Baliracq-Maumusson Explained

Baliracq-Maumusson
Commune Status:	Commune
Arrondissement:	Pau
Canton:	Terres des Luys et Coteaux du Vic-Bilh
Insee:	64090
Postal Code:	64330
Mayor:	Sylvain Sergent^[1]
Term:	2020 - 2026
Intercommunality:	Luys en Béarn
Coordinates:	43.5467°N -0.2539°W
Elevation M:	132
Elevation Min M:	120
Elevation Max M:	224
Area Km2:	6.06

Baliracq-Maumusson (in French pronounced as /baliʁak momysɔ̃/; Occitan (post 1500);: Valirac e Maumosson) is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

Geography

Baliracq-Maumusson is located some 45 km east by north-east of Orthez and 20 km south of Aire-sur-l'Adour. Access to the commune is by the D211 road from Lannecaube in the south which passes through the length of the commune along the eastern side to join the D41 just north of the commune. Access to the village of Baliracq is by Le Moulin road branching from the D211. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.^[2]

The Lées river forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows north to join the Adour near Aire-sur-l'Adour. The Gabassot forms the northern border of the commune as it flows east into the Lées. Two other streams rise in the commune and flow into the Lées.^[2]

Places and hamlets

• Arnathau
• Baliracq
• Bitaillou
• Bouquehort
• Bourdé
• Campagne
• Castéra
• Crédey
• Florence
• Gayas
• Hau
• Hilletou
• La Hount
• Lafon
• Lanne
• Laroujat
• Lescribau
• Maufinet
• Maumusson
• Miqueu
• Mombet
• Moncade
• Mounicou
• Mourette
• Naba
• Pédeuboscq
• Pédélatour
• Pillou
• Pourrio
• Sansot
• Tardan

^[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages

^[2]

Toponymy

According to Michel Grosclaude the name Baliracq probably came from a Latin man's name Valerus with the Gallo-Roman suffix -acum giving the "Domain of Valerus". For Maumusson he proposed a Gascon man's name: the nickname mau meaning "bad" combined with mus meaning "nose" and the suffix -on giving "unfriendly" or "sullen".

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

Name	Spelling	Date	Source	Page	Origin	Description
Baliracq	Saint-Félix de Balirac	10th century	Raymond		Marca	Village
	Vallirag	1100	Grosclaude
	Valliracum	1100	Grosclaude
	Balirag	1443	Raymond		Carresse
	Baliracq	1750	Cassini
	Balirac	1801	Ldh/EHESS/Cassini
	Balirac	1863	Raymond
Maumusson	Maumusson	1750	Cassini			Village
	Maumussou	1774	Raymond		Terrier
Castéra	Casterar	1542	Raymond		Reformation	Farm

Sources:

• Raymond

Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. ^[4]

• Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 ^[5]
• Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750^[6]
• Ldh/EHESS/Cassini:

Origins:

• Marca: Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn.^[7]
• Carresse:^[8]
• Terrier: Terrier of Baliracq, E 177
• Reformation: Reformation of Béarn^[9]

History

Paul Raymond noted on page 20 of his 1863 dictionary that Baliracq was a vassal of the Viscounts of Béarn.

The communes of Baliracq and Maumusson were merged in 1828.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[10]

From	To	Name
1792	1795	Jean Sansot
1792	1796	Pierre Sartou
1795	1797	Jean Sarraille
1796	1797	Jacques Monsegu-Castera
1797	1798	Raymond Peyroutel
1797	1798	Pierre Sartou
1798	1803	Jean Sarraille
1798	1799	Pierre Miqueu
1799	1805	Pierre Boucahort
1803	1826	Germain Florence
1805	1808	Pascal Florence
1808	1809	Jean Borie
1809	1811	Jean Manaud
1811	1812	Jean Borie
1812	1813	Fils Lescriba
1813	1817	Jean Borie
1817	1821	Jean Manaud
1821	1835	Jean Fils Manaud
1835	1837	Jean Pierre Sarthou
1837	1840	Adrien Alexandre de Malden
1841	1848	Jean Manaud
1848	1882	Henry Croedey
1882	1888	Pierre Mirande
1888	1894	Jean Sansous
1894	1896	Bernard Castet
1896	1900	Jean Sansous
1900	1925	Charles Sansous
1925	1929	Jacques Cassoulong
1929	1933	Max Croedey

