Aussurucq

Aussurucq
Dolmen in the Arbailles Forest
Aussurucq
Location within Nouvelle-Aquitaine region  Aussurucq
Coordinates: 43°09′01″N 0°55′57″W / 43.1503°N 0.9325°W / 43.1503; -0.9325Coordinates: 43°09′01″N 0°55′57″W / 43.1503°N 0.9325°W / 43.1503; -0.9325
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Arrondissement	Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Canton	Mauléon-Licharre
Intercommunality	Soule-Xiberoa
Government
• Mayor (2008–2020)	Jean Carricaburu
Area1	47.12 km2 (18.19 sq mi)
Population (2010)2	251
• Density	5.3/km2 (14/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	64081 / 64130
Elevation	191–1,284 m (627–4,213 ft) (avg. 209 m or 686 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Aussurucq (Basque: Altzürükü) is a French commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

The inhabitants are known as Altzürükütar.^[1]

The church with its Trinitarian steeple, facade, and steps

Hilarri

Geography

Aussurucq is located in the former province of Soule in the Massif des Arbailles some 30 km west by south-west of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and 25 km east of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Access to the commune is by road D147 from Idaux-Mendy in the north which passes through the village and continues south through the commune to join the D117 on the southern border of the commune. A pastoral road from Béhorléguy to Alçay and Aussurucq passes through the Col d'Aphanize (without crossing it) and generally follows the line of the watershed along the Col de Burdin Olatzé. The commune is mostly rugged and heavily forested however there is some farmland in the north.^[2]

The Ruisseau de Guessalia rises in the south of the commune and flows north-east gathering some tributaries to join the Apouhoura north of the commune. The Arangorena forms the north-western border as it flows north-east to join the Saison near Gotein-Libarrenx. The Bidouze rises in the south of the commune and flows north to eventually join the Adour north of Bardos.^[2]

Places and Hamlets^[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages^[2]

	Saint-Just-Ibarre	Ordiarp	Idaux-Mendy
	Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan		Sauguis-Saint-Étienne
		Aussurucq
	Mendive	Lacarry-Arhan-Charritte-de-Haut	Camou-Cihigue

Toponymy

The commune name in basque is Altzürükü.^[1]

Jean-Baptiste Orpustan indicated that the name comes from the basque altzu ("alder tree") which is explained by the position of the valley covered in alder trees. The second part of the name is more enigmatic. According to Orpustan it could be from Urru ("the other side") or iri giving alzu-(i) ri-ku meaning "place in the Alder field".^[5]

The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Sources:

• Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy^[5]
• Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. (French)^[4]

Origins:

• Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIV^[6]
• Notaries: Notaries of Navarrenx^[7]
• Chapter: Titles of the Chapter of Bayonne^[8]
• Soule: Customs of Soule^[9]

History

In the Middle Palaeolithic era Soule was already populated as remains of Neanderthal prehistoric man have been found in the Xaxixiloaga caves in Aussurucq.^[10] A tumulus was also reported at shepherd's cabins in Potxo^[3] along the D147 road.

The central part of Soule is also called the Messagerie des Arbailles^[11] between Basabürü and Pettarra (in the Sauguis-Saint-Étienne, Aussurucq, and Barcus regions).

Administration

The Town Hall in the chateau

The Fronton next to the church

List of Successive Mayors^[12]

(Not all data is known)

Inter-communality

The commune is part of six inter-communal structures:

• the Community of communes of Soule-Xiberoa;
• the sanitation association for Pays du Soule;
• the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
• the inter-communal association of Arbailla;
• the inter-communal association for transport from Musculdy to Ordiap;
• the inter-communal association to support Basque culture.

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 251 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.^{[Note 1]}

Economy

Economic activity is based on agriculture (livestock and pasture). The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and Heritage

The Château of Ruthie

The village features a dynamic scene related especially to Basque culture. The inhabitants of the village performed the pastoral Ürrüti Jauregiko Peirot in 2002, a play written by the son of the village Niko Etxart, an acclaimed Basque musician.

