Arget (; ) is a commune in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. It is part of the traditional province of Béarn.
Geography Arget is located some 18 km north-east of Orthez and 12 km south-east of Hagetmau on the border between Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Landes departments. It can be accessed by the D264 road from Montagut in the east passing through the commune and the village (of 2 buildings) and continuing south-west to Casteide-Candau. The commune has quite large areas of forest in the west but is mostly farmland.Google Maps
Several streams rise in the commune with the Hourquet forming the north-western border as it flows north-east to join the Ruisseau de la Rance at the northern tip of the commune. The Rance forms the north-eastern border as it flows north-west. The south-eastern border also consists of an unnamed stream which joins the Rance just outside the eastern tip of the commune.
Places and hamlets
Bayoc Boué Capère Carrèrot Castagnet Conte Cousnat Glaude Herris Hibet Hourcq Ménou Montaut Pourtique Régidou Séris Touroun Vignau
Géoportail, IGN
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy The commune name in béarnais is Arget.
Michel Grosclaude was unable to justify the local belief that the name means "sandy place" from arena (meaning "sand") with the collective suffix -etum (giving arenetum then arenet then areet then ariet), and could not conclude other than "of uncertain origin and meaning".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Arget Argiet 1383 Raymond Luntz Village Arzet 1695 Raymond Order of Malta Arget 1750 Cassini
Sources:
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 Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages,
Origins: Luntz:Contracts retained by Luntz, Notary of Béarn in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Order of Malta: Titles of the Order of MaltaTitles of the Order of Malta in the Departmental Archives of Haute-Garonne
History Paul Raymond said on page 10 of his 1863 Topographical Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees that Arget depended on the Commandery of Malta of Caubin and Morlaàs and on the Barony of Moustrou, built in 1647, and was a vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn.
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2001 Chantal Gallenmuller 2001 2026 Thierry Soustra
Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Argétois or Argétoises in French.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage Arget has many farms that are registered as historical monuments: A Farmhouse at Hourcq (1832)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Menusé farm at Pourtique (1897)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Lajournade farm at Pourtique (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Pemeste farm at Hourcq (1797)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Houses and FarmsMinistry of Culture, Mérimée A Farmhouse at Boué (1905)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée A Farmhouse at Hibet (1871)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée A Farmhouse at Carrèrot (1898)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée A Farmhouse at Touroun (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Religious heritage
The Parish Church of Notre Dame (12th century) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée It contains several items that are registered as historical objects: The Furniture in the ChurchMinistry of Culture, Palissy Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Bronze Processional Cross (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Wooden Processional Cross (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy
Notable people Annie Beustes, a New Caledonian politician born in Arget.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
References
External links Arget on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Arget on the 1750 Cassini Map