Arette (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. It is located in the arrondissement of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and the canton of Oloron-Sainte-Marie-1.
Geography Arrete is located some 15 km south by south-west of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and some 4 km south-east of Aramits. It lies close to both the French Basque region and borders Spain in the south. It is within the borders of Béarn, one of the traditional French provinces.
Access to the commune is by French rail SNCF to Pau, and a short bus ride to Arrete. Less scenic is the automobile route: D918 road from Lanne-en-Barétous in the north-west coming south-east to the village then continuing east to Issor. The D132 goes south from the village down the length of the commune following a tortuous mountain route before exiting the southern border of the commune over the Col de la Pierre St Martin (1,760m), which is also the border with Spain, and becoming the Spanish NA-137 which continues to Isaba. The D341 also goes south-east from the village then south, connecting with the D241 at the Col de Labays (1,351m) going east to join the E7 highway south of Sarrance, then continuing along the south-western border to join the D441 south of the commune. The D133 also goes north from the village to Aramits.
Bus Route 848 of the Intercity Network of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Transports 64) links Arette to Oloron-Sainte-Marie.
Arette is a very large commune and has a land area of . It is also mountainous (the La Pierre Saint-Martin ski resort is within its borders, for example) and its highest peak is the 2,315 m Soum Couy, which is situated not far from the 2,504 m Pic d'Anie, the highest peak in the western Pyrenees. From Pic d'Anie the mountain range extends downwards for approximately 20 km, forming both sides of the Aspe Valley to the north-west. The Vert d'Arette (a tributary of the Vert) flows through this valley. The ancient village (also named Arette) from which the commune extends is located at an altitude of 316 m in the valley of Barétous, which lies between the aforementioned Aspe valley, to its east, and the Basque province of Soule, to its west.
Hydrography Located in the Drainage basin of the Adour, the commune is the source of numerous tributaries of the Vert which is itself a tributary of Gave d'Oloron. The largest tributary flowing through the commune is the Vert d'Arrette however many other streams flow north towards the Vert including: the Abat Daurèye and its tributary, the Banu Erreka (accompanied by the Ruisseau de Aurèye); Ibarcis Erreka; the Lancy; the Ruisseau de Gurré and its tributary the Ruisseau de Lagaretche; the Ruisseau de Hournères and its tributary, the Ouettone; the Ruisseau de Légorre and its tributary, the Cassiau de Ber; the streams of Nécore, Soulayets, Talu Gros, and Virgou with the tributary of the latter, the Arrigau (accompanied itself in the commune by the Bachère).
The Gave de Lourdios, a tributary of the Gave d'Aspe, and its tributaries, the Arric and the Moulia (and their tributaries, Casteigt Erreka and the Ruisseau de Poussious) also pass through the commune. The Gave de Sainte-Engrâce, a tributary of the Saison, and its tributary, the Montcholako Erreka also flow in the territory of the commune.