Civil heritage

• The Chateau of Ruthie (11th century) is registered as an historical monument.^[13]
• A Gaztelu Zahar (Castellum) is at a place called gaztelu at an altitude of 582 metres.

Religious heritage

The Trinitarian steeple on the church with a horological curiosity on the roof

The town has a church with a Trinitarian steeple or a tower surmounted by three points of nearly equal height.^[14] The church contains a processional cross (17th century) which is registered as an historical object.^[15]

Environmental heritage

At the end of the 19th century, the Arbailles Forest covered parts of the communes of Aussurucq, Béhorléguy, Camou-Cihigue, Musculdy, Ordiarp, and Saint-Just-Ibarre.

A wealth of heritage in Aussurucq commune is contained in its sub-soil. Most of the territory of the commune is karstic. The environment is characterized by the presence of natural cavities in complex shapes that have not all yet been discovered or much less explored to date. Departmental cavers have undertaken the exploration, description, and publication of this heritage respecting the environment and the local population. One of the most beautiful caves in the commune is the Nébélé which has been the subject of works and regular explorations since 1972.

The peak of Ascune stands at 860 m, Echagorry is 935 m, Elsarré is 1,153 m, Sihigue is 1,193 m, and Etchecortia is 1,204 m.^[3] In the south-west of the commune, Bohorcortia is 1,214 metres high.^[3]

Amenities

The town has a primary school (Garaibie).

Notable people linked to the commune

• Pierre V de Charritte de Ruthie, born in Aussurucq, was chaplain to François I.^[16]
• Gilen Epherre, born at Aussurucq in 1911 and died in Bayonne in 1974, was a writer, priest, scholar and important cultural player in the post-war period

See also

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

External links

• ALTZÜRUKÜ in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) (Spanish)
• Aussurucq on the Community of communes Soule-Xiberoa official website (French)
• Aussurucq on Lion1906
• Aussurucq on Google Maps
• Aussurucq on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (French)
• Anßuruc on the 1750 Cassini Map
• Aussurucq on the INSEE website (French)
• INSEE (French)

Notes and references

Notes

1. ↑ At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by Law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002, the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" allows, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For communes with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these communes is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force on 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aussurucq.

Municipalities in Soule
Ainharbe Aloze-Ziboze-Onizegaine Altzai-Altzabeheti-Zunharreta Altzürukü Arrokiaga Arüe-Ithorrotze-Olhaibi Atharratze-Sorholüze Barkoxe Berrogaine-Lahüntze Bildoze-Onizepea Domintxaine-Berroeta Eskiula Espeize-Ündüreine Etxarri Etxebarre Gamere-Zihiga Garindaine Gotaine-Irabarne Hauze Idauze-Mendi Iruri Jestaze Lakarri-Arhane-Sarrikotagaine Larraine Lexantzü-Zünharre Ligi-Atherei Liginaga-Astüe Lohitzüne-Oihergi Maule-Lextarre Mendikota Mitikile-Larrori-Mendibile Montori Muskildi Ospitalepea Ozaraine-Erribareita Ozaze-Zühara Pagola Sarrikotape Sohüta Urdatx-Santa-Grazi Urdiñarbe Ürrustoi-Larrebille Zalgize-Doneztebe

Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
Aast Abère Abidos Abitain Abos Accous Agnos Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan Ahetze Aïcirits-Camou-Suhast Aincille Ainharp Ainhice-Mongelos Ainhoa Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette Aldudes Alos-Sibas-Abense Amendeuix-Oneix Amorots-Succos Ance Andoins Andrein Angaïs Anglet Angous Anhaux Anos Anoye Aramits Arancou Araujuzon Araux Arbérats-Sillègue Arbonne Arbouet-Sussaute Arbus Arcangues Aren Aressy Arette Argagnon Argelos Arget Arhansus Armendarits Arnéguy Arnos Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby Arrast-Larrebieu Arraute-Charritte Arricau-Bordes Arrien Arros-de-Nay Arrosès Arthez-d'Asson Arthez-de-Béarn Artigueloutan Artiguelouve Artix Arudy Arzacq-Arraziguet Asasp-Arros Ascain Ascarat Assat Asson Aste-Béon Astis Athos-Aspis Aubertin Aubin Aubous Audaux Auga Auriac Aurions-Idernes Aussevielle Aussurucq Auterrive Autevielle-Saint-Martin-Bideren Aydie Aydius Ayherre Baigts-de-Béarn Balansun Baleix Baliracq-Maumusson Baliros Banca Barcus Bardos Barinque Barraute-Camu Barzun Bassillon-Vauzé Bassussarry Bastanès La Bastide-Clairence Baudreix Bayonne Bédeille Bedous Béguios Béhasque-Lapiste Béhorléguy Bellocq Bénéjacq Bentayou-Sérée Béost Bérenx Bergouey-Viellenave Bernadets Berrogain-Laruns Bescat Bésingrand Bétracq Beuste Beyrie-en-Béarn Beyrie-sur-Joyeuse Biarritz Bidache Bidarray Bidart Bidos Bielle Bilhères Billère Biriatou Biron Bizanos Boeil-Bezing Bonloc Bonnut Borce Bordères Bordes Bosdarros Boucau Boueilh-Boueilho-Lasque Bougarber Bouillon Boumourt Bourdettes Bournos Briscous Bruges-Capbis-Mifaget Bugnein Bunus Burgaronne Buros Burosse-Mendousse Bussunarits-Sarrasquette Bustince-Iriberry Buziet Buzy Cabidos Cadillon Cambo-les-Bains Came Camou-Cihigue Cardesse Caro Carrère Carresse-Cassaber Castagnède Casteide-Cami Casteide-Candau Casteide-Doat Castéra-Loubix Castet Castetbon Castétis Castetnau-Camblong Castetner Castetpugon Castillon-d'Arthez Castillon-de-Lembeye Caubios-Loos Cescau Cette-Eygun Charre Charritte-de-Bas Chéraute Ciboure Claracq Coarraze Conchez-de-Béarn Corbère-Abères Coslédaà-Lube-Boast Coublucq Crouseilles Cuqueron Denguin Diusse Doazon Dognen Domezain-Berraute Doumy Eaux-Bonnes Escos Escot Escou Escoubès Escout Escurès Eslourenties-Daban Espéchède Espelette Espès-Undurein Espiute Espoey Esquiule Estérençuby Estialescq Estos Etcharry Etchebar Etsaut Eysus Féas Fichous-Riumayou Gabaston Gabat Gamarthe Gan Garindein Garlède-Mondebat Garlin Garos Garris Gayon Gelos Ger Gerderest Gère-Bélesten Géronce Gestas Géus-d'Arzacq Geüs-d'Oloron Goès Gomer Gotein-Libarrenx Guéthary Guiche Guinarthe-Parenties Gurmençon Gurs Hagetaubin Halsou Hasparren Haut-de-Bosdarros Haux Hélette Hendaye Herrère Higuères-Souye L'Hôpital-d'Orion L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise Hosta Hours Ibarrolle Idaux-Mendy Idron Igon Iholdy Ilharre Irissarry Irouléguy Ispoure Issor Isturits Itxassou Izeste Jasses Jatxou Jaxu Jurançon Juxue Laà-Mondrans Laàs Labastide-Cézéracq Labastide-Monréjeau Labastide-Villefranche Labatmale Labatut Labets-Biscay Labeyrie