Aydius
Aydius is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography
Aydius is located some 25 km south by south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie just east of Bedous. Access to the commune is by the D237 road from Bedous which goes to the village and terminates there. The commune is alpine in nature with extensive forests, rugged terrain and snow-capped mountains in the east.The Gabarret river rises in the east of the commune and flows west gathering a large number of tributaries including the Ruisseau d'Arces, the Ruisseau du Saslars, the Gave de Béranfueil, the Gave de Bouren, the Ruisseau d'Ilhiec, the Ruisseau Sarité, the Ruisseau de Traillère, and the Ruisseau de Sahun before flowing west to join the Gave d'Aspe at Bedous.
Places and hamlets
- Anire
- L'Ardoisière
- Arès
- Arques
- Las Arretortes
- Les Arrouyes
- Baich
- Barca
- Barrada
- Bat
- Bat
- Bérangueil
- Bérie
- Bérouste
- Bésur
- Bouren
- Cachiquet
- Calhabets
- Capdarest
- Capdevielle
- Capouret
- Carn de Haut
- Casaubon
- Les Catiasses
- Chechit
- Core de Cam
- Cot de Picars
- La Courade
- Courdé
- Courrège Longue
- Cret Arrouy
- Escarrebirats
- Escourau
- Escut
- Guérègne
- Haut
- Hourquet Roes
- Les Ichantes
- Ichantes
- Illes
- Le Labay
- Lacazette
- Lacazotte
- Laresse
- Lartigalot
- Latoussé
- Lespy
- Luc
- Manautton
- Mariebère
- Mirande
- Mousquaté
- Mousté
- Pée Nouqué
- Pouey
- La Poueye
- Salaneuve
- Les Salars
- Sarrelangue
- Sartiat
- Sézy
- Soumaous
- Tousset
- l'Usclat
Toponymy
The commune name in Gascon is Aidius. Michel Grosclaude said that the name probably comes from the same root as Aydie but its origin and meaning remain obscure.The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
| Name | Spelling | Date | Source | Page | Origin | Description |
| Aydius | Aydius | 1385 | Grosclaude | Village | ||
| Lo temple de Sent Martin d'Aydius | 1590 | Raymond | 18 | Register of Aydius, BB, i, folio 3 | ||
| Aydius | 1750 | Cassini | ||||
| Anire | Amire | 1385 | Raymond | 6 | Census | Farm |
| Anire | 1863 | Raymond | 6 | |||
| Le Col des Arques | Le Col des Arques | 1863 | Raymond | 11 | Pass from Aydius to Gère-Bélesten | |
| Les Arrouyes | Les Arrouyes | 1863 | Raymond | 13 | Mountain | |
| Barca | Barca | 1863 | Raymond | 21 | Mountain | |
| Le Béranguet | Le Béranguet | 1863 | Raymond | 28 | Stream | |
| Le Bouren | Le Bouren | 1863 | Raymond | 35 | Stream | |
| Les Ichantes | Les Ichantes | 1863 | Raymond | 81 | Hamlet | |
| L'Illecq | L'Illecq | 1863 | Raymond | 82 | Stream | |
| Les Jaupins | Les Jaupins | 1863 | Raymond | 85 | Hamlet | |
| Mariebère | Marie-Bère | 1863 | Raymond | 108 | Mountain | |
| Bois de Mousquaté | Mousquété | 1863 | Raymond | 119 | Forest | |
| Mousté | Mousté | 1863 | Raymond | 120 | Mountain on the border with Sarrance | |
| Col de Pian | Le Col de Pian | 1863 | Raymond | 135 | Pass to Bedous | |
| Col de Picas | Le Col de Picas | 1863 | Raymond | 135 | Mountain Pass | |
| Salars | Les Salars | 1863 | Raymond | 153 | Hamlet |
Sources:
- Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006
- Raymond:, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table.
- Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750
- Census: Census of Béarn
History
A rock shelter dating from prehistory called Abri Gandon-Lassus has been discovered in the commune.Paul Raymond noted on page 18 of his 1863 dictionary that the commune had a Lay Abbey, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn and that in 1385 there were 30 fires and Aydius depended on the bailiwick of Aspe.
Administration
List of Successive Mayors| From | To | Name |
| 1995 | 2014 | Bernard Bourguinat |
| 2014 | 2026 | Bernard Choy |
Inter-communality
The commune is part of four inter-communal structures:- the Communauté de communes du Haut Béarn;
- the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
- the inter-communal association for aid to education in the Vallée d'Aspe;
- the joint association for Haut-Béarn.
Demography
In 2017 the commune had 114 inhabitants.Economy
The economy of the commune is mainly focused towards agriculture and livestock. The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée zone of Ossau-iraty.Culture and heritage
Civil heritage
The commune has many sites that are registered as historical monuments:- The Maison Guiraudé
- The Maison Pualet
- The Maison Hontas
- The Abri Gandon-Lassus Prehistoric Cave
- The Maison Ichante
- The '''Maison Casaubon'''
Religious heritage
- The Parish Church of Saint Martin is registered as an historical monument.
Environmental heritage
Aydie contains a number of high mountains:- The Sommet de Tachat,
- The Sommet de Talabot,
- The Sommet de Pétraube,
- The Soum de la Mousquère (1,778 metres,
- The Turon de la Goaita (1,805 metres,
- The Lousquette de Barca (1,870 metres,
- The Pic de Lariou (1,903 metres, and
- The Mailh Bassibe (1,973 metres.