Eibar
View on WikipediaEibar (Basque: Eibar, Spanish: Éibar) is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Euskadi. It is the capital of the eskualde / comarca of Debabarrena.
Key Information
Eibar has 27,138 inhabitants (Eustat, 2018).[2] Its chief industry is metal manufacturing, and the city has been known since the 16th century for the manufacture of armaments, particularly finely engraved small arms. It was also the home of Serveta scooters.
It is home to the SD Eibar football team.
Geography
[edit]Eibar lies at an altitude of 121m above sea level, in the west of the province of Gipuzkoa, very close to Biscay.[3] Eibar has an oceanic climate. The town lies in a narrow valley in a mountainous area, with mountains like Karakate, Kalamua and Akondia being between 700 and 800 metres tall. Eibar is traversed by the river Ego, which is a tributary of the Deba.[4]
Apart from the urban area, the municipality consists of five rural neighbourhoods: Otaola-Kinarraga, Aginaga, Arrate, Mandiola and Gorosta.[5]
History
[edit]The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346, receiving the name of Villanueva de San Andrés de Heybar.[6][7]
The feudal families that dominated the territory engaged in the War of the Bands. Eibar, like the rest of settlements in the valley, had an industry based on finery forges and arms manufacturing. In 1766, Eibar was engaged in a social revolt known as the Machinada, and years later, in 1794, it was attacked by the French, who destroyed the town.[6]
In the 19th century, industrialisation transformed the systems of production in the city and spawned a powerful social movement. After the rest of Gipuzkoa sided with the French in 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars, Eibar temporarily voted to join Biscay.[8] In the Carlist Wars, Eibar sided with the Liberals. The labour movement and socialism became particularly strong in Eibar. In 1931, it was the first city in Spain to proclaim the Second Spanish Republic; in recognition it was given the title of "Very Exemplary City".[6][9]
In the Spanish Civil War, Eibar was practically destroyed by Italian bombers aiding the Spanish Nationalists. The subsequent rebuilding brought significant industrial development and a demographic increase, as Eibar's population increased to nearly 40,000 within a few years.[6][10]
Due to the lack of space for expansion, several factories moved to Durangaldea and Álava.[11] The industrial crisis in the 1980s also caused Eibar to lose a great part of its population.[6]
At the beginning of the 21st century, Eibar's economy is based on industry and services.[6]
Main sights
[edit]- Church of San Andrés, built during the 16th and 17th centuries, it has a Gothic style with Renaissance and Baroque elements.[14]
- Sanctuary of the Virgin of Arrate, from the beginning of the 17th century.[15]
- Hermitage of Azitain, it contains a rare 17th-century beardless Christ.[16]
- Palace of Unzueta, from the 17th century.[17]
- Palace of Aldatze, from the 17th century.[18]
- Palace of Markeskua, from the 16th century.[19]
- City Hall, built in concrete over the river Ego, designed by architect Ramón Cortázar and inaugurated on 14 September 1901.[20]
- Coliseo Theatre, inaugurated in 1947 and refurbished in 2007.[21]
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Church of San Andrés in Eibar
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City Hall
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Sanctuary of Arrate
Transport
[edit]- Road
The AP-8 motorway connecting Bilbao and the French border crosses through Eibar, as does the N-634 road running parallel to it. The AP-1 motorway connects Eibar and Vitoria-Gasteiz. AP-8 and AP-1 meet at the Maltzaga motorway junction located in the east of Eibar.[22]
Regular and frequent bus services under Lurraldebus connect Eibar to neighbouring towns, San Sebastián, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao Airport.[23] BizkaiBus provides regular and frequent bus services to and from Bilbao.[24] ALSA runs a daily service to and from Madrid-Barajas Airport and Madrid.[25]
Eibar also has an urban bus service called Udalbus.[26]
- Railway
Eibar is located on the Bilbao-San Sebastián narrow gauge railway line. Trains operated by Euskotren run frequently and regularly to Bilbao-Matiko station and Donostia-Amara station. Services are more frequent in the Ermua-Eibar-Elgoibar section.
There are five stations in Eibar, from west to east: Unibertsitatea-Eibar, Amaña-Eibar, Ardantza-Eibar, Eibar and Azitain-Eibar.
