Biarritz

Biarritz is a common French, located in the department of the Yrénées-Atlantiques and the area Aquitaine and to 38 km of the Spanish city of Saint-Sebastien. This Seaside resort is one of most prestigious of the French Atlantic Côte. The ocean, with its powerful waves, made of Biarritz a spot of famous Surf in the world entier.
The common one has as a currency: I have for me the winds, the stars and the sea .

Its inhabitants is called Biarrots and Biarrotes .

Quotations:

  • I do not know a place more charming and more splendid than Biarritz… (Victor Hugo)
  • When one begins to hesitate between two beaches, one of them is always Biarritz (Sacha Guitry)

Geography

Biarritz is located in the department of the Yrénées-Atlantiques, area Aquitaine, not far from the border with the Spain and along the Basque Côte. The course Saint Martin's day, which dominates the Phare of Biarritz mark the limit between the sandy coast in north, started with the extreme point of the the Gironde and which finishes with Anglet, and cliff the cut out coast of the Basque Country in the south. Biarritz is built on a succession of hills along the coast. The city gives directly on various splits and beaches like the great beach , the coast of the Basques or the port of the fishermen .

Hydrography

The commune is crossed only by the channel of Atchinetche which is thrown in the Adour with Bayonne after having crossed Anglet.

Climate

Because of its situation in form of Amphitheater vis-a-vis the Ocean, Biarritz is opened with the marine winds. The winters are soft and perfectly bearable estival heat. This privileged climatic situation allowed him title of the hydrothermal and climatic station since 1912.
The mode of the winds on Biarritz is rather moderated and dominated by triple influences: the Atlantic Ocean, the the Pyrenees and a mode of local breezes. The marine winds, dominant, bring moisture and freshness in summer and softness in winter. Coming from the south, hot winds are generated by a Effet of fœhn. Indeed, the air coming from Spain loses its moisture while crossing the Pyrenees and is heated by losing altitude.
The sun is very present in Biarritz. In winter, the city is often subjected to high temperatures compared to the remainder of the national territory. The average temperature in winter is at the neighborhoods of 8°C and borders the 20°C in summer.
The rains on the Basque coasts are seldom persistent, except during the winter storms. They often appear in the form of intense thundery showers and of short durées.

Geology

Biarritz is located on a particular geological site. In north, the coast landaise finishes with Anglet after 200 km of rectilinear coasts and punts made up of Dune S. the ground is mainly made up of ground Silice uses. However, starting from Biarritz, the Basque Côte is cut out much and made of cliffs and rocks to the varied basement. On 5 km of coast, three sedimentary levels follow one another. Room of love to the beach of Miramar, one meets abrupt cliffs of Calcaire S marly and sandy grisâtres, whose layers form a light basin called Synclinal. These cliffs are known as in staircase and were formed during the appearance of the the Pyrenees 25 million years ago. Hotel of the Palate to the Belza Villa, the east coast shredded with many rock small islands. These cliffs consist of layers of sandy limestone yellow-ocher definitely tilted. They were formed 35 million years ago to the lower Oligocène. These rocks contain many Nummulitidae (small Foraminifère S).

Communes bordering

The communes bordering are:

Toponymy

Its name is Biàrritz in Occitan Gascon and Miarritze in Basque. The Miarritze toponym by the Basque Académie is not recognized and is not reproduced on the signposts.

The toponym Biarritz appears in the forms Bearidz , Bearriz , Beariz , lo port of Beiarriz and Bearridz (respectively 1186, XIIe century for the two following forms and 1261 for the two last forms, cartulaire of Bayonne), Bearridz and Bearrits (respectively 1281 and 1338, Gascon Roles), Bearritz (1498, chapter of Bayonne), Sanctus Martinus de Biarriz (1689, collations of the diocese of Bayonne) and Biarrits (1863, topographic dictionary Basque Béarn-Country).

The name would come from the root berarr , deterioration of the Basque belharr - grass - with the rental suffix - itz and would mean grassy place .

The last assumption goes back to it makes name of Biarritz a anthroponyme of Germanic origin become a toponym thereafter.

There exists in Galicia, in the province of Orense, a Galician parish called Santa María de Beariz (municipality of Beariz, Orense), the old forms being: Viarici , 1034, Uiarici , Uiariz , 1053, Veariz , 1220.

