Asson
Asson is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography
Asson is a large commune in the Ouzom Valley some 30 km south by south-east of Pau and 35 km east by south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie which almost completely surrounds the commune of Arthez-d'Asson. The south-eastern border of the commune is the border between the departments of Pyrenees-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées. Access to the commune is by the D 35 road from Igon in the east which passes through the village and continues west to Bruges-Capbis-Mifaget. The D 36 road comes from Nay in the north to join the D 35 just west of the village. The D 126 road goes south from the village to Arthez-d'Asson. The D 226 branches from the D 126 and goes east by a circuitous route to Lestelle-Betharram. The southern half of the commune is mountainous and heavily forested while the north is farmland with scattered small patches of forest.The Pyrénées-Atlantiques Interurban Network of buses has a stop in the commune on route 810 from Lys to Pau
Hydrography
The river Gave de Pau and its tributaries the Ouzoum and the Béez flow through the commune.The Ouzoum is fed in Asson by the Ruisseaux of Gerse, Turonnet, de Thouet, le Goulet, d'Incamps, de Berdoulat, and the Arrieucourt which forms the eastern border of the commune, and the Hèche, Hau, and Gat. Paul Raymond mentioned in the 1863 dictionary on p. 168 another tributary of the Ouzoum called le Touchet which rose in Asson and Arthez-d'Asson.
The Béez is joined in the commune by the Ruisseaux of Landistou, Trubés, Toupiette, Arrouy, Mourté, Lacot, Jupé, Picas, Coudé, and Soulens.
Places and hamlets
- Arnaude
- Arrestouilh
- Arrioucourt
- Arrouaus
- Aubuchou
- Ausone
- Barrabourg
- Bascou
- Batailles
- Bélile
- Bellocq
- Berdeu
- Berdoulat
- Berduc
- Bernadou
- Bernatas
- Betbeu
- Betcabe
- Betpède
- Bonnehon
- Bourdila
- Bourié
- Brau
- Brouquet
- Brune
- Busoc
- Cabalou
- Carache
- Cassagne
- Cassou
- Castella
- Castet Mauheit
- Castet-Oussès
- Catala
- Cayeré
- Cotbracq
- Cot de Hosse
- Les Courades
- La Courgue
- Les Crabes
- Crouseilles
- Dagues
- Donzelot
- Douasous
- Dourron
- Ermitage d'Asson
- Espagna
- Espoune-Carbou
- Estradère
- Fradi
- Gabouil
- Galibet
- Le Garroc Blanc
- Gestou
- Gourgues
- Grabot
- Gracié
- Guillamasse
- Herran
- Hourc
- Hourcségou
- Hourquet
- Labarrère
- Labat
- Labedays
- Labielle
- Lacoume
- Lalanne
- Lamothe
- Lanardonne
- Larban
- Larruhat
- Lartigue
- Lasque
- Latapie
- Loustalot
- Luppé
- Mandrou
- Mansiou
- Marcadet
- Massey
- Matocq
- Mesplé
- Milhet
- Monge
- Montguillalou
- Montguillet
- Jean Moulié
- Mounicou
- Nabarrà
- Naspret
- Nérios
- Nougué
- L’Oustau
- Pabine
- Palu
- Pédeprade
- Péré
- Peyrade
- Peyroutet
- Pladepousaux
- Pousaux
- Pradou
- Regourt
- Rouby
- Sanguinet
- Sanguinet
- Sarrailhé
- Sarraméda
- Sendou
- Teich
- Teulère
- Thou
- Thouet
- Touyarou
- Trencade
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy
The commune name in béarnais is also Asson. Michel Grosclaude said that the name probably comes from the basque aitz/as with the locative suffix -on, giving "place where there is a high point".The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
| Name | Spelling | Date | Source | Page | Origin | Description |
| Asson | Assoo | 11th century | Raymond | 15 | Saint-Pé | Village |
| Assonium | 1100 | Raymond | 15 | Titles of Mifaget | ||
| Villa quœ vocatur Asso | 12th century | Raymond | 15 | Lescar | ||
| Assun | 13th century | Raymond | 15 | Fors de Béarn | ||
| La vegarie d'Asson | 1450 | Raymond | 15 | Cour Majour | ||
