Banca, Pyrénées-Atlantiques Explained

Banca
Native Name:Banka
Commune Status:Commune
Arrondissement:Bayonne
Canton:Montagne Basque
Insee:64092
Postal Code:64430
Mayor:Michel Oçafrain[1]
Term:2020 - 2026
Intercommunality:CA Pays Basque
Coordinates:43.1275°N -1.3731°W
Elevation M:522
Elevation Min M:231
Elevation Max M:1275
Area Km2:49.60

Banca (in French pronounced as /bɑ̃ka/; Basque: Banka)[2] is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.[3] It is part of the former province of Lower Navarre.[2]

Banca is part of Pays Quint (Kintoa in Basque or Quinto Real in Spanish),[4] an area of pasture area which belongs to Spain but is cultivated by French farmers.

Geography

Banca is located in the Aldudes valley on the banks of the Nive des Aldudes some 15 km south-west of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The western and eastern borders of the commune are the national frontier between France and Spain. Access to the commune is by the D948 road from Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry in the north which passes through the commune and the village and continues south-west to Aldudes. There are no crossing points in the commune to Spain. The commune is mainly rugged alpine pastures.

Hydrography

The Nive des Aldudes flows from Aldudes in the south-west, gathering tributaries such as the Antchignoko Erreka, the Ruisseau d'Hayra, the Latcharrako Erreka, and the Belechiko Erreka on the northern border, and continues north-east to join the Nive south of Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa. The Ruisseau d'Hayra rises in the south of the commune and flows north gathering tributaries such as the Lehaltzarteko Erreka, the Caminarteko Erreka, and the Legarzuko Erreka to join the Nive des Aldudes near the village.

Places and Hamlets

Climate

Toponymy

The commune name in Basque is Banka.[2]

For John-Baptiste Orpustan, the origin of the name Banca can have two interpretations: one lent from the Spanish banco designating the bench on which money was exchanged (which gave the French word banque which gave the English bank) or two from bancs de pierre (stone benches).

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

Name Spelling Date Source Page Origin Description
Banca La Fonderie 1750 Cassini Village
Lafonderie 1793 Ldh/EHESS/Cassini
Banca 1832 Orpustan
Bihuntzeguiko erreka Bihuncéguy 1863 Raymond Stream rising in Banca and joining the Nive at Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Churitcha Le Col de Churitcha 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass on the Spanish border
Ehuntzaroy Le Col d'Éhunsaroy 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass on the Spanish border
Elhorietta Le Col d'Elhoriéta 1863 Raymond Mountain Pass on the Spanish border
Gathuly Gathuly 1863 Raymond Mountain on the border with Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Forêt d'Hayra Hayra 1863 Raymond Forest shared with Urepel
Lindus Lindux 1863 Raymond Mountain (1220m) on the Spanish border
Meharroztegui Le Col de Méharoztéguy 1863 Raymond Mountain pass to Aldudes
Mehatzé Le Col de Méhatcé 1863 Raymond Mountain pass to Spain
Mizpira Le Col de Mizpira 1863 Raymond Mountain pass to Aldudes
Mizpirachar Mizpirachar 1863 Raymond Mountain on the Spanish border

Sources:

Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. [6]

History

Banca owes its origin to the revival in the 18th century of the copper mines which had operated in ancient times. Banca was known as Le Fonderie (The Foundry) until the 19th century" and, under the Ancien Régime, it was a hamlet or district under the parish of Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry. It was not made a commune until 1793 under the same name, then in 1874 it was renamed "Banca". The remains of a large forge, a steel foundry started in 1828 on the site of the former copper smelter, stands at the entrance of the village on the banks of the Nive des Aldudes. The most visible element is a blast furnace in good condition.

The first armed action by Iparretarrak took place in Banca on 11 December 1973.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors[7]

From To Name
1995 2001 Gratien Arambel
2001 2008 Dominique Etcheverry
2008 2026 Michel Oçafrain

Inter-communality

The commune is part of four inter-communal structures:

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Bankars.[8] [9]

Economy

The copper/silver mines and the associated smelter reached their peak in the middle of the 18th century and the forge, with its blast furnace, was in operation from 1828 to 1861.

Economic activity is now mainly agricultural. The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

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

Religious heritage

Environmental heritage

Facilities

Education

The commune has a primary school.

Sports

There is a Fronton traversed by a road.

See also

Bibliography

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://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/en/banka/ar-7106/ BANKA
  3. https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/cog/commune/COM64092-banca INSEE commune file
  4. [:fr:Pays Quint|Pays Quint on French Wikipedia]
  5. Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 2006,, p. 165
  6. https://books.google.com/books?id=2TCHmbiipFIC Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees
  7. http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=22197 List of Mayors of France
  8. https://www.habitants.fr/pyrenees-atlantiques-64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques
  9. http://www.euskaltzaindia.net/index.php?option=com_eoda&view=toponimia&Itemid=471&nonkodea=6.4&lang=fr Euskaltzaindia - Academy of the Basque language
  10. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  11. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  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

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