The name is resulting from the Germanic anthroponyme attested Viaricus , “romanized” thereafter from the phonetic point of view in Viarigo ; Viarici / Uiarici is the genitive of Viaricus , “Latinized” alternative, i.e. once the name run in the mussel of the Latin variation, the anthroponyme composed of Germanic origin with a first element via ‑ or wia ‑ probably derived from the term wig ‑ , “war, combat” and a second element of composition very running, “power”, morphologiquement “Latinized” thereafter in ‑ RIKUS > ‑ RIKI > **RITSI > ‑ RICE/- RITZ (E).

There exist two other Galician parishes bearing the same name: San Martín de Beariz (municipality of San Amaro, Orense) and Santa Magdalena de Baariz , 1392 (municipality of Paradela, Lugo).

This toponym also appears in the Spanish province of Leon and in Portuguese territory: Viariz (municipality of Corullón, Leon, Spain), Viariz (municipality of Baião, district of Oporto, Portugal) and Viariz (district of Villa Real, Portugal).

History

Seaside resort famous since the 19th century, it consisted of a whole small village of whalers (as of the 11th century) when Victor Hugo discovered it in 1843. It mentioned already the risk to see it becoming a balneal city .
The village was in the beginning made up of two centers of settlement: one with the district of the Saint Martin's day church and the other with the fishing port (Port-Old man) defended by the castle of Belay or Ferragus. Its Blazon watch a large boat whale-boat which remains the symbol of the city.
The population is of origin Basque, with the introduction of Gascon elements as from the 14th century. Biarritz belonged to the Labourd until in 1790.
The first headlight was built in 1650.

; The Beautiful Time As of 1784, the sea bathings are with the mode and Napoleon bathed in 1808 there. The empress Eugenie decided to make its holiday of it after having remained there two months in 1854 and Napoleon III built to him a palate of form of E . This episode brought the heads crowned of all the Europe and made to it the success of the city which became “ the queen of the beaches and the beach of the kings ”. It is in Biarritz that Bismarck met Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in September 1865, in order to obtain the support of the French emperor for the Prussian policy. Of this history, Biarritz kept some characteristic buildings as a orthodoxe church with the cupola painted in blue to bring closer to the visits of the Russian aristocracy to before the Russian Révolution (the turned of the large dukes remained in the imaginary one or the local folklore).
It is of this time (poses first stone in December 1892 by the queen Nathalie of Serbia and inauguration in June 1893) which date the saline terms of Biarritz, on a project of the Lagarde architect. Coming from the saltworks of Briscous, underground drains of more than twenty kilometers conveyed a water in content saltworks more than ten times higher than that of sea water. These establishments were closed as from 1953 and were shaved in 1968.
Created in 1894, increased twice (1911 and 1926) and always living today, the department store Biarritz Bonheur is at the time a temple of the luxury and fashion. At the beginning of the XXe century, the majority of its employees speak English.

; German occupation In 1940, during the Second world war, the Germans dig the Atlantic Wall in cliffs of Biarritz. June 27th, 1940, the German troops occupy the Basque coast. The navy of war arrives at the beginning of July. At the end of 1942, the lieutenant commander Ludwig, ordering the 286e group of marine artillery, projects and conceives with the Organization Todt, installed with the hotel Regina, the incredible headquarters of the plate of Atalaye coded BA 39-40. It settles there until the release. This " kaverne" was dug day and night by the prisoners of stalag 222 of Beyris.
In north, which occurred general Mac Croskey under a beautiful villa, the fulcrum BA 34, dug in the Saint Martin's day point, the beach of the Room of Love of a hypothetical unloading defends. To the south, under the prospect for the coast of the Basques, along the boulevard of Prince de Galles, the position BA 41 offers its visible embrasures, parts of an extraordinary defensive complex dug in the rock, worthy of the Ligne Maginot. But no unloading proceeded in Biarritz.
March 17th 1944, the city is bombarded all the same by error by the allied aviation which wished to destroy the airport of Parma. It is the launching of this sport in Biarritz. First Biarrots are tested with surfing and launch a fashion which will last while being based on the quality of the Vague S of the Atlantique coast. Today, the city became one of the European and world poles of this sliding sport.

Heraldic

Districts

Administration

Cantons of Biarritz

Paul Raymond note that in 1790, Biarritz was the chief town of a canton, depend on the district of Ustaritz, including/understanding the communes of Anglet, Arcangues, Bassussarry and Biarritz.
In 1863, Biarritz belonged to the canton of Bayonne-North-Ouest.
Biarritz is now the chief town of the cantons of Biarritz-West and of Biarritz-Is.

