Aramits (; ; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.
Geography
Location Aramits is located in part of the Barétous Valley, the westernmost of the three main valleys of Béarn crossing the Pyrenees. It is located some 15 km south-west of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and 3 km north of Arette.
Access Access is by the D919 road from Ance in the north-east to the village then continuing to Lanne-en-Baretous in the south-west. There are also the minor roads D659 from the village north to join the D159 on the northern border and the D133 which goes south from the village to Arette.Google Maps
Bus route 848 of the Inter-urban network of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, which connects La Pierre Saint-Martin (a ski resort in Arette) to Oloron-Sainte-Marie, has a stop in Aramits.
Hydrography Located in the drainage basin of the Adour, the commune is bisected from south-west to north-east by : Le Vert a tributary of the Gave d'Oloron which gathers many tributaries of its own in the commune including the Aurone, the Lancy, the Littos, the Talou Gros, and also by the arrècs of Bugalaran, Bitole (as well its tributary the Rachet), Ibarcis, and Labaigt (and by its tributary the Audore).
The tributaries of the Joos: the Arriou de Sulu and the Bouhatéko erreka (with the Dragon) also flow through the commune.
Localities and hamlets
Aïtzaguer Andillon Arhanchet Aripe Atchouètos Badet Balen Baliros Villa Barétous Bénébig Bernasqué Bigué Bile Bouenou Bourette Brincou Fontaine Bugalaran Bois de Bugangue Borde Estanguet Granges Cachau Calangué Camou Capdeville Carquet Carrère Casabonne Casalet Casemayou Castera Chandelle Chicane Chinaberry Chourrout Coig Coig de Lamothe Couéchot Coustarou Crapuchette Escary Escoubès Escribasse Estrate Galard Garay La Gloriette Gouloume Gourroure Guirail Hondeville Laborde Lac de Bas Lacazette Lacouère Lagarde Lahitte Lamothe (2 localities) Lanne de Haut Lanneretonne Larrande Lartigau Laserre Laude Bousquet Grange Lerdou Lesponne Lhande Loustalot Loustaucaus Grange de Lurbet Mendioudou Ménin Mesplou Miapira Miramon Mirande Moncole Mounolou Les Murs Olivé de Haut Olivé de Baig Oscamou Grange d'Osse Ounces Oyhenard Pastou Les Pernes Peyré Grange de Pradet Prat Bois de Rachet Pont de Rachou Ripaète Satzoury Serres Serreuille Sottou Soulou Talou Talou Andichou Talou Piarroch Tembla de la Loupère Tos de Haut Trébucq Les Trois Arbres
Géoportail, IGN
Toponymy The commune name in béarnais is Aràmits (according to classical norm of Occitan). For Brigitte Jobbé-Duval, the origin of the name is from the Basque aran ("valley") and -itz (a locative and collective suffix) giving "place of valleys" or "confluence". It would also indicate that the inhabitants were once nicknamed grenouilles (frogs) - a name for the inhabitants of wetlands).
