The first book published in Basque on display in Bayonne

The Basque Museum of Bayonne turned 100 this year, and to mark this centenary, has put on display the only existing copy of ´Linguae Vasconum Primitiae´, the first book ever published in Basque, written by Bernat Etxepare and printed in 1545.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Musée basque et de l´histoire (Basque Museum of Bayonne), the National Library of France (BnF), and the Etxepare Basque Institute, the only existing copy of ´Linguae Vasconum Primitiae´ – the first book published in Euskara – will be displayed at the museum from 11 October to 11 January. This year, the Basque Museum in Bayonne is celebrating its centenary, while the Etxepare Basque Institute marks its 15th anniversary. To commemorate these dual milestones, both institutions are jointly presenting ´Linguae Vasconum Primitiae´, a landmark in Basque literature. Its author, Bernart Etxepare, not only gives his name to the institution, but also gives meaning to its raison d´être. In keeping with the writer´s famous motto, ‘Euskara, jalgi hadi mundura’ (‘Basque, go out into the world’), the Etxepare Basque Institute’s primary mission is precisely to promote, disseminate and project the Basque language and culture abroad.  

Until 11 January 2026, the Basque Museum in Bayonne will showcase ´Linguae Vasconum Primitiae´, written in Euskara by Bernart Etxepare and published in Bordeaux in 1545. The book is on loan from the National Library of France in Paris. The inauguration of the display took place at the Basque Museum in Bayonne during a ceremony presented by its director, Sabine Cazenave; the director of the Rare Books Reserve of the National Library of France, Jean-Marc Chatelain; and the director of the Etxepare Basque Institute, Irene Larraza.

The presentation of the exhibition has served to highlight the importance of Basque heritage. It has been 480 years since this pioneering work of Basque culture and literature was first published in Bordeaux by François Morpain.

´Linguae Vasconum Primitiae´ consists of 28 pages in quarto format. Despite its simple appearance, it has a unique importance in the history of Basque heritage. As its title clearly states, even though it is in Latin, it is the first book ever printed in the Basque language. This work is attributed to Bernat Etxepare, a priest born around 1480 in Duzunaritze Sarasketa, Nafarroa Beherea (Lower Navarre). In 1545, he was parish priest of Eiheralar, located on the road from Donibane Garazi (San Juan Pie de Puerto) to Roncesvalles.

A brief preamble in prose is followed by poems of devotion and poems about profane love, including one in praise of women. Then, in verse, comes the story of his imprisonment by order of the King of Navarre, without revealing the reasons for his confinement. The last two poems in the collection are, ‘Kontrapas’, and ‘Sautrela’, best known for their joyous, lively spirit. The number of copies printed in 1545 is unknown.

‘Ça colle au basque’, Basque culture in the French-speaking world

The arrival of this exhibition – celebrating the first literary publication in Basque that has stood the test of time – at the Basque Museum in Bayonne is part of the collaboration between the Etxepare Basque Institute, the National Library of France, and, more broadly, with cultural and academic organizations across the French-speaking world. Based on the ‘Ça colle au basque’ programme, the Etxepare Basque Institute aims to strengthen the presence and visibility of the Basque language and culture within the French-speaking world, a mosaic of cultures, identities and languages made up of 321 million people spread across five continents who share French as a common language. At the same time, this initiative seeks to promote cultural and academic exchanges and to highlight linguistic diversity as a principle of cohesion.