Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Encyclopedia
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (literally meaning "Saint John at the foot of the mountain pass" in French
) is a commune
in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
department in south-western France
close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean foothills.
It is the old capital of the traditional Basque
province
of Lower Navarre
.
, 8 km (5 mi) from the Spanish
border. It is essentially one main street with sandstone
walls encircling.
The original town at nearby Saint-Jean-le-Vieux
was razed to the ground in 1177 by the troops of Richard the Lionheart
after a siege. The Kings of Navarre
refounded the town on its present site shortly afterwards.
The town was once a part of the Spanish province of Navarre
and the Basque language is still spoken on both sides of the border and they still share similar traditions.
The town has traditionally been an important point on the Way of St. James
, the pilgrimage
to Santiago de Compostela
, as it stands at the base of the Roncevaux Pass
across the Pyrenees
. Pied-de-Port means 'foot of the pass' in Pyrenean French
. The routes from Paris
, Vézelay
and Le Puy-en-Velay
meet at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and it was the pilgrims' last stop before the arduous mountain crossing.
In 1998, the Porte St-Jacques (city gate) was added to the UNESCO
World Heritage Sites as part of the sites along the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
.
, and retain distinctive features, including inscriptions over their doors. One, a bakery, lists the price of wheat in 1789.
The 14th century red schist Gothic church, Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont, stands by the Porte d'Espagne. The original was built by Sancho the Strong
of Navarre
to commemorate the 1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
where Moorish dominance of Spain
was undermined.
Above the town at the top of the hill is the citadel
, remodelled by Vauban
in the 17th century.
Outside the walls is a new town, with the Hôtel de Ville
and a pelota
fronton
.
and the French Basque country and there are shops, restaurants and hotels.
The Basque cuisine is one of the finest cuisines around. St Jean Pied de Port specialize in fromage de brebis or OssauIraty, sheeps cheese, local trout and pipérade, omelette with peppers & Bayonne ham.
Mondays see a large market, with sheep and cattle driven into the town. At 5pm, there is a communal game of bare-handed pelote at the fronton. There are large fairs four times a year.
through the French Basque Country, along the valley of the river Nive, with several services each day. It is 1 km from the centre of the town.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) is a commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
department in south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean foothills.
It is the old capital of the traditional Basque
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
of Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département of France. Along with Navarre of Spain, it was once ruled by the Kings of Navarre. Lower Navarre was historically one of the kingdoms of Navarre. Its capital were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais...
.
Geography
The town lies on the river NiveNive
The Nive is a French river that flows through the French Basque Country. It is a left tributary of the river Adour. The river's source in the Pyrenees in Lower Navarre...
, 8 km (5 mi) from the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
border. It is essentially one main street with sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
walls encircling.
Neighboring municipalities
- Saint-Jean-le-VieuxSaint-Jean-le-Vieux, Pyrénées-AtlantiquesSaint-Jean-le-Vieux is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-History:The town of Saint-Jean-le-Vieux was razed to the ground in 1177 by the troops of Richard the Lionheart after a siege. The Kings of Navarre refounded the town at nearby Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port...
- OssèsOssèsOssès is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It lies in the traditional Basque province of Lower Navarre.-Geography:...
- Baigorri
- EstérençubyEstérençubyEstérençuby is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-External links:*...
- Luzaide/ValcarlosLuzaide/ValcarlosLuzaide is a town in Navarra, northern Spain, located just a few kilometers from the French border and the village of Arnéguy....
(SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
)
History
Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Saint-Jean-le-Vieux is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-History:The town of Saint-Jean-le-Vieux was razed to the ground in 1177 by the troops of Richard the Lionheart after a siege. The Kings of Navarre refounded the town at nearby Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port...
was razed to the ground in 1177 by the troops of Richard the Lionheart
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
after a siege. The Kings of Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
refounded the town on its present site shortly afterwards.
The town was once a part of the Spanish province of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
and the Basque language is still spoken on both sides of the border and they still share similar traditions.