Places and Hamlets
Abat d'Ibarry Adam Gouffre d'Ahuzthéguia Ambielle Ambile Cabane d'Ance Apons Pont de l'Araille Gouffre de l'Arbre Sec Pas d'Arlas L'Arre de Bas Arrègle Arritsens Aspit Aurasse Pont d'Aurèye Cabane d'Auriste Ayesten Barbé Le Pas des Basques Bayrès Bécari Bélatch Paoussaguia Bellegarde Bellocq Bernardicou Bersacalongue Ancien Moulin de Bignau Col de Bissouritto (995 metres) Bitailloué Bonnehe Bonneu Bordehore Col de Boticotch Bois de Bouchet Bourdès Bourdet Les Bourrugues Burs Coume de Cagastié Cam dét Ragutio Camgros Camou Candau Capdelabat Capdeville Pas de Caque Casabonne Casamayou Casaurang Casaux La Cassette Cassiau Castagne (Two places) Cataplous Cerciat Château-Forez Pédaing de Chousse Plateau de la Chousse Col de Cissaugue or Nécore Pont de Cissaugue Costemale Costes Coudure Couillarsut Cabane du Coup Couretcoup Courétot Les Courréges Cousturé Coutchet de Lacq Coutchet dets Crapes L'Arre de Soum Couy La Croix du Berger Croix des Contrebandiers Davancens Domecq Fontaine Dorbe Source de l'Ermite Cabane d'Escuret de Bas Cabanes d'Escuret Esperabens Pas des Estes Estournès Estratte Cabane de Féas Pont du Fort Frinchaboy Gabarrat Col de Garbas Gesta Goaillardeu Guilhers (Sheds and fountain) Guren Cap de Gurré (ruins) Handu Source d'Harrigagna Hondagneu Grange Hondagneu Houillis Houndane (spring) Pont du Hourat Houratate Hourcate Hournères Hum Borde de Hum Ibarry - Coigt de Hecore Granges d'Irasts Coume d'Issaux Cabane d'Issort Jantet Labarthe Labatrère Cabanes de Labays Col de Labays (1,351m) Laborde Laclouque Lacoume Laculère Lagarde Lagaretche Lagrave Lahore Pas de Lamayou Lancy Lapeyre Coume de Larrayet Larricq Croix de Larricq Le pont Larron Camp de Larruga Lassalle Bois de Lèche Lèchéko Zingla Légorre d'Ibarry Lembeyou Gouffre Lépineux Mail de Lerre Létone Pas de la Leugue Libarde Col de Lie (601m) Lilles Longis Lourdios d'Arette La Lousère Lucq Col de Mahourat Le Mail blanc Les Malices Cayolar de Mantchola or Cabane d'Etchébar Pas de Massaré Massaugues Coume Mayou Maysou Mesplou Bois de Métouret Mirassou Mirassou Bas Mirassou Haut Moulia La Mouline Moura Nario Nouqué Noutary Noye Oron Cabane d'Oumarre Bois de l'Oumbre-del-Hourcq Gouffre de l'Ours Pagnon Pédaing Pélou Les Pernes Cabane de la Pernotte (ruins) Pescamou Borde des Peyres Peyret Arette La Pierre Saint-Martin Col de la Pierre St Martin L'Arre Planère Pouey Poursuca Le Pourtet Prat Granges de Prat La Puyade Rachet Roucam Pène Rouye Sainte-Gracie Saint-Marty Salanove Salet Salies Sarrelangue Saudiat Plateau de Séguitte Pas de Single Bois de Soudet Cabanes de Soudet Soulaing Soubies Soubirou Soulé Borde de Soulé Sous Pène Superville Col de Suscousse or Garatéko L'époua Talou Talou d'Arnaune Talou de Bouc Tamarpouey Tapie Col de Taules Braca de Termy Le Terrail Gouffre La Tête Sauvage Tourette Tourumy (harnessed spring) Col de Tremeil Camp d'Urdette Zélukobortha (chasm)
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy The commune name in béarnais is Arèta (according to the classical norm of Occitan). The name comes from the Basque ar- meaning "stone" and from the locative suffix -eta meaning "stony place".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Arette Areta 1186 Raymond Barcelona Village Rete 1383 Raymond Luntz Arete 1385 Raymond Census Erete 1440 Raymond Barétous Aretha 1444 Raymond Cour Major Eretha 1444 Raymond Cour Major Hereta 1538 Raymond Reformation Saint Pierre d'Arette 1674 Raymond Insinuations Arrette 1750 Cassini Arete 1801 Ldh/EHESS/Cassini Bulletin des lois Arrègle le molii d'Arregle 1385 Raymond Census Farm and a Mill on the Vert d'Arette Aregle en Baretous 1433 Raymond Notaries Aregla 1538 Raymond Reformation Réglé 1863 Raymond Arlas Arlas 1538 Raymond Reformation Mountain on the Spanish border L'Arrigau