L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise
L' Hôpital- Saint- Blaise ( in Basque Ospitalepea ), is a commune with 83 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Pyrénées- Atlantiques in the Aquitaine region. It is in the area of the former Basque province of Soule and there is one of the easternmost communities. The inhabitants are called Ospitales.
Geography
L' Hôpital -Saint -Blaise is on Lausset, a left tributary of the Gave d' Oloron. It is bordered to the west by the municipalities Moncayolle - Larrory - Mendibieu and Chéraute and on the south by Barcus.
Place names
The place Hôpital Saint -Blaise appears historically under the names La Commandery de Misericordi ( 1334 notaries from Oloron ), Saint- Blas (1670, constitutionality of Navarre ) and L' Hôpital de Saint -Blaise de Misericorde (18th century, commissariat of Pau).
History
L' Hôpital Saint -Blaise was founded in the Middle Ages to support the ( ill ) pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Augustinian monks from the monastery of Santa Cristina on the Col du Somport built here in the mid-12th century Hôpital de miséricorde ( " hostel of Mercy "). The term " Hospital" is only the customary paraphrase. In the hierarchy of the monastery there was a Commandery ( frz.commanderie ). The first written record comes from the year 1308.
The hostel was probably demolished in the time of the French Revolution. Today only the church, which is awarded since 1998 as part of the World Heritage Site by UNESCO " Camino de Santiago in France."
Who was traveling on the Via Tolosana to Spain, commonly used to pass crossing the Col du Somport. However, those who preferred to as the pilgrims to draw from more northern regions over the Col de Roncevaux, elected in Oloron -Sainte -Marie the way down the valley and reached the Via Podiensis at Ostabat. On this stretch Hôpital Saint -Blaise is located where the valley of the Gave is left to the west.
The Holy Blaise is the patron saint of shepherds, the carders and stonemasons. A three-day pilgrimage in his honor took place regularly in early February. Here, animal hair, feathers, and similar products from livestock were thrown into a fire in the village square to ask for the protection of cattle.
Economy and infrastructure
The community is mainly dominated by agriculture (maize and livestock ).
Culture and sights
The Church of ocher slate is on the list of historic monuments since 1888. Her style is a mixture of Romanesque and Byzantine architecture Navarrese: It has the shape of a Greek cross with an octagonal tower in the center, which rises to a dome with Spanish-Moorish influences .. The dimensions are 18 meters long and 12 meters in width modest.
The entrance on the west side is done by a richly decorated portal under a small bell tower. Only parts of the jewelry in the tympanum are original, most parts have been faithfully reconstructed at a restoration in the early 20th century.
Except for the windows in the choir and in the two chapels in the transepts all niches with stone balustrades ( transennes ) are provided, the individual columns have a variety of geometric shapes. This architecture elements derived from a pre-Roman and Islamic traditions, are to be found in such completeness in any other French church. Equally unique is the eave of the choir from wooden planks, decorated in the Mudejar style. Age determination showed that they actually date back to the 12th century.
Most windows are fitted on the inside with compartments arches. The octagonal dome rises above a smooth trompe. Their construction with double- folded sheets, which form an eight -pointed star, reminiscent of Moorish idols.
Additional points of interest
- A mill is currently being restored.