Barraute-Camu


Barraute-Camu is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France.

Geography

Barraute-Camu is located 2 km east by south-east of Sauveterre-de-Béarn and 4 km west by north-west of Montfort. Access to the commune is by the D936 highway from Abitain in the west which passes through the heart of the commune just south of the village and continues east to Araujuzon. The commune is almost all farmland except for some forest along the river and along the southern border.
The Gave d'Oloron forms the northern border of the commune as it flows west to join the Gave de Pau at Peyrehorade to become the Gaves Réunis. The Ruisseau de Lapeyrère rises in the commune and flows north to join the Gave d'Oloron.

Places and Hamlets

The commune name in Occitan Gascon is Berrauta-Camun.
Michel Grosclaude said that the name comes from the basque berro: Broussailles and the collective suffix -eta meaning "where there are no bushes" He also stated that Camu most likely comes from the Gascon kamy, the variant kamu meaning "fertile ground next to the river".
The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.
NameSpellingDateSourcePageOriginDescription
BarrauteBerraute1150GrosclaudeSordVillage
Berraute1385Raymond
21
Census
Sent Sapriaa de Berraute1413Raymond
21
Notaries
Berauta1548Raymond
21
Reformation
Beraute1687Raymond
21
Reformation
Barraute1750CassiniCassini 1750
Baraulte1801Ldh/EHESS/Cassini
Barrante1801Ldh/EHESS/Cassini
CamuCamoo1385Raymond
40
CensusVillage
Camuu1385Raymond
40
Census
Camur en Bearn1477Raymond
40
Ohix
Les AhitauxLes Ahitaux1863Raymond
3
Hamlet

Sources:
Origins:
Barraute appears as Barraute on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version.
Camu appears as Camu on the 1750 Cassini Map and does not appear on the 1790 version.
Paul Raymond noted on page 21 and 40 of his 1863 dictionary that in 1385 Barraute had 24 fires and Camu 11. Barraute was part of the bailiwick of Navarrenx and Camu in that of Sauveterre.
The communes of Barraute and Camu were merged on 14 June 1841.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors
FromToNamePartyPosition
19952020Jean Cazenave

Inter-communality

The commune is part of five inter-communal structures:
In 2010 the commune had 158 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.

Economy

The main activity is agricultural. The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée of Ossau-iraty

Culture and heritage

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint Cyprien and Saint Justine is registered as an historical monument. It was restored in the 19th century.