Espelette

Espelette (French pronunciation: [ɛspəlɛt]; Basque: Ezpeleta; Occitan: Espeleta) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.[3] It lies in the traditional Basque province of Labourd.

Espelette
Ezpeleta
Commune
The church of Saint-Étienne
The church of Saint-Étienne
Coat of arms of Espelette
Coat of arms
Location of Espelette
Espelette is located in France
Espelette
Espelette
Espelette is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Espelette
Espelette
Coordinates: 43°20′29″N 1°26′47″W
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentPyrénées-Atlantiques
ArrondissementBayonne
CantonBaïgura et Mondarrain
IntercommunalityCA Pays Basque
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jean-Marie Iputcha[1]
Area
1
26.85 km2 (10.37 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2020)[2]
2,036
 • Density76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
64213 /64250
Elevation33–749 m (108–2,457 ft)
(avg. 77 m or 253 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Sights

The town is attractive, with traditional Labourd houses and a castle. The protected sixteenth-century church, Saint-Etienne, has a Baroque altarpiece, and its graveyard has many traditional Basque discoidal tombstones.

Espelette is a charming town located in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. It nestles near the Spanish border in the Navarre region of Spain. It sits approximately 122.4 kilometers from the capital of Pau, and is around 22 kilometers from Bayonne, a significant subprefecture in the region. Notably, Espelette is part of a vibrant community living area of Cambo-les-Bains, placing it in the heart of a dynamic and culturally rich region.

Notable people
  • Agnès Souret, the first woman ever chosen as Miss France, in 1920, is buried in Espelette. She died in Argentina, aged 26, in 1928, and her body was repatriated to Espelette by her mother, who sold most of her possessions to provide a resting place for her daughter.
  • Father Armand David (1826–1900), a Lazarist missionary Catholic priest as well as a zoologist and a botanist, was born in Espelette.

Red peppers

Espelette is known for its dried red peppers, used whole or ground to a hot powder, used in the production of Bayonne ham. The peppers are designated as Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée and are hung to dry outside many of the houses and shops in the village during the summer. The peppers are sold in the town's Wednesday covered market and are honoured in a festival on the last Sunday in October.

See also

References
  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. "Populations légales 2020". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
  3. INSEE commune file
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Espelette.
  • Traditional Espelette house with peppers drying on the walls
    Traditional Espelette house with peppers drying on the walls
  • Piments d'Espelette, Espelette peppers
    Piments d'Espelette, Espelette peppers
  • Plaque of WWF in front of Father Armand David's birth house, inaugurated by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray in Espelette.
    Plaque of WWF in front of Father Armand David's birth house, inaugurated by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray in Espelette.


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