SHARE
COPY LINK

FRENCH HISTORY

The tiny island that is Spanish for half the year, and French the other half

Did you know that there's an island that is French for half the year and Spanish the other half? Not only that, it has a particularly bizarre history involving princess-swaps and hostage-handovers. Welcome to 'Pheasant Island'.

The tiny island that is Spanish for half the year, and French the other half
Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

Most of the border between France and Spain is a land border, running through the Pyrenees and decorously diverging when it gets to Andorra.

But the northern-most portion of the border, which takes in the Basque Country, runs down the centre of a river. In the middle of this river is a very small island – 200 metres long, 40 metres wide, population 0.

Map showing the French town of Hendaye, the Spanish town of Irun and between them, right on the Franco-Spanish border, ‘pheasant island’. Map: Google maps

Despite being tiny, it has five different names; Île des Faisans or Île de la Conférence if you’re speaking French, Isla de los Faisanes in Spanish or in the Basque language either Konpantzia or Faisaien Uhartea Konferentziako Uhartea. All of these translate to either ‘pheasant island’ or ‘conference/treaty island’.

Fun fact: there are no pheasants on pheasant island (the name is believed to be a mis-translation). And at 0.00682 km square it’s unlikely to have much of a future as a conference centre. 

The reason we’re talking about this island is its unique nationality status – from February 1st to July 31st each year the island is part of Spain, then on August 1st it becomes French and remains so for the next six months.

So how did it end up with this weird status? Especially as, a little further up the river is the larger island of Isla Santiagourra – in this case the border simply goes round the island, which is Spanish 365 days a year.

The 1856 Treaty of Bayonne which formalised its hybrid status stated that “Pheasant island, to which so many historical memories common to the two Nations are attached, will belong, undivided, to France and Spain”.

International treaties of this period aren’t exactly famous for careful consultation with locals and the island is, as we already mentioned, uninhabited. There’s no contemporaneous explanation of exactly why it was felt so important to respect “historical memories” but it could simply that no-one could be bothered to argue over this tiny lump of land, or that it was handy to have a ‘neutral space’ along the border.

The island came to prominence 200 years earlier when the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed there, bringing an end to decades of war between France and Spain and establishing the Franco-Spanish border (and giving the island its secondary title of ‘treaty island’).

It remained for decades a ‘neutral’ space that was often used as a handover spot by the French and Spanish, but the rotating nationality was only formally established by the 1856 Treaty. 

The treaty also appointed two viceroys to run the island – the naval commanders of San Sebastian (Spain) and Bayonne (France), which gives the island its further distinction of having the only French example of the quasi-royal title of viceroy – the term comes from the French vice-roi meaning someone who deputises for the king.

In reality, it is administered by the mayor of Irun during its Spanish phase and the mayor of Hendaye during the French phase.

Talking of royalty, the island has an especially royal history – and long before the treaty that cemented its special status it was used as a meeting place for royals from France and Spain.

In 1659, Louis XIV met his future wife Maria Theresa of Spain at the island. Relevant paperwork signed, she said goodbye to her father Philip IV of Spain and crossed into France to become his queen.

In 1721, Louis XV met his intended bride Mariana Victoria of Spain there, this time however the meeting was less successful and the two ended up marrying other people.

The bride-swapping went both ways – Elisabeth of France, daughter of Henri IV, met her future husband Philip of Spain on pheasant island.

And it’s not just women who were traded there – children were too.

In 1526 François I, who was being held hostage by Spanish king Charles V, was taken to the island where he was swapped for his two eldest sons. The boys lived as hostage as the Spanish court for four years, until the French royals agreed to pay an enormous ransom. The scene of the handover? Pheasant island, naturally. 

The island is uninhabited with no regular transport there – so if you want to visit, you will need to wait for the next Journée du patrimoine (heritage open day) when the island is, sometimes, open to the public. 