The town has traditionally been an important point on the Way of St. James
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
, the pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
, as it stands at the base of the Roncevaux Pass
Roncevaux Pass
Roncevaux Pass is a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees near the border between France and Spain. The pass itself is entirely in Spain.According to tradition, it is the site where Roland died during the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778, a landmark in Basque history leading to the foundation of the...
across the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. Pied-de-Port means 'foot of the pass' in Pyrenean French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. The routes from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Vézelay
Vézelay
Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France. It is a defendable hill town famous for Vézelay Abbey. The town and the Basilica of St Magdelene are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites....
and Le Puy-en-Velay
Le Puy-en-Velay
Le Puy-en-Velay is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France.Its inhabitants are called Ponots.-History:Le Puy-en-Velay was a major bishopric in medieval France, founded early, though its early history is legendary...
meet at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and it was the pilgrims' last stop before the arduous mountain crossing.
In 1998, the Porte St-Jacques (city gate) was added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Sites as part of the sites along the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
In 1998, several sites in France were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description: Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France....
.
Main sights
The cobbled rue de la Citadelle runs down hill and over the river from the fifteenth century Porte St-Jacques to the Porte d'Espagne by the bridge. From the bridge, there are views of the old houses with balconies overlooking the Nive. Many of the buildings are very old, of pink and grey schistSchist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
, and retain distinctive features, including inscriptions over their doors. One, a bakery, lists the price of wheat in 1789.
The 14th century red schist Gothic church, Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont, stands by the Porte d'Espagne. The original was built by Sancho the Strong
Sancho VII of Navarre
Sancho VII Sánchez , called the Strong or the Prudent, was the King of Navarre from 1194 to his death...
of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
to commemorate the 1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
where Moorish dominance of Spain
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
was undermined.
Above the town at the top of the hill is the citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
, remodelled by Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
in the 17th century.
Outside the walls is a new town, with the Hôtel de Ville
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
and a pelota
Pelota
Pelota can refer to the popular and shortened names for a number of ball games:* Baseball* Basque pelota* Bocce* Jai alai* Valencian pilota...
fronton
Fronton
Fronton is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It lies 28 km north of Toulouse and within its metropolitan area.-Population:-Wine:...
.
Economy
Traditional crafts and foods remain in the town, including Basque linen from the Inchauspé family since 1848. The town is now an important tourist centre for the PyreneesPyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
and the French Basque country and there are shops, restaurants and hotels.
The Basque cuisine is one of the finest cuisines around. St Jean Pied de Port specialize in fromage de brebis or OssauIraty, sheeps cheese, local trout and pipérade, omelette with peppers & Bayonne ham.
Mondays see a large market, with sheep and cattle driven into the town. At 5pm, there is a communal game of bare-handed pelote at the fronton. There are large fairs four times a year.
Transportation
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is the terminus on the railway line from BayonneBayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
through the French Basque Country, along the valley of the river Nive, with several services each day. It is 1 km from the centre of the town.
Notable people
- Bernard EtxepareBernard EtxepareBernard Etxepare was a Basque writer of the 16th century, most famous for a collection of poems titled Linguæ Vasconum Primitiæ he published in 1545, the first book to be published in the Basque language....
(late 15th - mid 16th century), writer of first printed book in Basque. - Juan Huarte de San JuanJuan Huarte de San JuanJuan Huarte de San Juan or Juan Huarte y Navarro was a Spanish physician and psychologist. He was born at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port around 1530, and was educated, firstly, at the university of Huesca , and then at the University of Alcalá, where he graduated in medicine.Though it appears doubtful...
(c. 1530-1592), physician and psychologist was born there. - Charles FloquetCharles Floquet-Biography:He was born at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port . He studied law in Paris, and was called to the bar in 1851. The coup d'état of that year aroused the strenuous opposition of Floquet, who had, while yet a student, given proof of his republican sympathies by taking part in the fighting of 1848...
(1828–1896), born in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, French lawyer and statesman. - Imanol HarinordoquyImanol HarinordoquyImanol Harinordoquy is a French rugby union player who typically plays as a number 8 for Biarritz at club level in the Top 14 and for France internationally...
(born 1980), French internationalFrance national rugby union teamThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, grew up in the town.