Espelette is indeed a village full of color and flavor, with beautiful facades, bursting with strings of red peppers. It must be said that the village has acquired a worldwide reputation for its peppers. A production honored during the Chilli Festival which takes place every year at the end of October (October 23 and 24 for the 2021 edition). A perfect opportunity to discover this typical and charming village.
A village in the middle of nature
A stone's throw from the ocean and close to Navarre, Ezpeleta (in Basque: a place planted with boxwood), formerly a fortress and seigniory attached to the kingdom of Navarre, today a Labourd village of 2,000 inhabitants, is a charming village whose economy, originally agricultural (sheep breeding, corn), has been modified by tourism over the last few decades. Indeed, it has acquired a worldwide reputation for its famous red peppers drying on the facades of the houses. And Espelette also knows how to seduce by a charming environment: a typical habitat made up of white flowered houses, neat, with green or red woodwork scattered around its beautiful church and an unspoiled nature around since the town is tiered on a hillock with, in the distance, Mount Urzumu (216 m), Ereby (583 m), Artzimendi (936 m), Ezcondray (550 m), and Mondarain (749 m) and to the south, on a clear day, the Rhune and its 900 m of altitude. The small river is the Latxa, it joins the Nive at Larressore.
A thousand-year-old history
Ezpeleta is therefore a place planted with boxwood, but it is also the name of this castle which comes from a noble family of Navarre, the barons of Ezpeleta, at the origin of this building towards the year 1000. A series of events took place in the castle over the centuries. Here are some key dates to understand its evolution. We will simply recall that when the 30 years war (1618-1648) broke out, the king of France (Louis XIII) was opposed to the king of Spain while the barons of Ezpeleta were fighting against the king of France. In 1637, the Cardinal of Richelieu confiscated the lands of Baron Bertrand II of Ezpeleta and the inhabitants destroyed the castle. Bertrand II died shortly afterwards, around 1640, leaving all his property in France to his sister Barbe. One of Barbe's first acts was to claim the confiscation of her brother's property from the Parliament, in order to be put in possession of the barony. On the death of the baroness in 1690, King Louis XIV gave the seigneury to Antoine de Gramont, sovereign of Bidache. Doña Juliana Henrique, Barbe's great-niece, protested and recovered the lands and the castle, leaving the other properties to the Duke of Gramont. Baroness Juliana, who died without descendants, had decided to bequeath the castle and the seigneurial rights attached to it to the inhabitants. It was not until 1937 that the corner tower was listed as a historical monument and the entire castle in 1993. And in 1998 the complete renovation of the castle was started. In short, here is a beautiful light on the past of the commune and a charming heritage.
Thechurch of Saint-Etienne is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the Basque Country. Its location next to the small Romanesque bridge and the lovely tree-lined cemetery (see the discoidal steles) which is clustered around it already make it a jewel. Its Renaissance bell tower is particularly remarkable. In the church, don't miss to observe how the nave is supported (big buttresses), the pulpit with panels, the gilded baroque altarpiece with twisted columns and alcoves (XVIIth) and finally the three floors of galleries.
Souraïde, a charming village
Souraïde is about 2 minutes away from Espelette. Nestled in a wilderness at leisure, this village of some 1,200 inhabitants offers a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains, Ursuya, Baigura, Mondarrain, the Rhune, etc. And as early as 1249, it is mentioned on one of the beautiful routes to Santiago de Compostela. At that time, two priories depended on Souraïde, the one of Gostorro and the one of the Madeleine of Otxantz. Today we find the first one under the name of Gostorro Eliçaldea, in front of the church. The second one, under the name of Hospitale Paradis, was at that time the center of an important agricultural exploitation. However, since the reorganization of 1969, the ruins of the chapel are located on the territory of Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle. The church, restored in the 17th and 18th centuries, has very beautiful galleries, an altarpiece with statues of Saint James in pilgrim's garb, Saint Peter and Saint Paul and numerous bas-reliefs representing Saint Luke and Saint John. It is also illustrated by a beautiful tapestry of the monks of Bellocq representing the pilgrim of Saint-Jacques. Until the Revolution, all the land belonged to the barony of Espelette, its neighbor with an indescribable reputation. Today this pretty village can boast, in its heart, besides beautiful landscapes, a quality hotel-restaurant, the Bergara hotel, a recommended stopover for pilgrims of course, but also for tourists in love with calm.
Interpretation Center and Chilli Festival, a spice in the spotlight!
The Interpretation Centerof the village of Espelette is the showcase of the Espelette chilli pepper PDO : within the framework of its activity of promotion of the PDO, the union of the producers of Espelette chilli pepper has created an interpretation center dedicated to the valorization of the chilli pepper. This space aims to highlight, through the work of men and women, the land, the reputation and its organoleptic characteristics. This attractive, aesthetic and playful place presents our spice as a unique and exceptional product. Some key figures : the Espelette chilli pepper, it is today 190 producers, 8 transformers, 6 repackagers. It is 228 ha of dedicated plantation, and 160 tons of powder produced on average each year. The entrance of the center is free. The exhibition is declined in French and Basque. An animator will always be present to accompany the visitors. A relief model also highlights the geographical and climatic environment in which the pepper was born. Nice initiative dedicated to the discovery of the "red gold". In short, a very beautiful initiative of presentation where you will find the Espelette chilli pepper, "the red gold", under its 3 forms (in powder, in string, in fresh). Enough to bring back some culinary memories of its Basque escapade!
And this year again, the famous local production will be honored during the Chilli Festival. The festivities will start on Saturday (October 23 this year) with the sale of chillies and regional products. Tamborrada in the streets and Basque dances in the fronton, it will continue in the evening with a typical aperitif-dinner in all restaurants, followed by a concert. Sunday (October 24) will begin with the mass with the blessing of the peppers. Then, the ceremony of enthronement will take place in the castle before a gastronomic meal in all the restaurants, with emphasis on the Espelette chilli pepper of course. All day long in the streets of the village, there will be bandas in the gastronomic and artisanal stands, concerts, dances, pelota games... In short, an unmissable event!
If you are interested in this kind of village, you can discover others in our Top 15 of the most beautiful villages of the Basque Country in which we find Espelette !
Useful information
When to go? You can obviously go to Espelette all year round even if the arrival of the nice days or the Indian summer are the most pleasant periods. To attend the "Fête du Piment", go on October 23 and 24, 2021.
How to get there. By plane (Biarritz or Fontarabie airports), by train (Bayonne or Combo-les-Bains stations) or by car (A64 or A63 highways).
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