Aincille (French pronunciation: [ɛ̃sil];[3] Basque: Aintzilla)[4] is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.

Aincille
Aintzilla
A House in Aincille
A House in Aincille
Coat of arms of Aincille
Location of Aincille
Map
Aincille is located in France
Aincille
Aincille
Aincille is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Aincille
Aincille
Coordinates: 43°08′44″N 1°11′38″W / 43.1455°N 1.1938°W / 43.1455; -1.1938
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentPyrénées-Atlantiques
ArrondissementBayonne
CantonMontagne Basque
IntercommunalityPays Basque
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Gilbert Oçafrain[1]
Area
1
6.26 km2 (2.42 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
114
 • Density18/km2 (47/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
64011 /64220
Elevation198–755 m (650–2,477 ft)
(avg. 240 m or 790 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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A Wayside Cross in Aincille

Location

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The town is part of Cize Country in the former Basque province of Lower Navarre.

It is located some 50 km south-east of Bayonne and 5 km southeast of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Access

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The commune can be accessed by the D401 road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the northwest to the village. From the village the D118 road goes north to join the D18 highway.[5]

Hydrography

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Located in the drainage basin of the Adour, the northeastern border of the commune is marked by the Laurhibar river, which flows north to join the Nive north of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A stream rises near the village and flows to the Laurhibar in the north-east. The Urtchipea rises in the south of the commune and flows northwest gathering many tributaries and joins the Nive de Beherobie at Saint-Michel. The Sassitako erreka rises southwest of the village and flows northwest joining the Laurhibar east of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Localities and hamlets

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  • Ahadoa
  • Aïntzilsarria
  • Bassaburua
  • Bentaberria
  • Berho
  • Chiramberroa
  • Esconda
  • Etcheverrigaraya
  • Gamaberria
  • Goyhenetchéa
  • Handiague
  • Harchilo
  • Jaureguia
  • Oilloquy
  • Pagola
  • Sahaby
  • Sotalda

Toponymy

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The commune name in basque is Aintzila meaning "hill of mud",[6] Aintzila[7] or Aintzil-Harrieta.[8]

Jean-Baptiste Orpustan wrote the name of the commune in the form Aïncille. He also indicated that in Basque the inhabitants are referred to as Aintzildar.[7]

The following table details the origins of the commune name.

Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description
Aincille Aincibiu 1264 Mérimée Village
Aincibiu 1309 Orpustan
Ancivil 1291 Orpustan
Ancivil 1292 Mérimée
Ancil 1304 Mérimée
Ancil 1344 Orpustan
Ançill 1307 Mérimée
Ançill 1307 Orpustan
Ancibiu 1350 Mérimée
Ancibiu 1350 Orpustan
Aincile 18th century Raymond
4
Intendance
Ancille 1801 Cassini Bulletin des lois

Sources:

Origins:

  • Intendance: Intendance of Pau[10]

History

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Part of Aincille territory next to the communes of Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan, Bustince-Iriberry, Çaro, Lecumberry, Mendive, Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, and Saint-Michel, was taken on 11 June 1842 to form of the commune of Estérençuby.[11]

Heraldry

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Arms of Aincille
Blazon:

Quarterly, first Azure a bridge of Or masoned in sable debruised over a wave of argent in base, in chief 3 stars the same arranged in fesse; second of Or with an eagle displayed in sable; three vert a cow of Or collared and belled in azure posed in base surmounted by a sheep of argent horned in Or; fourth azure with a church in Or in profile roofed the same extended at dexter with a porch abased and surmounted at dexter by a belltower and steeple the same supporting a cross in sable, windows and doors the same..



Administration

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The Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors of Aincille[12]

From To Name
1995 2008 Jean Françaistéguy
2008 2026 Gilbert Oçafrain

Inter-communality

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The commune belongs to six intercommunal structures:

  • the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque
  • the AEP association of Ainhice
  • the energy association for Pyrenees-Atlantiques
  • the intercommunal association for the development and management of the slaughterhouse at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
  • the joint association for the watershed of the Nive
  • the association to support Basque culture.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 123—    
1975 136+1.45%
1982 113−2.61%
1990 110−0.34%
1999 103−0.73%
2007 124+2.35%
2012 129+0.79%
2017 112−2.79%
Source: INSEE[13]

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aintzildars.[14]

 
Aincille War Memorial

Economy

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The town is part of the production area of Irouléguy AOC and the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Economic activity is mainly agricultural.

Aincille had long received saline (saline of Ugarré) since the 17th century and had the distinction of being a corporation with ownership of twenty-nine old houses of the town[15] and was reunited with the royal domain in 1683.

Culture and heritage

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Languages

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According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, the dialect of Basque spoken in Aincille is Eastern Low Navarrese.

Civil heritage

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Aincille Cemetery Cross

The commune has several sites that are registered as historical monuments:

  • Houses and Farms (18th-19th century) [16]
  • The Idiondoa Farmhouse (1617) [17]
  • The Ahadoberria Farmhouse (1768) [18]

Religious Heritage

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Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist

The commune has several religious sites that are registered as historical monuments:

  • The Croix de Carrefour (Crossroads Cross) Wayside Cross [19]
  • A Cemetery Cross (17th century) [20]
  • The Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist (Middle Ages) [21] The church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
    • A Processional Cross (18th century) [22]
    • A Statue: Virgin and child (13th century) [23]
Church Picture Gallery
Stained Glass

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Lurzaindia SCA. "Aincille - Claude Kratochvil". YouTube.
  4. ^ AINTZILLA, Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Google Maps
  6. ^ a b Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA64000872 Presentation of Aincille Commune (in French)
  7. ^ a b c Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006, ISBN 2 86781 396 4 (in French)
  8. ^ Pierre Lhande, Dictionary basque-French, Éditions Beauchène, 1 April 1997, ISBN 2-7010-0532-9 (in French)
  9. ^ Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011 (in French)
  10. ^ Titles of the intendance of Pau - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  11. ^ (in Spanish) Article on Estérençuby in the Encyclopedia Auñamendi
  12. ^ List of Mayors of France
  13. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  14. ^ Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.fr
  15. ^ Philippe Veyrin, The Basques, Arthaud, 1975, ISBN 2 7003 0038 6, page 23. (in French)
  16. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA64000966 Houses and Farms (in French)
  17. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA64000861 Idiondoa Farmhouse (in French)
  18. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA64000860 Ahadoberria Farmhouse (in French)
  19. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00084306 Croix de Carrefour (in French)
  20. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00084307 Cemetery Cross (in French)
  21. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA64000857 Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist (in French)
  22. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM64000025 Processional Cross (in French)
  23. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM64000024 Statue: Virgin and child (in French)
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