Baleix
Commune
The road into Baleix
Location of Baleix
Baleix Show map of France Baleix Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 43°22′45″N 0°07′43″W / 43.3792°N 0.1286°W / 43.3792; -0.1286
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Arrondissement	Pau
Canton	Pays de Morlaàs et du Montanérès
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Vincent Roustaa[1]
Area 1	6.47 km2 (2.50 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	135
• Density	21/km2 (54/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	64089 /64460
Elevation	225–354 m (738–1,161 ft) (avg. 230 m or 750 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

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

Baleix is located in the Montanérès overlooking the Lées Valley some 26 km north-east of Pau and 10 km south of Lembeye. Access to the commune is by the D7 road from Saint-Jammes in the west which passes through the length of the commune and the village and continues east to Casteide-Doat. The D145 comes from Lespourcy in the south-west and passes through the village to continue north to Anoye. Apart from the village there is also the hamlet of Tisné north-east of the village. The commune is mostly farmland with a few scattered small forests.^[3]

The Lées flows through the east of the commune from the south and continues north to join the Adour near Aire-sur-l'Adour. The Petit Lées comes from the south and flows north-east through the commune to join the Lées.

Michel Grosclaude said that etymologically the name comes from the Gascon Balèch meaning "plateau".^[9]

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

Sources:

• Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. (in French)^[8]
• Grosclaude: Toponymic Dictionary of communes, Béarn, 2006 (in French)^[9]
• Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750^[10]

Origins:

• Lescar: Cartulary of Lescar^[11]
• Marca: Pierre de Marca, History of Béarn.^[12]
• Fors de Béarn^[13]
• Census: Census of Béarn^[13]
• Terrier: The Terrier of Baleix.^[14]

Paul Raymond noted on page 20 of his 1863 dictionary that in 1385 there were 22 fires and it depended on the bailiwick of Pau. Baleix fief was subject to the Viscounts of Béarn.

The commune has long been occupied as evidenced by the discovery of a fortified camp surrounded by a moat with visible remains of earthworks.

During the medieval period the commune was a member of the Commandery of the Order of Malta of Caubin and Morlaàs.

List of Successive Mayors^[15]

The commune is part of four inter-communal structures:

• the Communauté de communes du Nord-Est Béarn;
• the SIVOM of the Canton of Montaner;
• the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
• the inter-communal association for the supply of drinking water Luy-Gabas-Lees;

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Baleichois or Baleichoises in French.^[16]

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

• A Farmhouse at Sarthou (18th century)^[7]
• A House at Jean David (18th century)^[6]
• A House at Castille (1623)^[4]
• The Bourdallé House (18th century)^[19]
• The Coulomé Farmhouse (1789)^[20]
• The Bélengou House (18th century)^[21]
• The Arnautou House at Clos (19th century)^[5]
• Houses and Farms (17th-19th century)^[22]

• The Parish Church of Saint-Martin (12th century) is registered as an historical monument.^[23] The Church contains a very large number of items that are registered as historical objects.^[23]

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

• Archaeological Map of Gaul, Archaeological pre-inventory published under the responsibility of Michel Provost, Pyrénées-Atlantiques

• Baleix on the 1750 Cassini Map