Intercommunality

The town of Biarritz belongs to the Communauté of agglomeration of Bayonne-Rebated joint-Biarritz which gathers three communes of the Bayonne agglomeration.

It belongs to four other inter-commune structures:

  • Intercommunity association of installation of the zone Ilbarritz-Mouriscot
  • Intercommunity association for the management of the center Txakurrak
  • Mixed trade-union of the factory of Nive
  • Mixed trade-union for the support for the Basque culture.

Biarritz belongs to the Basque Eurocité Bayonne - San Sebastian.

Twinnings

Biarritz is twinned with the following cities:

History of the logos


Atabal is an arts center gathering the various expressions of the musics actuelles.
Oldarra is a chorus men of Biarritz in the Yrénées-Atlantiques created in 1946.

Theater and animations

The imperial couple (Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie) launched the fashion of the theater of the sea to the Port-Old man presents each year best creation of Latin America in all its forms (film competition, short-measurings, exposures, conferences). Its 16th edition took place in September 2007.
The International festival of the Audio-visual Programs (FIPA) is the appointment of the professionals of the audio-visual one; its objectives are emergence new the film talents and sale out of their countries of origin. The FIPA 2008 will take place from January 22nd to 27th.

; Biarritz with the cinema

Architectural heritage

Civil inheritance

  • the rock of the Virgin who is truly the emblem of the town of Biarritz. It is on the initiative of Napoleon III that this rock was bored, which was to be used as a basis for construction of a port-refuge. In 1865, a statue of the Virgin, bought with the Franco-Spanish exposure of Bayonne (Ducel workshops), was installed there. The old wood runway disappeared in 1887 to yield the place to a footbridge of the workshops Eiffel, on which it is disadvised venturing by heavy weather. Of this rock, one can admire all the coast;
  • the Villa Eugenie or hotel of the Palate;
  • the villa Natacha (old Leuba villa) conceals a dresser (cupboard-metal plaque) of Henri Sauvage listed in the catalog of the ministry for the Culture;
  • the hotel Plazza
  • the casino of style Art déco, located in full center at the edge of the Great Beach. It was renovated in the years 1990;
  • the headlight of the point Martin Saint, set up in 1834, is one of the most visible points since the sea in this part of the the Bay of Biscay;
  • the Belza villa: this building, works of the architect Alphonse Bertrand, built of 1880 to 1895 for Marie-Belza Dubreuil, is drawn up on the rock of Cachaous. It shelters apartments after having been during the Mad years, a cabaret and Russian restaurant.
  • the villa Goëland transformed into house of hosts in 2003;
  • the field of Françon;
  • the Boulard castle;

Religious heritage

  • the imperial vault;
  • the Saint Martin's day church. One finds there stalls listed by the ministry for the Culture;
  • the Holy-Eugenie church, started in 1898 on the site of the old vault Our-Lady-of-Pity, and completed in 1903, has stained glasses of Luc-Olivier Merson. The canon Gaston Larre was the first priest.

Environmental inheritance

; Cliffs The cliffs of Biarritz know a constant erosion since the beginning of the XXe century of 70 cm per annum, against which the successive municipal teams are impotent, in spite of committed work. ; Beaches The commune has the following beaches: beach of Miramar, the Great Beach, the Old Port, the Coast of the Basques, the beach of Marbella and the beach of MILADY. ; Green areas and fleurissement 120 ha of wooded spaces are maintained by the municipality, like two lakes, the lake Marion and the lake Mouriscot.
The public garden, of center town opposite the station of the South, today closed down and transformed into cultural center, was created in 1903.
The Mazon park and the Lahouze garden are also green areas and flowered of the commune.
The common one was rewarded for three flowers to the Concours for the cities and flowered villages 2006.

Others

Cadillac created a car which bore the name of Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz (of 1955 to 1985).

Equipment

Sports and sports equipment

; Horsemanship: the Hippodrome of the flowers is dedicated to the trotting races;

; Golf: the Golf of the Headlight (built by British in 1888) is the host of Biarritz Cup, important competition amateur;

; American football the Telamones of Biarritz are a team evolving/moving in 2008 in Casque of money of American football (championship of France of American football of the 3rd division);

; Basque Ball: the city organizes many tournaments amateurs and professionals, in particular Masters of the jaï alaï of cesta punta in July.

; Rugby: the club of Rugby of the Olympic Biarritz Basque Country (BOPB) is the club headlight of the city. Founded in 1913, it is honoured with 5 championships of France (1935, 1939,2002,2005 and 2006). The BOPB occurs with the Parc of the Sports of Aguiléra. Its legendary player is Serge Blanco.

