Initial construction XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Northern part of the built farm.
XVIIIe siècle
Enlargement
Enlargement XVIIIe siècle (≈ 1850)
Extension of existing building.
1937-1939
Fresques d'Arteta
Fresques d'Arteta 1937-1939 (≈ 1938)
Making wall paintings.
21 août 2003
MH classification
MH classification 21 août 2003 (≈ 2003)
Front, roof and painted room protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The facades and roofs and the large hall adorned with murals (Box G 241): inscription by decree of 21 August 2003
Key figures
Aurelio Arteta - Basque painter
Author of frescoes (1937-1939).
Origin and history
The house known as Ihartze Artéa is a farmhouse typical of the Basque Country, built in the 17th century in its northern part, then enlarged in the 18th century. This building illustrates local rural architecture, with a large northern hall dedicated to wool drying and merchandise storage, reflecting the economic activities of the period. Its spatial organization and its utility functions bear witness to the agricultural and commercial life in Labourd.
In the 2nd quarter of the 20th century, the house took on a major artistic dimension thanks to the intervention of Aurelio Arteta, a Basque painter exiled in Biarritz from 1937 to 1939 to flee the Franco regime. He made a cycle of murals in the large hall, marking an exceptional contribution to contemporary art in the Basque Country, Spain and France. These works, classified as Historic Monument in 2003, transform the site into a historical and artistic heritage.
The official protection covers the facades, roofs and painted room, highlighting the architectural and pictorial importance of the site. Today, private property, the Ihartze Artéa house embodies the synthesis between Basque rural heritage and modern creation, while raising the question of its accessibility to the public (visits, rental, or guest rooms).