Mayors from 1933

From	To	Name
1933	1944	Jacques Cassoulong
1944	1944	Charles Honoré
1944	1947	Jean Barreyat
1947	1989	Albert Sansous
1989	2014	Yvan Duviau
2014	2026	Sylvain Sergent

Inter-communality

The commune is part of six inter-communal structures:

• the Communauté de communes des Luys en Béarn;
• the SIVU for roads in the Garlin region;
• the SIVU for the Lées and its tributaries;
• the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
• the inter-communal association for the supply of drinking water for Luy-Gabas-Lées;
• the inter-communal association of Five Rivers;

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Baliracois or Baliracoises in French.^[11]

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

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

• A Mill at Baliracq (1764)^[12]
• A Farmhouse at Baliracq-Bouquehort (19th century)^[13]
• The Coussié House at Maumusson-Tardan (1742)^[14]
• The Castéra House at Baliracq-Castéra (1742)^[15]
• The Lafon House at Maumusson-Crédey (17th century)^[16]
• The Sansot House at Maumusson-Sansot (19th century)^[17]
• The Chateau de Milly at Maumusson-Florence (18th century)^[18]
• Houses and Farms (18th-19th century)^[19]
• A Fortified Area (Middle Ages)^[20]
• A Fortified Complex (Prehistoric).^[21] At a place called Castera the topography has been visibly altered by the hand of man as evidenced by the presence of an ancient fortified complex with major embankments and a circular walkway which is still visible. This could be for high wooden stakes joined together because no stone remains have been found. The works could therefore date to the high Middle Ages although there could be prehistoric remains.

Religious heritage

The Parish Church of Saint Peter (11th century) is registered as an historical monument.^[22] The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:

• An Altar, Tabernacle, and Statue (19th century)^[23]
• 2 Statues: Saints Felix and Peter (18th century)^[24]
• A Tabernacle (17th century)^[25]
• An Altar Painting: Remission of the keys to Saint Peter (19th century)^[26]
• An Altar and Retable (1844)^[27]
• Wood Panelling (1844)^[28]
• A Wayside Cross (19th century)^[29]
• An Altar Vase (20th century)^[30]
• A Monstrance (18th century)^[31]
• An Altar Candlestick (19th century)^[32]
• 6 Altar Candlesticks (18th century)^[33]
• A Thurible^[34]
• A Celebrant's Chair (18th century)^[35]
• A Stoup (1822)^[36]
• A Pulpit (18th century)^[37]
• A Confessional (18th century)^[38]
• The Choir Enclosure (1840)^[39]

See also

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

External links

• Baliracq-Maumusson on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
• Baliracq and Maumußon on the 1750 Cassini Map

Notes and References

1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les maires. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022. fr.
2. https://www.google.com/maps/place/64330+Baliracq-Maumusson,+France/@43.54217,-0.2498844,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0xd561469cfa0b2c1:0x40665174813aa30 Google Maps
3. http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=-0.2539,43.5467&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Géoportail
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=2TCHmbiipFIC Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees
5. [Michel Grosclaude]
6. http://rumsey.geogarage.com/maps/cassinige.html?lat=43.5467&lon=-0.2539&zoom=13 Cassini Map 1750 – Baliracq-Maumusson
7. [Pierre de Marca]
8. Contracts retained by Carresse, Notary of Béarn, Manuscripts from the 15th century in the Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
9. Manuscript from the 16th to 18th centuries - Departmental Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
10. http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=22195 List of Mayors of France
11. https://www.habitants.fr/pyrenees-atlantiques-64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques
12. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
13. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
14. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
15. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
16. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
17. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
18. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
19. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
20. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
21. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
22. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
23. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
24. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
25. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
26. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
27. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
28. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
29. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
30. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
31. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
32. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
33. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
34. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
35. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
36. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
37. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
38. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
39. Ministry of Culture, Palissy