Pheasant Island is not the only weird, quasi-royal space on the Franco-Spanish border – there is of course also the principality of Andorra, which is (nominally at least) ruled jointly by the French president and the Bishop of Urgell – they rule as ‘co-princes’ which means that, technically Emmanuel Macron is a prince.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

PARIS

Discover the ‘coolest street in Paris’

Named among Time Out magazine's '30 coolest streets in the world', this thoroughfare is not in the classic mode of Parisian elegance, but instead showcases a different and very fun side of the city.

Discover the 'coolest street in Paris'

Rue de Belleville, which straddles Paris 19th and 20th arrondissements in the northern part of the city, was recently named among the 30 ‘coolest streets’ in the world by Time Out magazine.

The Parisian street ranked 20th, with streets such as High Street in Melbourne, Hollywood Road in Hong Kong and East Eleventh in Austin topping the podium.

According to the travel magazine, cities were chosen for their “bold, creative new ventures in food, drink, nightlife and culture,” with many emphasising outdoor drinking and dining, as well as “green initiatives”, making the area for walkable and pleasant.

What’s special about Rue de Belleville?

It is not located in central Paris, it’s not near to the banks of the Seine river and monuments like the Notre-Dame Cathedral and it gives a different vibe to those beautiful but touristy areas.

Rue de Belleville runs up a hill, going from the Belleville Metro station to the Porte des Lilas station at the edge of the city.

If you start at Porte des Lilas and walk downhill into the city you will get a great view of Paris spread out in front of you, while about halfway down the Eiffel Tower suddenly appears through a gap in the buildings.

Like Montmartre, Belleville was once a suburb of Paris and did not officially become part of the city until the mid 19th century. At that time it was a run down area and its most famous daughter Edith Piaf (born at 72 Rue de Belleville) grew up in poverty in the area.

Historically working-class, the Belleville neighbourhood has long been a key location for new immigrant communities coming to Paris. From German Jews fleeing the Third Reich in the 1930s to north African immigrants in the 1960s, Belleville has remained diverse.

In the 1970s, refugees from French Indochina arrived and opened shops and restaurants. Nowadays, Belleville is one of Paris’ two Chinatowns.

In the past few years, the neighbourhood – and especially Rue de Belleville itself – has become an increasingly popular location for eating, drinking and strolling around a less touristic part of Paris.

What to do nearby?

Time Out recommends drinking at the trendy cocktail bars Combat and Kissproof, or testing out the wine bar la Cale.

They advise eating at the Michelin recognised Cheval d’Or restaurant (it’s not actually on Rue de Belleville but on a side street) – The Local agrees and recommends getting the duck and trying their interesting selection of ‘natural’ wines.

Mian Guan for noodles and street food is Time Out’s other recommendation. 

As for the team at The Local, we recommend getting tasty dumplings at Ravioli Chinois Nord-Est and then breaking off from the main road to check out the graffiti alley-way, Rue Dénoyez.

Once you’ve had your street art fill, head back to Rue de Belleville and make your way up the hill toward the Jourdain Metro station and taking a slight detour along the Rue de la Villette.

Enjoy some window-shopping at the cute boutiques, grab a coffee at Mardi and make your way down to the Buttes-Chaumont park.

We cannot disagree with the recommendation to ‘chill out in Belleville Park to admire the view’, and karaoke at Chinatown Belleville is always a fun time.

Belleville is also the location for good markets, especially on public holidays where local creatives display their wares.

READ MORE: ‘Avoid the Eiffel Tower’ – What to see if you’re visiting Paris for just one day

How do I get there?

By Metro, you can take either line 2 or 11 to the Belleville station. You can also get off at from the 11 at nearby Pyrénées, Jourdain and Télégraphe stations (for a short walk).

Other Paris rankings with Time Out

The travel magazine also listed a few other Paris neighbourhoods and landmarks in its ‘best of’ rankings for 2024.

In their ‘40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world‘, Paris’ Haut-Maris, “sandwiched between the touristy Marais and the more boho 11th”. 

The magazine also ranked Paris in 11th place in its ’50 best cities in the world’ ranking, with the southern, coastal city of Marseille taking 45th place.

SHOW COMMENTS