Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry

Commune in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.t‿etjɛn də ba.iɡɔʁi]; Basque: Baigorri)^[3] is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France, belonging to the communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque ("Consortium of communes of the Basque Country").^[4] It is part of the former province of Lower Navarre.^[3] It borders the municipality of Baztan to the west (Spain, access via the Izpegi Pass).

It is the main access to the Aldudes valley, having nearby the Castle, Château d'Etchaux [fr],^[5] the river through the place being known as the river Nive des Aldudes.

The town is home to the renowned Day of Navarre^[6] (Basque: Nafarroa Eguna), a festival attracting a massive turnout (by thousands) from the Spanish and French side of Navarre in early May intended to strengthen ties between both Navarrese territories and affirming their common Basque identity.

Canton

Cantons of Pyrénées-Atlantiques before 2015

Communes of the canton of Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry before 2015

Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry was the chief town of the former canton of Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry. Its 11 communes had some 5,727 inhabitants on some 311 km² in 2006, with decreasing population. In 2015, the canton was merged into the new canton of Montagne Basque.^[7]

Demography

Transportation

Set in a mountainous area, Baigorri is communicated by departmental roads D15 and D948, with a coach line offering service to Ossès (Basque Ortzaize) within TER Aquitaine's network.

The Area as a part of the French GR10, French footpaths,(Grand Randonnée 10)^[9]

Main sights

Saint Etienne Church

• Saint-Etienne church, in a Viscounty created in 1033 by King Sancho III of Navarre, is mentioned in documents of 1253, but with a Baroque retable of the 17th century displaying the stoning of 1st century AD Saint Étienne^[10]
• Château d'Etchaux, built in the 16th century by Viscount of Baïgorry^[11]

Coat of arms

The meaning in Basque is the “red bank of the river”, in this case the river Nive, flowing through Bayonne and discharging the waters in the 324 km long Adour River.

Notable people

• Jean Isidore Harispe, 1st Comte Harispe, (Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, 7 December 1768 - Lacarre, 26 May 1855), was a distinguished French soldier of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as well as of the following period. Harispe was created a Marshal of France in 1851.
• Jean-Baptiste Etcheverry, general councillor of Basses-Pyrénées and deputy of the Second French Empire, was born in Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry in 1805.

See also

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 16 April 2024.
2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
3. BAIGORRI, Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia (in Spanish)
4. INSEE commune file
5. Jedecouvrelafrance.com: Château d'Etxauz
6. Rayon Basque.com: Journée de la Navarre / Nafarroaren Eguna Archived 2008-10-25 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
7. "Décret n° 2014-248 du 25 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département des Pyrénées-Atlantiques | Legifrance". Retrieved 2017-07-11.
8. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
9. apparent orography of some 260 Km path of GR10
10. Base Mérimée: Église paroissiale Saint-Etienne, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
11. Base Mérimée: château d'Etchaux, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)