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Origin and history

The Jewish cemetery of Bidache is a funerary monument located in the commune of Bidache, in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It dates from the second half of the seventeenth century and was used until the second half of the eighteenth century, a period corresponding to the dispersion of the local Jewish community. This cemetery was created under the impulse of the lords of Gramont, the rulers of Bidache, who in 1665 authorized the so-called "Portuguese" Jews to settle in the area and to dispose of their own burial place.

The Jewish community of Bidache developed between the 16th and 18th centuries, under the protection of the Dukes of Gramont. The latter, rulers of Bidache, viceroys of Navarre and governors of the Bearn, offered refuge to the Jews expelled from Spain by the Inquisition. The cemetery, surrounded by a fence wall today partially ruined, houses about a hundred tombstones. The inscriptions, generally sober, mainly mention the names of the deceased and the dates of death, ranging from the third quarter of the seventeenth century to the fourth quarter of the eighteenth century.

This cemetery is a rare testimony of the history of Jewish communities in France at that time. It also reflects the protective role played by the local lords, who allowed these people to settle and practice their worship in peace. The site, registered as a Historic Monument in 1995, includes a full-pictorial arch entrance portal and a preserved soil, managed today by a cult association. Its existence illustrates the relative openness of this small sovereign principality, Bidache, which has welcomed marginalized populations elsewhere in Europe.

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