Audaux (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography Audaux is located some 18 km south of Orthez and 6 km north-west of Navarrenx. Access to the commune is by the D27 road from Bugnein in the south-east passing through the south of the commune and the village and continuing to Laàs in the west. The D427 branches off the D27 in the commune and goes to Castetbon in the north. The D947 highway passes through the north of the commune as it goes from Bastanès in the south-east to Orthez. Apart from the village there is the hamlet of Geup west of the village and Lacamoire in the north of the commune on the D947. The commune is mixed forest and farmland with most of the land area farmland.Google Maps
The Gave d'Oloron forms all of the south-western border as it flows north-west to join the Gave de Pau forming the Gaves réunis at Peyrehorade. The Barthes forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the Gave d'Oloron. The Ruisseau de Labaigt flows south through the centre of the commune and through Geap to join the Gave d'Oloron. The Saleys river flows across the north of the commune from east to west and it continues north-west to join the Gave d'Oloron east of Saint-Pé-de-Léren.
Places and hamlets
Andréou (ruins) Anglade Arées Aureyte (fountain) Baherle Bendéjac Camous Camp des Maures Capdeville Les Carrérasses Casenave Castet Coos Coustet L'Esquille Geup Hountet Hourpélat Hourquabillé Hourracq Laborde Lacamoire Lafouillère Lalanne Mirassou Le Moulin La Pépinière Perdigué Puyalou Saut Les Vignes
Géoportail, IGN
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy The name in Bearnese is Audaus. Michel Grosclaude proposed a possible etymology from Aldene, an Aquitanian male name, with the suffix -os.
The following table details the origins of the names in the commune:
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Audaux Aldeos 11th century Grosclaude Village Aldaus 11th century Raymond Marca Audaus 1178 Raymond Duchesne Sent Bisentz d'Audaus 1612 Raymond Insinuations Audaux 1750 Grosclaude Cassini Andaux 1801 Cassini Bulletin des lois Arées Arees 1385 Raymond Census Farm Arès 1863 Raymond La Camoire Lo molin de La Camoere 1571 Raymond Reformation Hamlet Conques Los Conquees 1476 Raymond Castetner Hamlet & Fief dependent on the bailiwick of Larbaig and vassal of the Marquis of Gassion Conquez 1686 Raymond Reformation Conquetz 1728 Raymond Gassion Coos Lo Cos 1385 Raymond Census Farm Les Marsains Los Marsains 1289 Raymond Camptort Fief dependent on the Marquis of Gassion Los Marsanhs 1376 Raymond Military Los Marssaynz 1540 Raymond Reformation Les Marsans 1683 Raymond Reformation Marsoinx 1719 Raymond Enumeration Marseings 1728 Raymond Gassion
Sources: Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011 Cassini:
Origins: Marca: Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn.Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIVDuchesne Collection, volumes 99 to 114, containing the papers of Oihenart, former Imperial Librarian - Bibliothèque nationale de France Insinuations: Insinuations of the Diocese of OloronManuscripts from the 17th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 - Asson Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Castetner: Notaries of CastetnerNotaries of Castetner - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Gassion: Enumeration of GassionManuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Camptort: Titles of CamptortTitles of Camptort in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Military: Military Inspection of BéarnManuscript from 1376 in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Enumeration: Enumeration of Audaux
History Paul Raymond noted on page 16 of his 1863 dictionary that in 1385 the commune depended on the bailiwick of Navarrenx and had 84 fires. Audaux was dependent of the Marquis of Gassion.
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2014 Marc Leprat 2014 2020 Charlette Laborde 2020 2026 Kattalin Quentin
Inter-communality The commune is part of eight inter-communal structures: the Communauté de communes du Béarn des Gaves; the AEP association of Navarrenx; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the association for promotion of Navarrenx; the association for schools in Gaveausset; the inter-communal association for sanitation Audaux - Bugnein 2 AB; the inter-communal association for the Gaves and the Saleys river; the joint oak forest association for the basque and bearnais valleys;
Demography
Audaux has a very high proportion of non-permanent population (e.g. pupils in boarding schools): 31% (73 of 237) as of 2017.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017, INSEE This is due to the private boarding school of Sainte-Bernadette having 110 students boarding there.
Economy Economic activity in the commune is mainly agricultural. The commune lies in the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and heritage
Since 1991 the village has held a rally of hot air balloons on the second weekend in July.
Civil heritage
The commune has one building that is registered as a historical monument: The Chateau of Audaux (1659).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Since 1943 the chateau has belonged to the Foundation of Apprentices of Auteuil who have established a private scholastic institution called DSainte-Bernadette. Although it is a private castle, it can be visited with a historian guide during Heritage Day on the 2nd Sunday in September, on open days for the institution in late May, and during the "Castle Festival" in mid-July.
Facilities
Education The commune has an elementary school as well as the private institution of Sainte-Bernadette which has a college, a professional school, and a masonry apprenticeship unit.Sainte-Bernadette School page on the Apprentices of Auteuil website
Notable people linked to the commune Isaac de Porthau, called Porthos, was a French military man born at Pau on 2 February 1617. He was the inspiration for Alexandre Dumas for the fictitious character Porthos in his novel The Three Musketeers. He came from a Béarnais Protestant family originally from Audaux.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
External links Audaux Commune website Audaux on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Audaux on the 1750 Cassini Map
References