Luzaide / Valcarlos
Luzaide / Valcarlos (Basque Luzaide, Spanish Valcarlos ) is a city and municipality in northern Spain in the Autonomous Region of Navarre. It is located on the connecting road between the French Saint -Jean -Pied -de-Port ( D933 ) to the Spanish Roncesvalles ( national road N -135 ) over the Pyrenees Puerto de Ibañeta.
General
It is one of the few Spanish towns, lying north of the Pyrenees, the main ridge. The connections to the adjoining France - Département of Pyrénées- Atlantiques, formerly Niedernavarra ( französ. Basse- Navarre ), the French part of the Kingdom of Navarre - are closely for historical and geographical reasons, the connection to Spain is via a winding mountain road via Roncesvalles.
Valcarlos is not composed of a single village, but has become more developed in the form of a dispersed settlement with various population centers that can a few hundred meters or even several kilometers apart. Geographical and functional center is Elizaldea, close this main districts are Gaindola and Azoleta. Slightly further away Pekotxeta and Gañekoleta '. Along the border with France developed in times of different tax burden for alcohol, tobacco and cosmetics sale items, known as Ventas, most of which were originated from a farm and a restaurant and retail space included. The displacements of the border in history took place mostly in the course of armed conflict. Among other advantages, the eastern part of the town was struck by the name Ondarrola France.
Place name
Luzaide / Valcarlos has a twofold tradition names with differing meanings. With the democratic constitution of 1978, the basis for bilingualism in Navarra was laid from the January 31, 1989 bears the municipality the double name Luzaide / Valcarlos, before that it was only Valcarlos official name, while Luzaide was not used in official parlance.
The Spanish name refers to the Roland legend, according to which the army of Charles is said to have supported the Great after the Battle of Roncesvalles here. Aymeric Picaud passed through the valley in the 12th century and mentioned him in the book of Jacob:
North of the mountain there is a valley called Valcarlos in which Charlemagne and his army encamped, as the fighters were killed in Roncesvalles, and go through the many pilgrims who do not want to climb the mountain.
The Basque name Luzaide may mean " long way " from Luzea ( long) and bide (path ). The basko - French philologist Jean -Baptiste Orpustan bears the name back to the long distance which had to cover before birth of the village with their animals, the shepherds before they came back to a human settlement. The central point of the Municipalities is Elizaldea (Basque: the area around the church).
History
The area around Valcarlos which is guided as an administrative unit since 1592, is settled very long time, which is occupied by prehistoric finds. Parts of the Battle of Roncesvalles to have taken place in the field.
Traditions and Folklore
Folkloric peak in Valcarlos is the festival of Bolantes at Easter. Bolantes called dancers who dressed for the occasion in the costumes of the area enjoy traditional dances. These are, for example, Bolant - iantzak, Erdixka - Lauetan, Jauziak or Makilariak (dance in which a floor, the makila, is thrown into the air and resumed. ) Origin of the festival was probably the Carnival of the area. In the hard preparation the whole village is involved several months. In meetings a festival director is chosen, the major-domos or gorriak, and forgive other items that play a role in the running of the festival: Standard Bearer, banderari, makilari, zapurrak, atxo ta tupiñak.