Abidos, Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Abidos (Avidòs) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.

Geography
Abidos is a Béarnais commune located some 13 km south-east of Orthez and 4 km north of Mourenx on the south side of the Gave de Pau. Access to the commune is by the D31 road from Le Bourguet in the north turning west in the commune to access the village and continuing southwest to join the D9. The D33 road from Noguères in the southeast passes through the commune east of the village and joins the D31 as it turns west. The commune has an industrial area in the southwest with the rest of the commune mainly farmland.

The Gave de Pau forms the north-eastern border of the commune and also passes through the northern corner of the commune as it flows north-west to join the Gave d'Oloron at Peyrehorade. The Baïse river flows through the centre of the commune from the southeast and joins the Gave de Pau in the commune. The Luzoué also flows from the southeast through the west of the commune to join the Gave de Pau.

Places and hamlets

 * Bastia
 * Bernacheyre
 * Chalosse
 * Joanlong
 * Pleasure
 * Us

Toponymy
The name Abidos appears in the forms:
 * Avitos in the 11th century, Pierre de Marca and around 1100 and in the Cartulary of the Abbey of Lucq.
 * Avitoss was another form around 1100, Cartulary of the Abbey of Lucq-de-Béarn. *Avezos also appeared around 1100 in the Cartulary of the Abbey of Lucq-de-Béarn
 * Avidoos in the 13th century in the Fors de Béarn
 * Sent-Sadarnii of Abidos in 1344 Notaries of Pardies
 * Bidos and Bydos in 1548, Reformation of Béarn
 * Abidos on the Cassini Map of 1750

Michel Grosclaude offers a Latin etymology of Avitus plus the Aquitaine suffix -ossum "domain of Avitus".

Its name in Béarnais is Avidos (according to the classical norm).

History
Paul Raymond notes that in 1385, Abidos had 18 fires and depended on the bailiwicks of Lagor and Pardies. Abidos had a castle with an attached door across the Pau river.

Administration


List of Successive Mayors of Abidos

Inter-communality
Abidos is a member of seven inter-communal organisations:
 * the community of communes of Lacq-Orthez
 * SIVU for the development and management of the river basin of Baïses
 * AEP union for water and Baise;
 * sanitation union of the communes of the Juscle and Baise valleys
 * Energy Union of Pyrenees-Atlantiques
 * Intercommunal Union for defence against floods of the Gave de Pau
 * Intercommunal Union for educational regrouping in the communes of Os-Marsillon and Abidos.

Economy
The town is part of the zone designation of Ossau-Iraty cheese.

Religious Heritage
There is an old chapel at Abidos castle.

Environmental heritage
An arboretum created by the community of communes of Lacq and the Abengoa BioEnergy France company, is located behind the village hall.

Also found in Abydos, a mill with its canal. The path of Naöu means an unencumbered way along the Pau river (phonetic transcription of nau is bateau in Béarnais).

Education
The commune has a school with two classrooms for primary school, a school canteen, and a library.

Sports and sports equipment
The town has a sports field in the centre with a football field, basketball court, volleyball court, and tennis courts. There is also a sports hall equipped for basketball, tennis and Basque pelota. Lastly there is a roller skate park for BMX edge of the Baise.

Notable People linked to the commune

 * Raoul Vergez was born in Abidos on 3 August 1908 and died in Senlis (Oise) on 7 July 1977. He was a "companion carpenter", writer and journalist. Known by the name of "Béarnais, the friend of the Tour de France", he left an important mark on the work of the Companions in France. He reported from the United States during a trip in 1952, some special techniques for companion carpenters.