Ainharp (; )AINHARBE, Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.
Geography
Location Ainharp is located some 50 km west by southwest of Pau, 15 km southeast of Saint-Palais, and 10 km north-west of Mauleon-Licharre. It is part of the former province of Soule.
Access The commune can be accessed by road D242 from Lohitzun-Oyhercq in the west passing through the village and continuing southeast to Mauleon-Licharre. The D344 road also goes to the north from the village through the commune then east to Espes-Undurein. The commune terrain is undulating of mixed farmland and forest.Google Maps
Hydrography Located in the drainage basin of the Adour, the commune is the source of numerous streams including the Lagardoye which forms part of the south-eastern border, the Quihilleri which forms much of the western border, and the Lafaure which forms much of the northern border.
Localities and hamlets
Agueberria Agueberriborda Aisaguerpia Aranco Armagnague Arranchiaga Barrechia Bente Bidartia Bidegainia Bolondo Bordagaya Bordalecu Cabanna Cacoa Carricaburu Carricabuya Carricart Chorho Elhorria Elhorriberry Erreguenia Estecachoury Etchebarnia Etchebestemborda Etchecopar Garay Habiague Intsauspia Jaigüberria Larria Leiciagueçahar Lohitzun Mercapidia Oyhemburia Oyhenart Palasiona Pekeix Sallaberria Urruty Uthuriet
Géoportail, IGN
Toponymy The commune name in Basque is Ainharbe.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan proposed two etymological interpretations: a meaning of "low heather" from ilharr meaning "heather" and -be (from behere meaning "low") or "height of the low rocks" from gain meaning "high" and har meaning "rock" that indicates the high position of the village on the left bank of the Saison.
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Ainharp Ayharp 1472 Raymond Notaries Village Ainharp 1479 Orpustan L'Espitau d'Anharp 1479 Raymond Ohix Aynharp 1479 Raymond Ohix Aignharp 1608 Raymond Insinuations Ayharp 1690 Orpustan Carricaburu Carricaburue 1479 Raymond Farm Habiague Habiague 1476 Raymond Ohix Farm Lafaure La Phaura 1538 Raymond Reformation Stream on the northern border La Phaure 1863 Raymond Lambare lo bedat de Lambarre 1476 Raymond Ohix Hamlet and Wood Chemin Mercadieu lo cami Mercadieu 1479 Raymond Ohix Farm le cami deu Mercat 1479 Raymond
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 Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque ToponymyJean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, p. 224,
Origins: Notaries: Notaries of Labastide-VillefrancheDepartmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Ohix:Contracts retained by Ohix, Notary of SouleManuscripts from the 15th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Insinuations: Insinuations of the Diocese of OloronManuscripts from the 17th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Reformation: Reformation of BéarnManuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
History Paul Raymond noted on page 4 of his 1863 dictionary that the commune was a former priory in the diocese of Oloron and that there was a hospital for pilgrims.
Administration List of Successive Mayors of AinharpList of Mayors of France
From To Name 1794 1807 Bernard Aguerreberry 1807 1820 Armand Oyhenburu 1820 1848 Jean Etchart 1848 1852 Martin Salamendy 1852 1854 Jean Etchart 1854 1855 Alexandre Bente 1855 1858 Pierre Mercabide 1858 1871 Bernard Etchart 1871 1874 Echeberry 1874 1880 Marc Iratchet 1880 1884 Marc Barneche 1884 1885 Joseph Armagnague 1885 1888 Roch Guiresse 1888 1892 Marc Barneche 1892 1908 St. Jean Etchart 1908 1929 Francois Barneche
Mayors from 1929 From To Name 1929 1950 Jean Guiresse 1950 1959 François Elissiry 1959 1971 Jean-Pierre Aguer 1971 1983 Jean Lascaray 1983 2026 Jean-Pierre Arhanchiague
Inter-communality Ainharp is a member of seven intercommunal structures: the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque the association to support Basque culture the intercommunal association of the Valley the intercommunal association for the construction and operation of the CES of Mauleon the AEP association for Soule Country the remediation association for Soule Country the energy association of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Population The inhabitants of the commune are known as AinharbarsPyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr or Ainharbear.Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture, Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language
Economy The activity is mainly agricultural (maize and livestock). The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and heritage
Religious Heritage
The commune has a church which dates back to the 11th century and a Calvary-Bell Tower from the 17th century. Its cemetery features Hilarri dating from the time of the bell tower.
The village is located on a secondary road of the pilgrimage to Saint Jacques de CompostelaPhilippe Veyrin, The Basques, page 110, Arthaud, 20 December 1975 which passes on the highway to Ports de Cize, the priory of Saint-Palais to Saint-Michel-le-Vieux which had a hospice for pilgrims called Benta then to L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise, Osserain, Pagolle, Roquiague, Haux, Larrau, and Ordiarp.
Facilities The commune has a primary school.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
References
External links Ainharp on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Ainharp on the 1750 Cassini Map