Balansun (; ) is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography Balansun is a commune in the former province of Béarn located some 6 km east of Orthez and 4 km north of Argagnon. Access to the commune is by the D946 road from Arthez-de-Béarn in the east which passes through the centre of the commune south of the village and continues south-west to join the D817 west of Castétis. Access to the village is by the Chemin de l'Eglise which branches north off the D946 on the western side of the commune. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.Google Maps
The commune is located in the Drainage basin of the Adour with the Ruisseau de Clamondé forming the southern border of the commune as it flows west to join the Gave de Pau west of Castetis. Three streams flow through the commune from east to west into the Ruisseau de Clamondé gathering many tributaries in the commune/
Places and hamlets
Barran Bélou Bergerayre Bernadou Bidau Bordes Bourroua Bousque Cabalé Cabanne Cantegrith Cantonnier Carsuzaa Chou Cousiner Craber Crabérou Friquet Garly Heugarès Lacabanne Laheuguère Larribau Lasserre Lay Loup Loustalet Massioo Menaut Menusé Millet Moncaud Monhort Naudou Rouby Saint-Martin Sarraillot Sautié Tisnérot Touyarot Trotemenut
Neighbouring communes and villages
Toponymy Michel Grosclaude said that the origin of the original name is the Gascon Latin name of a man Valentius with the suffix -unum.
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Balansun Balansun 1205 Raymond Bérérenx Village Balansun 13th century Raymond Fors de Béarn Balansun 1323 Grosclaude Balensu 1343 Raymond Pardies Valenssun 1385 Raymond Census Valencin 14th century Raymond Froissart Balanssun 1536 Raymond Reformation Balensun 18th century Grosclaude Balensun 1750 Cassini Balenzun 1793 Ldh/EHESS/Cassini An II Balensun 1801 Ldh/EHESS/Cassini Bulletin des lois Bellegarde Belegarde 1538 Raymond Reformation Farm and Fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn Friquet la maison de Fricquet 1538 Raymond Reformation Fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn Laheuguère La Figuere 1538 Raymond Reformation Farm Saint-Martin Sent-Marthii 1385 Raymond Census Farm Tresarbres Tresarbres 1538 Raymond Reformation Fief, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn, with 400 arpents in 1538
Sources: Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, p. 293 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: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 – Balansun Ldh/EHESS/Cassini:
Origins: Bérérenx: Chapter of BérérenxTitles of the commune of Bérérenx in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Fors de BéarnManuscript from the 14th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pardies: Notaries of PardiesDepartmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Froissart: Jean Froissart, Book IV Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
History Paul Raymond noted that on page 20 of his 1863 dictionary that the fief of Balansun was a vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn and, in 1385, had 27 fires depending on the bailiwick of Pau.
Administration List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France
From To Name 1792 1794 Pierre Cazaban 1794 1795 Jean Bousque 1795 1797 Arnaud Tisnerot 1797 1800 Jacques Vispalie 1800 1803 Jean Bouisque 1803 1804 Arnaud Casaux 1804 1814 Arnaud Tisnerot 1814 1816 Jean Moureu 1816 1821 Boniface Thimothée Desbordes-Louboey 1821 1826 Jean Tisnerot 1826 1832 Jean Cammau 1832 1837 Léonard Moureu 1837 1841 Jean Caubet 1841 1848 Jacques Vispalie 1848 1858 Léonard Moureu 1858 1871 Pierre Lescurat 1871 1886 Jean Paraige 1886 1896 Jean Debaig 1896 1900 Jean Baptiste Daugarou 1900 1912 Jean Debaig 1912 1942 Jean Maubecq
Mayors from 1942
From To Name 1942 1944 Jean Baptiste Daugarou 1944 1946 Pierre Temboury 1946 1977 Alfred Debaig 1977 1995 Jean Sautie 1995 2001 Marie-Thérèse Maubecq 2001 2014 Anny Furbeyre 2014 2026 Bénédicte Alcetegaray
Inter-communality The commune is part of four inter-communal structures: the Communauté de communes de Lacq-Orthez; the SIVU of Balansun/Castétis; the water and sanitation association of Trois Cantons; the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Balansenais or Balansenaises in French.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr
Economy Economic activity is mainly agricultural (livestock).
Sites and monuments The Parish Church of the Assumption of Notre-Dame (1850) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Facilities The commune has a primary school which is grouped in an RPI (Intercommunal Educational Grouping) with the primary school in Castétis.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
References
External links
Balensun on the 1750 Cassini Map