of the Theory of Operation of Vessels. He was especially famous for his Bomb vessels. The pastoral of Soule in 2007 was dedicated to him.