# Aincille

Aincille (French pronunciation:; Basque: Aintzilla; Occitan: Esbelh) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.

## Geography
### Location

The town is part of Cize Country in the former Basque province of Lower Navarre.
It is located some 50 km south-east of Bayonne and 5 km southeast of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

### Access

The commune can be accessed by the D401 road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the northwest to the village. From the village the D118 road goes north to join the D18 highway.

### Hydrography

Located in the drainage basin of the Adour, the northeastern border of the commune is marked by the Laurhibar river, which flows north to join the Nive north of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A stream rises near the village and flows to the Laurhibar in the north-east. The Urtchipea rises in the south of the commune and flows northwest gathering many tributaries and joins the Nive de Beherobie at Saint-Michel. The Sassitako erreka rises southwest of the village and flows northwest joining the Laurhibar east of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

### Localities and hamlets

* Ahadoa
* Aïntzilsarria
* Bassaburua
* Bentaberria
* Berho
* Chiramberroa
* Esconda
* Etcheverrigaraya
* Gamaberria
* Goyhenetchéa
* Handiague
* Harchilo
* Jaureguia
* Oilloquy
* Pagola
* Sahaby
* Sotalda
vteNeighbouring communes and villages :
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Saint-Jean-le-Vieux
Bussunarits-Sarrasquette
Çaro
Aincille
Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan
Saint-Michel
Estérençuby
Lecumberry :

## Toponymy

The commune name in basque is Aintzila meaning "hill of mud", Aintzila or Aintzil-Harrieta.
Jean-Baptiste Orpustan wrote the name of the commune in the form Aïncille. He also indicated that in Basque the inhabitants are referred to as Aintzildar.
The following table details the origins of the commune name.
| Name | Spelling | Date | Source | Page | Origin | Description |
| Aincille | Aincibiu | 1264 | Mérimée | | | Village |
| | Aincibiu | 1309 | Orpustan | | | |
| | Ancivil | 1291 | Orpustan | | | |
| | Ancivil | 1292 | Mérimée | | | |
| | Ancil | 1304 | Mérimée | | | |
| | Ancil | 1344 | Orpustan | | | |
| | Ançill | 1307 | Mérimée | | | |
| | Ançill | 1307 | Orpustan | | | |
| | Ancibiu | 1350 | Mérimée | | | |
| | Ancibiu | 1350 | Orpustan | | | |
| | Aincile | 18th century | Raymond | 4 | Intendance | |
| | Ancille | 1801 | Cassini | | Bulletin des lois | |
Sources:
* Mérimée: Presentation of the Commune of Aincille on the Ministry of Culture website
* Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy
* Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. (in French)
* Cassini: Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Aincille, EHESS (in French).
Origins:
* Intendance: Intendance of Pau

## History

Part of Aincille territory next to the communes of Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan, Bustince-Iriberry, Çaro, Lecumberry, Mendive, Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, and Saint-Michel, was taken on 11 June 1842 to form of the commune of Estérençuby.

### Heraldry

| Arms of Aincille | Blazon: Quarterly, first Azure a bridge of Or masoned in sable debruised over a wave of argent in base, in chief 3 stars the same arranged in fesse; second of Or with an eagle displayed in sable; three vert a cow of Or collared and belled in azure posed in base surmounted by a sheep of argent horned in Or; fourth azure with a church in Or in profile roofed the same extended at dexter with a porch abased and surmounted at dexter by a belltower and steeple the same supporting a cross in sable, windows and doors the same.. |

## Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Aincille
| From | To | Name |
| 1995 | 2008 | Jean Françaistéguy |
| 2008 | 2026 | Gilbert Oçafrain |

### Inter-communality

The commune belongs to six intercommunal structures:
* the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque
* the AEP association of Ainhice
* the energy association for Pyrenees-Atlantiques
* the intercommunal association for the development and management of the slaughterhouse at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
* the joint association for the watershed of the Nive
* the association to support Basque culture.

## Population

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aintzildars.

## Economy

The town is part of the production area of Irouléguy AOC and the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
Economic activity is mainly agricultural.
Aincille had long received saline (saline of Ugarré) since the 17th century and had the distinction of being a corporation with ownership of twenty-nine old houses of the town and was reunited with the royal domain in 1683.

## Culture and heritage
### Languages

According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, the dialect of Basque spoken in Aincille is Eastern Low Navarrese.

### Civil heritage

The commune has several sites that are registered as historical monuments:
* Houses and Farms (18th-19th century)
* The Idiondoa Farmhouse (1617)
* The Ahadoberria Farmhouse (1768)

### Religious Heritage

The commune has several religious sites that are registered as historical monuments:
* The Croix de Carrefour (Crossroads Cross) Wayside Cross
* A Cemetery Cross (17th century)
* The Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist (Middle Ages) The church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
** A Processional Cross (18th century)
** A Statue: Virgin and child (13th century)

#### Church Picture Gallery

* Aincille The Main Altar
* The Processional Cross

#### Stained Glass

* Saint Basile
* Saint Joachin
* Saint Pierre
* Saint Anne