Baleix

Baleix
Baleix
Location within Aquitaine region Baleix
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Arrondissement	Pau
Canton	Montaner
Intercommunality	Luy-Gabas-Souye et Lées
Government
• Mayor (2008–2020)	Vincent Roustaa
Area1	6.47 km2 (2.50 sq mi)
Population (2010)2	137
• Density	21/km2 (55/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	64089 / 64460
Elevation	225–354 m (738–1,161 ft) (avg. 230 m or 750 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Baleix is a French commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Aquitaine region of south-western France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Baleichois or Baleichoises.

Geography

Baleix is located in the Montanérès overlooking the Lées Valley some 26 km north-east of Pau and 10 km south of Lembeye. Access to the commune is by the D7 road from Saint-Jammes in the west which passes through the length of the commune and the village and continues east to Casteide-Doat. The D145 comes from Lespourcy in the south-west and passes through the village to continue north to Anoye. Apart from the village there is also the hamlet of Tisné north-east of the village. The commune is mostly farmland with a few scattered small forests.

The Lées flows through the east of the commune from the south and continues north to join the Adour near Aire-sur-l'Adour. The Petit Lées comes from the south and flows north-east through the commune to join the Lées.

Places and hamlets

• Balespouey
• Baradat
• Berbouly
• Capcazaux
• Capsus (land)
• Castille
• La Caussade
• Clos
• Dujardin
• Guilhas
• Hourpelat
• Jeandavid
• Jouanolou
• La Moulère
• Noau
• Pucheu
• Puyo
• Sarthou
• Tisné
• Trémoulets
• Vignau

Neighbouring communes and villages

Baleix Village

In Baleix Village

Baleix Landscape

Toponymy

Michel Grosclaude said that etymologically the name comes from the Gascon Balèch meaning "plateau".

The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Name	Spelling	Date	Source	Page	Origin	Description
Baleix	Bales	11th century	Raymond	20	Lescar	Village
	Balas	12th century	Raymond	20	Marca
	Balestoos	13th century	Raymond	20	Fors de Béarn
	Baleixs	1385	Raymond	20	Census
	Balesie	1402	Raymond	20	Census
	Baleyxs	1538	Raymond	20	Reformation
	Balechs	1538	Raymond	20	Reformation
	Balex	1548	Raymond	20	Reformation
	Baleix	1750	Cassini
Abarades	Abarades	1863	Raymond	1		Place
Abats	Abats	1863	Raymond	1		Place
Les Artics	Les Articqs	1769	Raymond	14	Terrier	Place
La Bielle	La Bielle	1863	Raymond	31		Place
La Haille	Hailhe	1769	Raymond	74	Terrier	Place
La Lanusse	La Lanusse	1863	Raymond	93		Place
Peyreblanque	Peyreblanque	1863	Raymond	134		Place
Le Pimi	Lou Pimy	1769	Raymond	135	Terrier	Hamlet
Les Plagnius	Plagniux	1769	Raymond	136	Terrier	Place
	Le Plagniu	1769	Raymond	136	Terrier
Raguette	Raguet	1769	Raymond	141	Terrier	Place
Trémoulets	Le Trémoulet	1863	Raymond	168		Place
Le Turocq de Naudy	Le Turocq de Naudy	1769	Raymond	169	Terrier	Place
La Turrecolle	La Turequolle	1769	Raymond	170	Terrier	Place
La Vignasse	La Vignasse	1863	Raymond	174		Place

Sources:

• Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. (French)
• Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 (French)
• Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750

Origins:

• Lescar: Cartulary of Lescar
• Marca: Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn.
• Fors de Béarn
• Census: Census of Béarn
• Terrier: The Terrier of Baleix.

History

Paul Raymond noted on page 20 of his 1863 dictionary that in 1385 there were 22 fires and it depended on the bailiwick of Pau. Baleix fief was subject to the Viscounts of Béarn.

The commune has long been occupied as evidenced by the discovery of a fortified camp surrounded by a moat with visible remains of earthworks.

During the medieval period the commune was a member of the Commandery of the Order of Malta of Caubin and Morlaàs.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

From	To	Name	Party	Position
1995	2001	Jean Balespouey
2001	2008	Gérard Balespouey
2008	2020	Vincent Roustaa

(Not all data is known)

Inter-communality

The commune is part of four inter-communal structures:

• the Community of communes of Pays de Morlaàs;
• the SIVOM of the Canton of Montaner;
• the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
• the inter-communal association for the supply of drinking water Luy-Gabas-Lees;

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 137 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 communes that have a sample survey every year.

Population Change (See database)

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851
301	290	348	358	428	413	451	450	443

1856	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896
432	388	396	372	368	375	328	320	282

1901	1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
280	270	251	202	201	194	176	158	156

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2010	-
152	141	150	126	122	120	126	137	-

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

Population of Baleix

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

• A Farmhouse at Sarthou (18th century)
• A House at Jean David (18th century)
• A House at Castille (1623)
• The Bourdallé House (18th century)
• The Coulomé Farmhouse (1789)
• The Bélengou House (18th century)
• The Arnautou House at Clos (19th century)
• Houses and Farms (17th-19th century)

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint-Martin

• The Parish Church of Saint-Martin (12th century) is registered as an historical monument. The Church contains a very large number of items that are registered as historical objects. For a complete list with links to descriptions (in French) click here.

See also

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

Bibliography

• Archaeological Map of Gaul, Archaeological pre-inventory published under the responsibility of Michel Provost, Pyrénées-Atlantiques

External links

• Baleix on Lion1906
• Baleix on the 1750 Cassini Map
• Baleix on the INSEE website (French)
• INSEE (French)