Arbérats-Sillègue (; ; )ARBERATZE-ZILHEKOA, Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arberaztar in Basque.Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture, Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language (Basque)
Geography Arbérats-Sillègue is located in Mixe Country in the former Basque province of Lower Navarre, 3 km north-east of Saint-Palais and 10 km south-west of Sauveterre-de-Béarn. The D933 road from Saint-Palais to Osserain-Rivareyte in the north passes through the northern part of the commune. The D134 road passes through the east of the commune from Sussaute in the north continuing south to join the D11 road west of Domezain-Berraute. Access to the village is by country road from the western border passing through the village and going east to join the D134.Google Maps
The commune is located in the Drainage basin of the Adour. The Ruisseau de Recaide forms part of the northern border flowing north-west to join the Bidouze. The Ruisseau d'Eyherachar rises north-east of the village and flows west through the commune then south forming part of the western border before joining the Bidouze just south of Aïcirits (Aïcirits-Camou-Suhast).
Historical places and hamlets
Aguerre Aitciria Amandania Apezetchia Arbérats Beheitia Bentaberria Bidegorria Bilhagnia Bitenia Brigni Chibits Chiloa Chunta Elhorriburia Etcheparia Idiartia Iratzia Irunia Jemai Mendiburia Michicourt Mignaburia Osquilia Oxarrainia Oxarrainia Etchartia Oyhanto Peritcho Salanbeheria Sillègue
Géoportail, IGN
Toponymy The name of the commune in basque is Arberatze-Zilhekoa. Paul Raymond indicated on page 161 of his 1863 dictionary that Sillègue in Basque was Silhecoa.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan suggested two possible origins of the name Arbérats, both from Basque: ar(r)-bera (or ) meaning ’fragile’ or ’friable'; or, together with the word , meaning a "black stone" (slate). Brigitte Jobbé-Duval also interpreted Arbérats as place of slate.
For Sillègue Jean-Batiste Orpustan suggested the name was a blend of the Basque word zil(h)o, meaning "hole" or "depression in the terrain" and a second element leku meaning "place".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Arbérats Arberas 1125 Orpustan Village Arberatz 1150 Orpustan Sanctus Laurebtius de Arberaz 1160 Orpustan Arberas 13th century Raymond Duchesne Arberaz 1350 Orpustan Arberatz 1413 Orpustan Arberatz 1487 Raymond Ohix Arberaz 1513 Raymond Pamplona Arbezats 1793 Cassini1 Arbezats 1801 Cassini1 Bulletin des lois Sillègue Sanctus Petrus de Silegue 1160 Orpustan Village Sileugue 1316 Orpustan Silegoe 1350 Orpustan Silleugue 1413 Orpustan Silegoe 1472 Raymond Notaries Silegoa 1513 Raymond Pamplona Sillègue-les-Domezain 1734 Raymond Regulations Sillegue 1793 Cassini2 Bulletin des lois Aitciria Ayciri de Arberatz 1487 Raymond Ohix Farm Aïtciry 1863 Raymond Charritte Charritte 1863 Raymond Fief, vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre
Sources: Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque ToponymyJean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, 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 Cassini1: Cassini2:
Origins: Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIVDuchesne Collection, volumes 99 to 114, containing the papers of Oihenart, former Imperial Librarian - Bibliothèque nationale de France Ohix:Contracts retained by Ohix, Notary of Soule, Manuscripts from the 15th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pamplona: Titles of PamplonaTitles published by don José Yanguas y Miranda Notaries: Notaries of Labastide-VillefrancheDepartmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Regulations: Regulations of the Court of Licharre
History The village of Sillègue was merged with Arbérats on 14 April 1841.
Heraldry
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1995 2001 Jacques Sallenave 2001 2026 Sauveur Arnaud Bacho
Inter-communality The commune belongs to five inter-communal structures:Commune Arbérats-Sillègue, BANATIC. Retrieved 14 October 2024 the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque; the energy syndicate of Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the Inter-communal association for the functioning of schools in Amikuze; the Syndicat Elgarrekin Ikas; the Agence publique de gestion locale.
Demography In 1350 there were 13 fires in Arbérats and 6 in Sillègue.Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, Collective work, Amikuze - Mixe Country, Éditions Izpegi, 1992, , p. 77
The fiscal censusCensus cited by Manex Goyhenetche in his General History of Basque country - Vol. 3, Elkarlanean, 2001, , p. 26. The same work by Manex Goyhenetche indicated on p. 284 that it counted an average of 5.5 people per fire. of 1412–1413, madeTranscribed and published by Ricardo Cierbide, Censos de población de la Baja Navarra, Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tübingen, 1993 on the orders of Charles III of Navarre, compared with that of 1551 "of men and weapons that are in this Kingdom of Navarre below the ports"Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, E 575, transcribed by Louis Baratchart in The Friends of old Navarre, January 1995, pages 44-54 reveals a demography with strong growth. The first indicated the presence at Arbérats of 7 fires, the second of 26 (24 + 2 secondary fires). The same for Sillègue: the 1412 census reported 5 fires and that of 1551 22 fires (20 + 2 secondary fires).
The census of the population of Lower Navarre in 1695Bibliothèque nationale, 6956, Moreau Register 979, cited by Manex Goyhenetche in his General History of Basque country - Vol. 3, Elkarlanean, 2001, , page 299. showed 40 fires at Arbérats and 20 at Sillègues.
Although from 1793 to 1836 Arbérats and Sillègue were separate communes, the total population for both communes is shown in the table and graph below.
Economy The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and Heritage According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte the Basque dialect spoken in Arbérats-Sillègue is western lower-navarrese.
Religious heritage The Church of Saint-Laurent (1615) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Facilities
Education The commune has an elementary school
Festivals The commune has a festival hall located in the centre of the village. The original building was a school and has been completely renovated.
Sports As it was only equipped with a left wall, Arbérats-Sillègue in 2007 opened a new fronton with toilets and a Pétanque area. There is also a football field in the same complex.
Leisure A pit dating to Roman times has been converted to a leisure park.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
References
External links Arbérats-Sillègue on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Arberats and Sillegue on the 1750 Cassini Map