; Surfing: Biarritz accommodates competitions of surfing regularly, like the tests of championship of the world of longboard of 1992 to 2005 at the time of the Biarritz Surf Festival.
Surfrider Foundation Europe has its seat with Biarritz.
Surf Session is oldest Magazine of Surf in France. Founded in 1986 by Gibus de Soultrait and Pierre Bernard-Gascogne with Biarritz, it belongs to the press group Southern West.

Teaching

; Colleges The commune has of two public colleges (colleges Villa Fal and Jean Rostand) and a private college (college of the Immaculate-Design).

; Colleges The Malraux college is the only college of mainstream education of the commune. An hotel college and of tourism is installed in extreme cases western of the district of the Negress.

; Higher education A BTS - trades of the image and sound is opened to the holders of the baccalaureat.

Legal system

In the spring of the Court of Appeal of Pau, Biarritz is the seat of a Magistrates' court.

Places of worship

; Catholic worship The commune has the following catholic centers of worship: Our-Lady-of-rock, Saint Martin's day, Saint-Charles, Holy-Eugenie, Saint-Joseph and Holy-Therese.

; Worship Jew The synagog built in 1904, located street Pellot, is closed since 2005.

; Orthodoxe worship The Russian orthodoxe church is located which occurred of the Empress.

; Protestant worship The reformed church is street Peyreloubilh

Transport

The station of Biarritz, with the district of the Negress, is stopped at by TGV.
From 1888 to 1948, Biarritz was connected to Bayonne by a tram, the BLB (Biarritz - Lycée of Marracq - Bayonne).

Personalities related to the commune

; Born at the XIXe century
  • Leopoldo O'Donnell, with duke of Tétouan, count de Lucena and Viscount of Aliaga, born in 1809 in Santa Cruz from Tenerife and deceased in 1867 in Biarritz, is a soldier and Spanish politician, who exiled themselves in Biarritz;
  • Shine González Bravo, born in 1811 with Cadiz and deceased in 1871 in Biarritz, is a Journaliste and Spanish Politician which was exiled in Biarritz;
  • Marcel Countryside, born in 1818 in Pau and deceased in 1900 in Biarritz, is the owner-founder of the famous hotel of England street Mazagran, in 1870;
  • Eugenie de Montijo, born in 1826 with Grenade and deceased in 1860, is the last empress of the French, by his marriage with Napoleon III. She made of Biarritz her holiday. Napoleon III made him build in 1854 the Villa Eugenie, the current hotel of the Palate.
  • Louis Moussempès, born in 1836 in Biarritz and deceased in 1892 in Biarritz, is an architect, manufacturer from beautiful buildings in Biarritz;
  • Pablo de Sarasate, born in 1844 with Pampelune and deceased in 1908 in Biarritz, is a Violoniste and Spanish Compositeur ;
  • Auguste Moussempès, born in 1849 in Biarritz and deceased in 1905 in Biarritz, is an industrialist, founder of the famous brickyard faience manufacture of the Negress in 1879;
  • Jean-Baptiste Ernest Lacombe, born in 1854 in Biarritz and deceased in 1922 close to Bordeaux, is an architect, with whom Biarritz owes the Holy-Eugenie church, the Lacombe Arches (1910) and the Bidartea villa;
  • Arnaud Massy, born in 1877 in Biarritz and deceased in 1950 with Étretat, is a golfer French;
  • Pauline Paperboard, born in 1884 in Biarritz and deceased in 1974 with Paris, is a Actrice of theater and cinema and a French Chanteuse;
  • Jean Mendiondou, born in 1885 with Oloron-Holy-Marie and deceased in 1961 in Biarritz, is a French politician;
  • Maurice Journeau, born in 1898 in Biarritz and deceased in 1999 with Versailles, is a Compositeur French;
  • Jean Borotra (known as the Basque leaping ), born in 1898 in Biarritz and deceased in 1994 with Arbonne, is a player of Tennis (one of the Four Musketeers) and a politician French;
  • Theodore Alexandrovitch, born in 1898 and deceased in 1968, Large-duke of Russia, member of the body of the pages at the imperial Court of Russia, was exiled with its family in Biarritz;

