Abère (French pronunciation: [abɛʁ]; Béarnese: Avera) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.

Abère
The church of Abère
The church of Abère
Location of Abère
Map
Abère is located in France
Abère
Abère
Abère is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Abère
Abère
Coordinates: 43°23′26″N 0°10′28″W / 43.3906°N 0.1744°W / 43.3906; -0.1744
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentPyrénées-Atlantiques
ArrondissementPau
CantonPays de Morlaàs et du Montanérès
IntercommunalityNord-Est Béarn
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Myriam Cuillet[1]
Area
1
5.81 km2 (2.24 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
162
 • Density28/km2 (72/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Abérois, Abéroises
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
64002 /64160
Elevation239–346 m (784–1,135 ft)
(avg. 335 m or 1,099 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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Memorial to the war dead of Abère
 
The Abère public hall.
 
The Pyrénées from Abère.

Location

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Abère is located some 22 km northeast of Pau and some 9 km northeast of Morlaas. The D7 road (Route de Vic) heading east from Saint-Jammes passes through the southern portion of the commune and continues to Baleix. Access to the village is by the Chemin de Lapoutge going north from the D7 for about 6 km. The Highway D207 coming south from Simacourbe forms the eastern boundary of the commune. The commune is mostly farmland with forests in the north and east[3]

Hydrography

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Located in the watershed of the Adour, the Grand Léez river forms the western border of the commune, with the Arriutort joining it at the northern tip of the commune and forming the northeastern border of the commune.

Localities and hamlets

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  • Bartot
  • Berducq
  • Bordenave
  • Briscoulet
  • Courde
  • Crouquet
  • Hourcade
  • Labat
  • Larré
  • Piarrette
  • Salabert
  • La Teulère[4]

[5]

Neighbouring communes and towns

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[3]

Toponymy

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The name Abère was mentioned in the tenth century[6] (according to Pierre de Marca[7]) and appeared in the forms:

  • Oere and Bere (1385[6] Census of Béarn[8]),
  • Vere and Avere (1385[9] Census of Morlaàs, but uncertain if it is the same locality[9]),
  • Oeyre was mentioned in 1487[6] Registry of Béarnais businesses.[10]
  • Abere appears on the Cassini Map of 1750[9][11] and in the 1790 map,[12] Bulletin of Laws.

Michel Grosclaude[9] proposed a Latin etymology of abellana or abella, derived from the Béarnais abera (according to Brigitte Jobbé-Duval.[13]), which means "hazelnut" and by extension "the hazel copse"

The commune's name in Béarnais is Avera.

History

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Paul Raymond[6] noted that in 1385, there were 8 fires in Abère and that it depended on the bailiwick of Pau. A barony was created in 1672, a vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn. The commune was part of the Archdiocese of Vic-Bihl, which in turn depended on the Diocese of Lescar of which Lembeye was the capital.[14]

Its Lay Abbey,  [15] the house of Bosom d'Abadie is mentioned in 1385.

Administration

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List of Successive Mayors of Abère[16]

From To Name
1995 2008 Jean-Pierre Lortet
2008 2014 Claude Conte-Hourticq
2014 Current Myriam Cuillet

Intercommunality

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Abère is a member of three inter-communal organisations:[17]

  • the community of communes of Nord-Est Béarn
  • the AEP Union for the Luy and Gabas Regions
  • the energy Union of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 296—    
1800 199−5.51%
1806 256+4.29%
1821 194−1.83%
1831 170−1.31%
1836 259+8.79%
1841 285+1.93%
1846 272−0.93%
1851 291+1.36%
1856 261−2.15%
1861 264+0.23%
1866 257−0.54%
1872 230−1.83%
1876 247+1.80%
1881 238−0.74%
1886 225−1.12%
1891 226+0.09%
1896 201−2.32%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 212+1.07%
1906 196−1.56%
1911 200+0.40%
1921 180−1.05%
1926 160−2.33%
1931 154−0.76%
1936 165+1.39%
1946 154−0.69%
1954 149−0.41%
1962 150+0.08%
1968 140−1.14%
1975 133−0.73%
1982 132−0.11%
1990 123−0.88%
1999 133+0.87%
2009 147+1.01%
2014 158+1.45%
2020 165+0.73%
Source: EHESS (1793-1999)[18] and INSEE[19]

Culture and Heritage

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Civil heritage

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Several structures are listed as historical monuments in the commune. These are:

  • Tile factory at la Teulère [4]
  • Former Lay Abbey: the Bosom d'Abadie [15]
  • Town Hall (former Presbytery) (19th century) [20]
  • Chateau of Bordenave d'Abère (1732) [21]
  • Menyucq House farm (1841) [22]
  • Houses and Farms (19th century) [23]

Religious Heritage

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  • The Church of St. John the Baptist (16th century) [24] The church contains several historical objects. These are:
    • Processional Cross (17th century) [25]
    • Altar Cross [26]
    • Painting: Christ on the Cross with Saint John, the Virgin, and Saint John the Baptist (18th century) [27]
    • Baptismal Fonts (12th century) [28]
    • 4 Altar Candlesticks [29]
    • 2 statues: Angels holding a column and a scale [30]
    • Tabernacle [31]
    • Altar (18th century) [32]
    • Altar, Tabernacle, and 4 Candlesticks at the secondary altar [33]

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. ^ a b Google Maps
  4. ^ a b Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA00027108 Tile Factory (in French)
  5. ^ Géoportail, IGN, consulted on 14 October 2011 (in French)
  6. ^ a b c d Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, Paul Raymond, Imprimerie nationale, 1863, Digitised from Lyon Public Library 15 June 2011, p. 2 (in French)
  7. ^ Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn p. 268 (in French)
  8. ^ Manuscript of the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  9. ^ a b c d Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, ISBN 2 35068 005 3, p. 214 (in French)
  10. ^ Manuscripts of the 15th and 16th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (in French)
  11. ^ Cassini Map 1750 - Abère
  12. ^ Cassini Map 1790 - Abère
  13. ^ Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture, ISBN 978-2-35077-151-9
  14. ^ Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, p. 174
  15. ^ a b Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA00027107 Lay Abbey (in French)
  16. ^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
  17. ^ Intercommunalité des Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Cellule informatique préfecture 64, consulted on 9 November 2011[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Abère, EHESS (in French).
  19. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  20. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA00027106 Town Hall (Presbytery) (in French)
  21. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA00027105 Chateau of Bordenave d'Abère (in French)
  22. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA00027103 Menyucq House (in French)
  23. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA00027102 Houses and Farms (in French)
  24. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA00027104 Church of St. John the Baptist (in French)
  25. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000446 Processional Cross (in French)
  26. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000445 Altar Cross (in French)
  27. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000444 Painting: Christ on the Cross (in French)
  28. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000443 Baptismal Fonts (in French)
  29. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000442 4 Altar Candlesticks (in French)
  30. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000441 2 Statues of angels (in French)
  31. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000440 Tabernacle (in French)
  32. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000439 Carved wood Altar (in French)
  33. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM64000438 Altar, Tabernacle, 4 Candlesticks (in French)
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