Orthevielle is a commune in the Landes, in the Aquitaine region, 30 km north-west of Bayonne, on the edge of the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Its territory of nearly 14 km², at the crossroads of the Landes and the Basque Country, is located in the heart of the Pays d'Orthe, former viscount of Gascony under the Ancien Régime. It is bordered on the south by the course Gaves Gathered which flows into the Adour a few downstream to the west.
Already occupied during Antiquity, hence its name, which can be translated from Latin by "farms surrounded by gardens", the village developed around his church in the Middle Ages, the rest of the town retaining a rural, agricultural and wooded landscape. The environment has however evolved over the centuries: once, marshes punctuated the plain. Dried, they were first devolved to pastures, then became cornfields and also dedicated, more recently, to the cultivation of kiwis.
Its heritage, the serenity of its green environment make Orthevielle (about 900 inhabitants) a pleasant stage near the Atlantic coast, the Landes forest and even the Pyrenees.
The Saint-Pierre church is the jewel of the heritage of the town. It dates to its oldest parts of the fifteenth century and was originally endowed with defensive elements, such machicolations that were destroyed. Built in a Gothic style on a rocky outcrop, with a tower-porch, its bell tower is from the sixteenth century and, in the eighteenth, the nave and choir were remodeled and raised while a collateral was added. Inside, in addition to the stucco decor made in the nineteenth century, the marble altar was signed by the Mazetti brothers and dates from the 1780s. Note also a painting of Saint Pierre from 1882 and stained glass made by the workshop Dagrand de Bordeaux during the second half of the 19th century.
On the village and its surroundings, several "caveries" are to be seen. This is noble homes quite massive, with defensive elements, but whose owners did not rank as lords. Most have been reworked, but mention the caverie Montgaillard (already mentioned in the fourteenth), those of Peyroux, where St. Vincent de Paul would have stayed, Gestède, and finally Lassale, some elements were taken in the framework of a posterior construction.
In another register, but very charming and conferring on the village a picturesque and authentic aspect, the pretty and monumental fountain of Pampara, in the heart of the village, dates from 1925 and nearby, one can observe a wash-house still in activity. Two others are also visible on the town: those of "La Bareyre" and "Lacoume".
Finally, old mills have been little or less preserved from the ravages of time.
These sites can be included in a hike. Several circuits have been drawn and marked on the town. One is thus devoted to the town and its close surroundings, a second in the rivers (rivers) and their environment, a third in the Barthes area, these former dry marshes and now cultivated. Other loops include incursions into neighboring communes. Brochures and information on +33 5 58 73 05 90 or, for circuits including the whole of the Pays d'Orthe, call +33 5 58 06 89 89.
A health trail of 3 km lined with playful equipment, drawn between fields and wooded parcels, is also available on the locality. Information on +33 5 58 73 05 90.
The Cours des Gaves Réunis is finally an ideal exercise ground for fishing enthusiasts. Learn about the regulations at +33 5 58 73 43 79.
