Lavedan
The Lavedan, or occasionally vallées des Gaves, denotes a mountainous natural region of France, located at the heart of the Pyrénées, and forms a group of valleys upstream of Lourdes.
The Lavedan is historically part of the Gascony province and of the county of Bigorre. Today, it is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region.
Etymology
The name "Lavedan" is documented under ancient forms: in pago Lavetanense, Levitanensis vicecomes, vicecomites Levitanicæ vallis, Ramundus de Levitania, homines Baredgie et Levitani, A. de Laueda, Aramon Garsie de Lavedan, terram de Lavedaa.Il is made up of the Latin -etan, -itan suffix, typically present in names of iberian peoples. Le radical est Lau- / Leu-.
Geography
Topography
The Lavedan is made up of 7 valleys, which in the past formed relatively self-sufficient and autonomous entities :;La Vath Surguèra : A small valley on the left bank at the entrance of the Lavedan which groups the towns of Ségus, Aspin-en-Lavedan, Ossen, Omex, Viger.
;L'estrem de Castèth-lobon or Castelloubon : which corresponds to the Néez basin, located on Cheust and Ourdis-Cotdoussan, Ousté, Berbérust-Lias, Ourdis-Cotdoussan, Germs-sur-l'Oussouet, Cheust, Gazost, Ourdon.
;L'estrem de Sala ou Estrèm de Salles : Argelès, Ayzac-Ost, Agos-Vidalos, Ouzous, Salles, Sère-en-Lavedan, Gez.
;The val d'Azun : constituted of the Arren and Estaing valleys as well as the Bergons and the right bank of the high valley of l'Ouzoum, comprises the villages of Arrens, Marsous, Aucun, Gaillagos, Arcizans-Dessus, Arras-en-Lavedan, Sireix, Bun, Estaing, Arbéost, Ferrières.
;Le Davant-Aiga : It correspond to the eastern bank of the gave du Lavedan and includes the towns of Préchac, Boô-Silhen, Saint-Pastous, Ayros-Arbouix, Vier-Bordes, Artalens-Souin, Beaucens, Villelongue.
;L'arribèra de Sent Savin ou Rivière de Saint-Savin : Saint-Savin, Lau-Balagnas, Adast, Pierrefitte-Nestalas, Soulom, Uz, Cauterets, Arcizans-Avant.
;The Barèja valley named « Pays Toy » : Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Sassis, Sazos, Grust, Saligos, Chèze, Viscos, Vizos, Esquièze-Sère, Esterre, Viella, Betpouey, Barèges, Sers, Viey, Gèdre, Gavarnie.
Hydrography
The Lavedan corresponds to the Gave de Pau bassin, upstream from Lourdes namely with the valleys of the Gave de Gavarnie, the Gave de Cauterets and the Gave d'Azun.Delimitation
The Lavedan communicates with the vallée de Campan by the col du Tourmalet and with the vallée d'Ossau by the cirque du Litor. It is separated from Aragon by the France–Spain border, traversable by numerous mountain passes.Main sites
The main towns are Argelès-Gazost, Pierrefitte-Nestalas, Cauterets, Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Gèdre and Gavarnie.The major mountain sites are: