OSSèS

'Ossès' (Basque: ''Ortzaize'') is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''département'' of southwestern France, in the traditional Basque province of Nafarroa Beherea.

Contents

Geography

Nearest places

History

Sights

Economy

Transportation

Miscellaneous

Gallery

External link

Geography

Ossès is located some 13 kilometres (8 mi) north west of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the foothills of the Pyrenees. It is surrounded by low hills in the Ossès valley, a part of the valley of the river Nive, home of the pottok, the wild Basque horse. The surrounding countryside is considered very beautiful, with several trails, long-distance walks and picnic sites. The air was described as coming 'straight from heaven' by a local poet.

Nearest places

★ Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

★ Bidarray

★ Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa

★ Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry

History

The village was under the authority of the Dukes of Gascogne, then of Aquitaine, but was passed to the Kingdom of Navarre with the marriage of Princess Berengaria of Navarre, daughter of King Sancho the Wise, to Richard the Lionheart in 1191.
Ossès had the status of a county but lost this after the French Revolution.

Sights

The village has a splendid 16th century church, St-Julien, with a unique heptagonal tower, a famous altarpiece and a pelota fronton forming one of its walls. The graveyard has a small number of stone Basque crosses. There are several traditional Basque houses around the square, characterised by their pink sandstone lintels and half-timbers, including the 1628 Maison Sastriarena, where the Bishops of Bayonne were entertained, and the Maison Harizmendi, where the prelate who married Louis XIV and Maria Theresa stayed in 1660 on his way to the wedding party. The old laundry building has also been preserved.

Economy

The well-known Irouléguy wine and Ossau-Iraty cheese are produced in the area, with tourism, crafts and agriculture key parts of the local economy.

Transportation

Ossès-Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa is a station on the railway line between Bayonne and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port with several services each day. It is 1km from the village. A bus to Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry connects with the rail service.

Miscellaneous

The village festival is on the last Sunday in August.

Gallery

External link

★ Town hall : 05 59 37 74 62

★ ORTZAIZE in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) (in Spanish)