; Born at the XXe century

  • Jean Boubée, born in 1900 in Biarritz and deceased in 1973 with Paris, is a French player of Rugby to XV having evolved/moved at the station of third line wing in national selection and with the Olympic Biarritz;
  • Henri Haget, born in 1905 in Biarritz and deceased in 1967, is a French player of Rugby to XV having evolved/moved in Olympic Biarritz;
  • Small Guy, born in Biarritz in 1905 and deceased in Biarritz in 1988, is a French Politician, former mayor of Biarritz of 1945 to 1977 and Minister commercial of the government Rene Mayer;
  • Francis Daguerre, born in 1908 with Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon and deceased in 1985 in Biarritz, is a French player of Rugby in XV having occupied the station of pillar in team of France and in Olympic Biarritz;
  • Pierre de Chevigné, born in 1909 with Toulon and deceased in 2004 in Biarritz, is a Colonel and Politician French, Minister for the IVe République and Compagnon of the Release. He was president of the General advice of the Yrénées-Atlantiques;
  • Andre Navarra, born in 1911 in Biarritz and deceased in 1988 with His, is a Violoncelliste and pedagog French;
  • Andre Dassary, born in 1912 in Biarritz and deceased in 1987, is a singer French;
  • Henri Bourtayre, born in 1915 in Biarritz is the author of the music of more than one thousand of songs for the large high-speed motorboats of the time: Andre Dassary, Tino Rossi, Maurice Knight, Georges Guétary;
  • Bernard Marie, born in 1918 with Toulouse, is a French politician and a referee of Rugby. It is the first French referee to have officiated in a match of Rugby of the Five Nations tournament. He became mayor of Biarritz thereafter;
  • Maurice Plantier, born in 1921 in Biarritz and deceased in 2006 in Paris, is a French politician, former deputy of the Yrénées-Atlantiques;
  • Marcel Jol, born in 1923 in Biarritz and deceased in 1981 in Biarritz, is a French player of Rugby to XV having played the post of talonnor in national selection and Olympic Biarritz;
  • Mikhaïl Feodorovitch, born in 1924, Large-duke of Russia, passed part of its childhood in exile to Biarritz;
  • Yannick Belon oyster, born in 1924 in Biarritz, is a monteuse and French director .
  • Louison Bobet, born in 1925 with Saint-Méen-the-Large and deceased in 1983 in Biarritz, is a professional cyclist which created an establishment of thalassotherapy in Biarritz;
  • Jean Bichindaritz, born in 1928 in Biarritz, is a French player of Rugby to XV which evolved/moved with the team of France and Olympic Biarritz;
  • Andre Haget, born in 1931 in Biarritz and deceased in 1989, is a player Rugby to XV who played with the team of France and Olympic Biarritz;
  • Edouard Caillau is a Acteur and a Belgian Humoriste of the Gaity. In Biarritz, in the public garden Jean-Baptiste Lassalle a small monument with its memory is: it came to play regularly balls at this place;
  • Jacques Martin, born in 1933 with Lyon and deceased in Biarritz in 2007, is a actor, Journaliste and radio presenter and television French;
  • Christian Vignes, born in 1934 in Biarritz, is a French player of Rugby to XV which evolved/moved in national team and in Olympic Biarritz;
  • Didier Borotra, born in 1937, is a Politician French, senator-mayor of Biarritz;
  • Joel de Rosnay, born in 1937 in Biarritz, is a biologist French, initially specialist in the origins in living and new technologies, then in systemic and Futurologie (or Prospective). He is also a pioneer of the Surf in France;
  • Daniel Poulou, born in 1943 in Biarritz, is a Politician French, temporary deputy of the Sixth district of the Yrénées-Atlantiques;
  • Daniel Balavoine, born with Alençon and deceased with Gourma-Rharous (Mali), is a song writer and performer French. He rests with the cemetery of Biarritz;
  • Serge Blanco, born in 1958 with Caracas (Venezuela), is a player of Rugby in XV French having evolved/moved in national team and in Olympic Biarritz, become leading national sportsman thereafter;
  • Marie-Laure De Lorenzi, born in 1961 in Biarritz, is the golfeuse which has the greatest prize list of the French golf;
  • Richard Tardits, born in 1965 in Biarritz, is a former French player of American football. He is the first French player to have played in NFL;
  • Pierre Hontas, born in 1966 in Biarritz, is a player of Rugby to XV which played with the team of France and Olympic Biarritz;

Gallery

Random links:Free forging mill | The Train of 16:50 | Marcel Béliveau | Saint-Sornin-Leulac | Kevin Herault | Médaille_de_l'Armée_de_l'Air