Lacadée Lacarre Lacarry-Arhan-Charritte-de-Haut Lacommande Lacq Lagor Lagos Laguinge-Restoue Lahonce Lahontan Lahourcade Lalongue Lalonquette Lamayou Lanne-en-Barétous Lannecaube Lanneplaà Lantabat Larceveau-Arros-Cibits Laroin Larrau Larressore Larreule Larribar-Sorhapuru Laruns Lasclaveries Lasse Lasserre Lasseube Lasseubetat Lay-Lamidou Lecumberry Ledeuix Lée Lées-Athas Lembeye Lème Léren Lescar Lescun Lespielle Lespourcy Lestelle-Bétharram Lichans-Sunhar Lichos Licq-Athérey Limendous Livron Lohitzun-Oyhercq Lombia Lonçon Lons Loubieng Louhossoa Lourdios-Ichère Lourenties Louvie-Juzon Louvie-Soubiron Louvigny Luc-Armau Lucarré Lucgarier Lucq-de-Béarn Lurbe-Saint-Christau Lussagnet-Lusson Luxe-Sumberraute Lys Macaye Malaussanne Mascaraàs-Haron Maslacq Masparraute Maspie-Lalonquère-Juillacq Maucor Mauléon-Licharre Maure Mazères-Lezons Mazerolles Méharin Meillon Mendionde Menditte Mendive Méracq Méritein Mesplède Mialos Miossens-Lanusse Mirepeix Momas Momy Monassut-Audiracq Moncaup Moncayolle-Larrory-Mendibieu Moncla Monein Monpezat Monségur Mont Montagut Montaner Montardon Montaut Mont-Disse Montfort Montory Morlaàs Morlanne Mouguerre Mouhous Moumour Mourenx Musculdy Nabas Narcastet Narp Navailles-Angos Navarrenx Nay Noguères Nousty Ogenne-Camptort Ogeu-les-Bains Oloron-Sainte-Marie Oraàs Ordiarp Orègue Orin Orion Orriule Orsanco Orthez Os-Marsillon Ossas-Suhare Osse-en-Aspe Ossenx Osserain-Rivareyte Ossès Ostabat-Asme Ouillon Ousse Ozenx-Montestrucq Pagolle Parbayse Pardies Pardies-Piétat Pau Peyrelongue-Abos Piets-Plasence-Moustrou Poey-de-Lescar Poey-d'Oloron Pomps Ponson-Debat-Pouts Ponson-Dessus Pontacq Pontiacq-Viellepinte Portet Pouliacq Poursiugues-Boucoue Préchacq-Josbaig Préchacq-Navarrenx Précilhon Puyoô Ramous Rébénacq Ribarrouy Riupeyrous Rivehaute Rontignon Roquiague Saint-Abit Saint-Armou Saint-Boès Saint-Castin Saint-Dos Sainte-Colome Sainte-Engrâce Saint-Esteben Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry Saint-Faust Saint-Girons-en-Béarn Saint-Gladie-Arrive-Munein Saint-Goin Saint-Jammes Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-le-Vieux Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Saint-Jean-Poudge Saint-Just-Ibarre Saint-Laurent-Bretagne Saint-Martin-d'Arberoue Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa Saint-Médard Saint-Michel Saint-Palais Saint-Pé-de-Léren Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle Saint-Pierre-d'Irube Saint-Vincent Salies-de-Béarn Salles-Mongiscard Sallespisse Sames Samsons-Lion Sare Sarpourenx Sarrance Saubole Saucède Sauguis-Saint-Étienne Sault-de-Navailles Sauvagnon Sauvelade Sauveterre-de-Béarn Séby Sedze-Maubecq Sedzère Séméacq-Blachon Sendets Serres-Castet Serres-Morlaàs Serres-Sainte-Marie Sévignacq Sévignacq-Meyracq Simacourbe Siros Soumoulou Souraïde Suhescun Sus Susmiou Tabaille-Usquain Tadousse-Ussau Tardets-Sorholus Taron-Sadirac-Viellenave Tarsacq Thèze Trois-Villes Uhart-Cize Uhart-Mixe Urcuit Urdès Urdos Urepel Urost Urrugne Urt Ustaritz Uzan Uzein Uzos Verdets Vialer Viellenave-d'Arthez Viellenave-de-Navarrenx Vielleségure Vignes Villefranque Viodos-Abense-de-Bas Viven