Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby

The French community Aroue - Ithorots - Olhaiby (Basque: Arüe - Ithorrotze - Olhaibi ) is located in the department of Pyrénées- Atlantiques in the Aquitaine region. Through the 247 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) counting place leads the GR 65, which largely follows the historical course of the French Road to Santiago Via Podiensis. The route Aroue - Ostabat has been added as the seventh section of the Via Podiensis in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Geography

Aroue is located in the extreme southwest of France in the Pyrenean foothills and belongs to the French Basque country. Districts of Aroue - Ithorots - Olhaiby are: Aroue, Ithorots, Larrartia and Olhaiby. Neighboring municipalities are: Etcharry in the north, Naba in the northeast, Charritte -de- Bas and Lichos in the east, Domezain - Berraute in the west, and Ainharp Lohitzun - Oyhercq in the south. The nearest town is Orthez, which can be reached in a northeasterly direction across the D265 by about 32 kilometers of road. The next major French cities are Toulouse (193 km ) to the east and Bordeaux ( 171 km) to the north.

Toponyms

• Aroue: Aroe ( 1337, 1460 ), Aroa ( 1385 ), Stephen Sent d' guide of souls ( 1469 ), Degaierie de Aroa (1520 ), Aroue ( 1690)
• Ithorots: Ithorrodz ( 1337), Uthorrotz ( 1469 ), Ytorrotz ( 1482 ) Yptorrotz and Iptorrotz ( 1690)
• Olhaiby: Olhaivie ( 1308), Olhabie ( 1375 ), Olƒabie ( 1376 ) Olhabia (1407), Olhayvi ( 1496 ), Olharby (1563 ), Olhayby and Olhaybié ( 1690)

History

Aroue was one of the seven districts of the Soule. In Ithorots there was a lay monastery as a fief of the Viscount of Soule. Olhaiby was also a fief of Soule, its owner was one of the ten Potestas of Soule. The Protestant population was very set against church and state. During the French Revolution transformed the church into a " Temple of Reason ."

Way of St. James ( Via Podiensis )

In the village there is only a small municipal pilgrim hostel (French: Gîte d' étape ) and a campsite. The GR 65 leads directly to Ostabat - Asme, while the historical variation in the hamlet Lukia turns to Saint-Palais and reunited in Hiriburia with the GR 65. The originally -looking landscape consists mainly of meadows and woods with small hamlets and farms. The peaks of the Pyrenees are within reach. On the way to Ostabat - Asme there are still places to stay in Saint Palais and just south of the GR 65 in Uhart -Mixe. After Saint Palais performs as a street connecting the D11, from there the D933 after Ostabat - Asme.

Culture and sights

• It is a village and shows the typical architecture of the western Basque country. The houses with gable roofs are covered with tiles and the walls whitewashed. Some of the houses are still from the sixteenth century. As in any Basque village is the pelota court near the church.
• The church of Saint -Étienne is of Roman origin. In the 19th century it was thoroughly renovated, so very little can be seen of their origin. The figure above the door to the sacristy is to represent the Apostle James as Moors killer (Spanish Matamoros ). This interpretation comes from Dr. Urrutibetehy, which dealt intensively with the pilgrimage routes in this region and also the place for the " Stele of Gibraltar " stipulated on the run together the three main French routes to Santiago de Compostella.
• The church of Saint -Samson
• The Church of Olhaiby