lo ariu aperat la Rigau 1538 Raymond Reformation A stream rising in Arette and which joins the Vert at Aramits L'Arrigas 1863 Raymond Aurèye L'Aureye 1863 Raymond Stream rising in Arette, tributary of the Vert Bayrès Bayres 1538 Raymond Reformation Farm Bayres 1863 Raymond Col de Bissourritto Col de Bissourritte 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass Bois de Bouchet Bouchette 1863 Raymond Wood La Chousse La Chousse 1863 Raymond Stream rising in Arette, a tributary of the Vert Costemale Costemale 1863 Raymond Mountain Les Courréges Les Courréges 1863 Raymond Mountain Estratte Estrate 1385 Raymond Census Farm Estrata 1538 Raymond Reformation Estrate 1863 Raymond Col de Garbas Col de Garbas 1863 Raymond Pass between the communes of Arette and Lanne-en-Barétous Guilhers Le Pas de Guilhers 1863 Raymond Wood between the communes of Arette and Lées-Athas Hournères Le Hourner 1863 Raymond Stream rising in Arette and joining the Chousse Lagaretche Lagarretche 1863 Raymond Wood Le Pont Larron Le Pont Larron 1863 Raymond Bridge named after the former name of the Vert d'Arette: Larron Lèche La singla de Lexe 1589 Raymond Reformation Mountain and Wood Légorre d'Ibarry Legorre 1863 Raymond Mountain Mantchola Le Manchola 1863 Raymond Stream delineating the border between Arette and Sainte-Engrâce before joining the Uhaïtxa Le Nécore Le Col de Nécore 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass. A stream of the same name rises at the pass and joins the Vert d'Arette in Arette Pernalatte Pernalatte 1863 Raymond Mountain La Pernotte La Pernotte 1863 Raymond Stream, tributary of the Chousse Pescamou Pescamou 1863 Raymond Mountain and Pass on the Spanish frontier La Pierre Saint-Martin La peyre de Sent-Martin, frontière de Navarre 1589 Raymond Reformation Assembly place for the inhabitants of the Barétous Valley in France and Roncal in Spain Le Pourtet Pourtet 1863 Raymond Mountain on the Spanish border extending to Arette and Lées-Athas Le col de Soès Le col de Soès 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass Soulaing Soulaing 1863 Raymond Mountain between Arette and Osse-en-Aspe and a stream, tributary of the Lourdios Soulayets Le Soulayet 1863 Raymond Stream that flows through Arette and joins the Vert Tamarpouey Tamarpoey 1385 Raymond Census Farm Tamarpoey 1863 Raymond Le Termy Le Termy 1863 Raymond Stream rising in Arette and joining the Uhaïtxa at Sainte-Engrâce Trémeil Torrumie 1703 Raymond Regulation Mountain across Arette and Lanne-en-Barétous Tremeilh 1863 Raymond
Sources: Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 – Arette Ldh/EHESS/Cassini:
Origins: Barcelona: Titles of Barcelona.Cited by Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn Luntz:Contracts retained by Luntz, Notary of Béarn in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Barétous: Titles of the Valley of Barétous Cour Major: Regulations of the Cour MajorCour Majour of Béarn, register manuscripts from the 15th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Insinuations: Insinuations of the Diocese of OloronManuscripts from the 17th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Notaries: Notaries of OloronNotaries of Oloron in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Regulation: Regulation of AretteCommunal Archives
History In 1385 there were 87 fires in Arette and it depended on the Bailiwick of Oloron.
On 13 August 1967 the village of Arette was 80% destroyed by an earthquake that killed one person. The ruined clock tower of the church indicated the exact time of the earthquake: 11:10 p.m. Seismic waves were felt from Pau to Tarbes and Bayonne.Photographs of Arette after the earthquake
Heraldry
Administration List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France