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description Aramits Aramiçs 1270 Raymond Ossau Village Aramitz en Baratons 1376 Raymond Luntz Iramitz 1383 Raymond Luntz Sent-Vinsens d'Aramitz 1606 Raymond Insinuations Aramys 1630 Grosclaude Le Païs de Béarn Map Aramits 1750 Cassini L'Arrigau lo ariu aperat la Rigau 1538 Raymond Reformation Stream with its source in Arette and joining the Vert in Aramits L'Arrigas 1863 Raymond Basques Basques 1863 Raymond Hamlet La Bourette La Bourette 1863 Raymond Tributary of the Vert which rises in Aramits Le Bois de Bugangue lo boscq de Buyangue 1477 Raymond Aspe Wood on the territory of Asasp in 1863. The Ruisseau de Bugangue, a tributary of the Mielle which rose in Asasp and Gurmençon in 1863, passed through the wood. Calangué La Calangue 1863 Raymond A Stream with its source in the Bois de Budangue and joining the Dandarou, a tributary of the Vert. Gouloume Goulomme 1863 Raymond Wood La Grange-d'Osse L’Espitau d’Osse 1385 Raymond Census Farm next to the Vert belonging to Pontaut AbbeyPontaut Abbey was founded in 1115 at Mant in Landes department.(Landes) and a fief of the Viscounts of Béarn depending on the bailiwick of Oloron. La Grange de Osse ab une petite gleysi 1538 Raymond Reformation Lanne de Haut Lane 1385 Raymond Census Close to another place in Aramits which is now in the commune of Lanne-en-Barétous. It had a Lay Abbey, vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn. In 1385 it was part of the bailiwick of Oloron and had 17 fires. Lana 1444 Raymond Cour Majour Sanctus Martinus de Lanne 1673 Raymond Insinuations Lanne 1863 Raymond Olivé Oliber 1538 Raymond Reformation Farm Serreuille Seruilhe 1376 Raymond Military Hamlet Sarrulhe-Susoo 1385 Raymond Census Sarrulhe-Jusoo 1385 Raymond Census Soulou Soulon 1581 Raymond Reformation Farm
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 Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 Michel Grosclaude, Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, Edicions reclams & Édition Cairn - 2006, 416 pages, Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750Cassini Map 1750 – Aramits
Origins: Ossau: Titles of the Ossau ValleyTitles of Ossau in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Luntz:Contracts retained by Luntz, Notary of Béarn 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 Aspe: Titles of the Aspe ValleyTitles of Aspe in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the Accous Town Hall Census: Census of BéarnManuscript from the 14th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Cour Majour: Regulations of the Cour MajourCour Majour of Béarn, register manuscripts from the 15th century - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Military: Military Inspection of BéarnManuscript from 1376 in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
History Paul Raymond on page 7 of his 1863 dictionary that Aramits is the former capital of the Barétous valley and that there were two Lay Abbeys, vassals of the Viscounts of Béarn: The Abadie-Susan and Abadie-Jusan.
He further noted that in 1385 there were 52 fires at Aramits and it depended on the bailiwick of Oloron.
Shortly before (in 1375), the priest of Aramits played the role of mediator in conflicts between the Navarrese and the Bearnese which gave birth to the treaty called the Junta de Roncal, leading to the yearly tribute of the three cows paid by Aramits to Isaba (Spain).
In 1790, the Canton of Aramits also included Esquiule.
On 13 March 2000 Aramits was hit by an earthquake of magnitude 4.2.
Heraldry
Administration
List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name 1983 1989 Pierre Louis 1989 2014 Daniel Lourtau 2014 2023 Étienne Serna 2023 current Jean-François Casaux
Inter-communality Aramits is part of five inter-communal structures: The Communauté de communes du Haut Béarn; The SIVU for Tourism in Haute-Soule and Barétous; The SIVU La Verna; The Energy Association for Pyrénées-Atlantiques; The Intercommunal association for study and management of the watershed of Le Vert and its tributaries.
Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aramitsiens or Aramitsiennes in French.Pyrénées-Atlantiques, habitants.frBrigitte Jobbé-Duval, Dictionary of place names - Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 2009, Archives and Culture,
Economy The economy of the town is primarily oriented toward agriculture and livestock (cattle and sheep). It is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone designation of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and Heritage
Religious heritage The Parish church of Saint-Vincent (17th century) is registered as an historical monument. It was a former Lay Abbey with the remains of a portal from the 17th century but the old church was demolished in 1880. The new Romanesque-Byzantine style church was built from 1884 to 1886.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
Environmental heritage The Sommet de Souek is 623 metres high The Soum d'Unars is 604 metres The Barrat de Sottou is 556 metres.
Facilities
Education The commune has a primary school.
Sports and sports facilities Rugby Union: the Entente Aramits plays in Fédérale 2. Pierre Capdevielle played there from 1985 to 1994.
Notable people linked to the commune Henri d'Aramitz lived in the commune. He was the son of Charles Aramitz and a sergeant in the company of musketeers who was the inspiration for Aramis in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas.
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
References
External links Aramits Official web site Aramits on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Aramits on the 1750 Cassini Map