| Saint-Martin d'Asson | 1790 | Raymond | 15 | |||
| Asson | Cassini | Cassini Map 1750 | ||||
| Abère | Abera | 1546 | Raymond | 2 | Reformation | Fief |
| Arribabès | Arribebes | 1675 | Raymond | 11 | Reformation | Hamlet |
| Arribabès | 1863 | Raymond | 11 | |||
| Arribarrouy | Arribarroy | 1675 | Raymond | 11 | Reformation | Hamlet |
| Arribarrouy | 1863 | Raymond | 11 | |||
| Arribebot | Arribebot | 1675 | Raymond | 11 | Reformation | Hamlet |
| Arriutoulet | Arriutoulet | 1863 | Raymond | 13 | Hamlet | |
| Artigaux | Artigaux | 1863 | Raymond | 13 | A Hamlet in the area of the former commune of Lestelle | |
| Arrieucourt | Arrioucourt | A stream that rises in Asson and Igon and joins the Ouzom | ||||
| Arriucourbe | 1863 | Raymond | 12 | |||
| Bataille | L’ariu de Bathalhes | 1501 | Raymond | 24 | Notaries of Nay | A stream having its source in Asson and flowing to the Béez |
| Le Bataillès | 1863 | Raymond | 24 | |||
| Les Bengues | Les Bengues | 1675 | Raymond | 27 | Reformation | Hamlet |
| Brocq | Brocq | 1863 | Raymond | 36 | Farm | |
| Cami | L’ostau deu Cami | 1385 | Raymond | 39 | Census | Farm |
| Cami | 1863 | Raymond | 39 | |||
| Castet-Oussès | Castet-Ousses | 1863 | Raymond | 46 | The mountains between Asson and Arthez-d'Asson | |
| Claverie | L'ostau de Claveria | 1538 | Raymond | 51 | Reformation | Fief |
| Claverie | 1863 | Raymond | 51 | |||
| Chemin de Clerguet | lo cami Clargues | 1536 | Raymond | 51 | Reformation | A path that started at Clarac, crossed Asson and Igon, and was the border between Asson and Nay |
| le cami Claragues | 1536 | Raymond | 51 | Reformation of Béarn | ||
| le grant camii aperat Clergues | 1547 | Raymond | 51 | Reformation | ||
| Chemin de Clerguet | 1863 | Raymond | 51 | |||
| Couts-Dedans et Couts-Dehors | Fore-Couts | 1547 | Raymond | 53 | Reformation | Hamlet |
| Cootz | 1581 | Raymond | 53 | Reformation of Béarn | ||
| Dedans-couts et Fore-Couts | 1675 | Raymond | 53 | Reformation | ||
| Le chemin d’Estradère | Le chemin d’Estradère | 1863 | Raymond | 62 | A path that went from Asson to Arthez-d’Asson over the mountain | |
| La Fourcade | La Fourcade | 1863 | Raymond | 65 | Farm | |
| Grabot | Martinet de Grabaud | 1771 | Raymond | 73 | Intendance | Ironworks |
| Hermitage | Lo Castet d'Assoo | 1538 | Raymond | 77 | Reformation | Ancient mound. Isaac Vergès of Nay built a monastery on the mound in the 17th century |
| la Bielle d'Asson | 1675 | Raymond | 77 | Reformation | ||
| Lalanne | Lalanne | 1863 | Raymond | 91 | Hamlet | |
| Larban | Larban | 1540 | Raymond | 93 | Reformation | Farm |
| Minvielle | la maison noble de Mainvielle | 1673 | Raymond | 113 | Reformation | Fief of Asson, Vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn |
| Palu | Paluu | 1385 | Raymond | 131 | Census | Farm |
| Palu | 1863 | Raymond | 131 | |||
| Les Pandelles | las Pandeles | 1443 | Raymond | 131 | Cour Majour | Farm |
| Les Pandelles | 1863 | Raymond | 131 | |||
| Subercaze | la maison noble de Subercase | 1684 | Raymond | 164 | Reformation | Fief subject to the Viscounts of Béarn |
| Les Pandelles | 1863 | Raymond | 164 |
;Sources:
- Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrénées, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table.
- Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006
- Saint-Pé: Cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Pé
- Reformation: Reformation of Béarn
- Lescar: Cartulary of Lescar
- Census: Census of Béarn
- Fors de Béarn
- Intendance: Intendance of Pau
- Cour Majour: Regulations of the Cour Majour
- Notaries of Nay
- Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750