Bérenx

Bérenx is a common French, located in the department of the Yrénées-Atlantiques and the area Aquitaine.

Geography

Communes bordering

Baigts-with-Béarn and Ramous in north
Orthez in the east
Bellocq in the west
Rooms-Mongiscard in south-east
Dirty-with-Béarn in south-west.

History

Origin of name BERENX:

Germanic name of origin, Bero, Ber, Bern, " ours" ; follow-up of a suffix of membership - incus (ens, enx): villa or city.

The distribution of these names in Gascogne is capricious and unequal. On the other hand one meets some much in the south of Adour. The ones correspond to clearings by the Francs of areas disinherited which had rejected the Gallo-Romans on allotted grounds, undoubtedly with veterans of the franques armies; others are old Gallo-Roman villas, destroyed by the francs, then raised and renamed with the Germanic mode.

By studying the Germanic names of Adour, one realizes that they are often located on strategic points: post military interest or tolls.

The narrow throats of the gave of Pau with BERENX, allowed the construction of a bridge out of wooden and the touron of Saint Peak was an ideal place for the defense and the control of the bridge.

historical Denomination:

Berencs, 1240, Cartulaire de Sorde, part 154;

Berens, 1241, Cartulaire de Sorde, part 78;

Berenx, 1385, general Enumeration of the houses by Gaston FEBUS;

Berencx, 1461, Charter of Béarn;

Verencxs, 1548, Reform of Béarn, B 761, f°1;

Berenlx, 1582, Diocese of Dax;

Berenx, end of the XVIIIe century, chart of Cassini.

history of BERENX

The area of BERENX was occupied by prehistoric men, there is more than 4.000 years, as the discovery into 1930 of polished stone axes attests it dated from old from copper (Chalcolithique). Three of these tools have was discovered to 600 m in the south of the touron of Saint Peak.

The top of the touron of Saint Peak, dominating the valley of the gave was occupied by a strengthened camp surrounded by broad and deep ditches. This camp supervised the valley of the gave, principal transportation route. On this strategic place, the feudal castle of Mongiscard was built in 1103 per Gaston IV of Béarn after the conquest of the place to the Viscounts of Dax on his return of the first crusade.

Two high towers making it possible to see with more than 60 kilometers surrounded by ditches deep made this place impregnable. At the time of the Protestant revolt of 1620, the captain huguenot Bensin took refuge in this fortified town. After a seat the Bensin captain went and Louis XII ordered the demolition of the castle of Mongiscard in 1621. It always remains on the top the ditches and contrescarpes.

With the Middle Ages BERENX have a certain importance, under Gaston Fébus one counted 71 fires (hearths); with the census of 1881, the village counted 711 more inhabitants.

The troops of Wellington crossed the gave to the fords of the Plain and Freedom, after Taupin destroyed the bridge out of wooden of BERENX, and allowed a victory flash of the British troops over the troops of Soult on February 27th, 1814 Orthez. It is told that a pretty Lady of BERENX announced the existence of the ford of BERENX to a British captain. (part occitane of LaLane: The higue of Massicam).

The hill of Lagisquet which culminates to 172 m was used as observatory with German during the Second world war.

The main activity of the village was always agriculture, the craft industry but also fishing with salmon fisheries on the gave until the beginning of the XXe century without forgetting the career of the bridge of BERENX.

During several centuries the 7 mills along the brook of Gouardère rythmèrent the life of the village.

Sayings on BERENX:

Berenx, tredze bentz, " thirteen vents". Some houses of the locality are located on a very high point and are exposed to all atmospheric violences. The pink of the winds, generally known counts thirty two of them; it thus should be supposed that the inhabitants of Berenx have some with their particular use.

Lou hourat of Berenx; Lou pount of Berenx; " The hole of Berenx" ; " The bridge of Berenx". There is a very deep pit under the bridge of Berenx. Of a lost thing, that one despairs to find, one says " that ey debate lou pount of Berenx" , it is under the bridge of Berenx.

Administration

Demography

Culture and Inheritance

Internal bond

Common of the Yrénées-Atlantiques

External bonds

Random links: