Arbérats-Sillègue


Arbérats-Sillègue is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arberaztar.

Geography

Arbérats-Sillègue is located in Mixe Country in the former Basque province of Lower Navarre, 3 km north-east of Saint-Palais and 10 km south-west of Sauveterre-de-Béarn. The D933 road from Saint-Palais to Osserain-Rivareyte in the north passes through the northern part of the commune. The D134 road passes through the east of the commune from Sussaute in the north continuing south to join the D11 road west of Domezain-Berraute. Access to the village is by country road from the western border passing through the village and going east to join the D134.
The commune is located in the Drainage basin of the Adour. The Ruisseau de Recaide forms part of the northern border flowing north-west to join the Bidouze. The Ruisseau d'Eyherachar rises north-east of the village and flows west through the commune then south forming part of the western border before joining the Bidouze just south of Aïcirits.

Historical places and hamletshttp://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=-0.9947,43.3425&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Géoportail, IGN">Institut géographique national">IGN

The name of the commune in basque is Arberatze-Zilhekoa. Paul Raymond indicated on page 161 of his 1863 dictionary that Sillègue in Basque was Silhecoa.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan suggested two possible origins of the name Arbérats, both from Basque: ar-bera meaning ’fragile’ or ’friable'; or, together with the word arbel, meaning a "black stone". Brigitte Jobbé-Duval also interpreted Arbérats as place of slate.
For Sillègue Jean-Batiste Orpustan suggested the name was a blend of the Basque word zilo, meaning "hole" or "depression in the terrain" and a second element leku meaning "place".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
NameSpellingDateSourcePageOriginDescription
ArbératsArberas1125OrpustanVillage
Arberatz1150Orpustan
Sanctus Laurebtius de Arberaz1160Orpustan
Arberas13th centuryRaymond
8
Duchesne
Arberaz1350Orpustan
Arberatz1413Orpustan
Arberatz1487Raymond
8
Ohix
Arberaz1513Raymond
8
Pamplona
Arbezats1793Cassini1
Arbezats1801Cassini1Bulletin des lois
SillègueSanctus Petrus de Silegue1160OrpustanVillage
Sileugue1316Orpustan
Silegoe1350Orpustan
Silleugue1413Orpustan
Silegoe1472Raymond
161
Notaries
Silegoa1513Raymond
161
Pamplona
Sillègue-les-Domezain1734Raymond
161
Regulations
Sillegue1793Cassini2Bulletin des lois
AitciriaAyciri de Arberatz1487Raymond
4
OhixFarm
Aïtciry1863Raymond
4
CharritteCharritte1863Raymond
48
Fief, vassal of the Kingdom of Navarre

Sources:
Origins:
The village of Sillègue was merged with Arbérats on 14 April 1841.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors
FromToNamePartyPosition
19952001Jacques Sallenave
20012020Sauveur Arnaud Bacho

Inter-communality

The commune belongs to six inter-communal structures:
In 1350 there were 13 fires in Arbérats and 6 in Sillègue.
The fiscal census of 1412–1413, made on the orders of Charles III of Navarre, compared with that of 1551 "of men and weapons that are in this Kingdom of Navarre below the ports" reveals a demography with strong growth. The first indicated the presence at Arbérats of 7 fires, the second of 26. The same for Sillègue: the 1412 census reported 5 fires and that of 1551 22 fires.
The census of the population of Lower Navarre in 1695 showed 40 fires at Arbérats and 20 at Sillègues.
In 2009 the commune had 307 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.
Although from 1793 to 1836 Arbérats and Sillègue were separate communes, the total population for both communes is shown in the above table.

Economy

The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and Heritage

According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte the Basque dialect spoken in Arbérats-Sillègue is western lower-navarrese.

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint-Laurent is registered as an historical monument.

Facilities

Education

The commune has an elementary school

Festivals

The commune has a festival hall located in the centre of the village. The original building was a school and has been completely renovated.

Sports

As it was only equipped with a left wall, Arbérats-Sillègue in 2007 opened a new fronton with toilets and a Pétanque area. There is also a football field in the same complex.

Leisure

A pit dating to Roman times has been converted to a leisure park.