Issor's Church.
Photo : Michel Caseault, 1997

Of all the valleys, the Barétous is the least hilly. Aspe and Ossau maintain their character as narrow valleys fashioned by the erosional and depositional work of glaciers. Historically, they have been important routes of passage between France and Spain. In contrast, the valley of the Barétous only recently established an international road. In general, this region of Casaux origins has retained much of its rural character.

The Béarn region can be divided into two parts: (1) the mountains, which encompass two-thirds of the territory, and (2) the Piedmont. Of course, that great chain of mountains, the Pyrenees, dominates the border between France and Spain for a distance exceeding 800 kilometers. Of the three important valleys which we have mentioned, our genealogical research in the BÇarn region in 1996 indicates that the Casaux family possesses strong roots in the Barétous and Aspe valleys, as well as in the Piedmont.