Education
[edit]The Gipuzkoa Faculty of Engineering of the University of the Basque Country has a campus in Eibar. The campus offers an undergraduate program in renewable energy engineering.[27]
The Escuela de Armería, founded in 1913, is the oldest vocational training school in Spain.[28]
Sport
[edit]- Football
Eibar is home to SD Eibar, who earned promotion to La Liga in the 2013-14 season. After seven seasons in the top division, it was relegated to Segunda División in the 2020–21 season. The team plays at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium.
The women's section of SD Eibar was granted promotion to the Primera División in the 2019–20 season. After two seasons in the top division, it was relegated to Primera Federación in the 2021–22 season. The team plays at the Unbe Sports Complex.
- Basque pelota
The Astelena fronton, nicknamed the Cathedral of Basque Hand-pelota, is a regular venue of the hand-pelota professional circuit competitions the Bare-handed Pelota First League, the Bare-handed Pelota First League Doubles and the Cuatro y Medio Euskadi Championship.
- Cycling
Since 2009, the city has hosted an annual stage finish in the Tour of the Basque Country, usually after the riders have climbed the Alto de Arrate. Before 2009, this was a traditional finish in the Euskal Bizikleta, which originated in Eibar as Bicicleta Eibarresa.[29] The Arrate finish has also been included in the Vuelta a España in 1972, 1974, 2012 and 2020.[30][31]
Notable people
[edit]- Francisco de Ibarra (1539–1575), explorer and conqueror
- Martín Ignacio de Loyola (1550–1606), missionary and navigator
- Ignacio de Soroeta (?–17??), Governor of Paraguay
- Juan Antonio Mogel (1745–1804), writer
- Plácido Zuloaga (1834–1910), sculptor and metalworker
- Ignacio Zuloaga (1870–1945), painter
- Ciriaco Errasti (1904–1984), footballer
- Baltasar Albéniz (1905–1978), football manager
- Roberto Etxebarria Arruti (1908–1981), footballer
- Víctor Lecumberri (1913–2005), politician
- Miguel Gallastegui (1918–2019), Basque pelotari
- Laura Irasuegi Otal (1923–2016), Basque Niños de Rusia, Soviet trained civil engineer
- Alicia Iturrioz (1927–2021), painter[32]
- Alberto Ormaetxea (1939–2005), footballer and football manager
- Luis Aranberri (1945–), politician and journalist
- Javier Aguirresarobe (1948–), cinematographer
- Koldo Zuazo (1956–), linguist
- Enrique Zuazua (1961–), mathematician
- Maite Zúñiga (1964–), athlete
- Pedro Horrillo (1974–), cyclist
- Patxi Usobiaga (1980–), climber
- Markel Susaeta (1987–), footballer
- Jon Errasti (1988–), footballer
- Markel Alberdi (1991–), swimmer
- Mikel Oyarzabal (1997–), footballer
- Odei Jainaga (1997–), athlete
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ National Statistics Institute (13 December 2024). "Municipal Register of Spain of 2024".
- ^ "Eibar". Basque Statistics Office. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ^ "Eibar". Foral Council of Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Eibar". Egoibarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Baserriak eta auzoak". Egoibarra (in Basque). Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Historia de Eibar". Egoibarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Año 1346". Cronología Histórica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ Coverdale, John F. (1984-12-31). The Basque Phase of Spain's First Carlist War. p. 32. doi:10.1515/9781400853687. ISBN 978-1-4008-5368-7.
- ^ Ormazabal, Mikel (14 April 2011). "Eibar, el orgullo republicano". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Habitantes de Eibar". Egoibarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "La inmigración llegada a Eibar contribuyó a la construcción de una ciudad mejor". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 2 April 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ Eibarko ahozko ondarea, from Ahotsak.com website.
- ^ Ahotsak.com. Youtube (January 2014). Eibarko ahozko ondarea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6P7TxE8OLY
- ^ "Parroquia San Andrés". Egoibarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "Santuario de Arrate". Egoibarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "El Cristo imberbe, uno de los pocos que hay en el mundo". El Correo (in Spanish). 26 February 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "Casa-Torre de Unzueta". Basque Country Tourism Department (in Spanish). 15 January 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "Palacio Iñarra (Aldatze)". Egoibarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "Palacio de los Isasi (Markeskua)". Basque Country Tourism Department (in Spanish). November 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "Casa Consistorial de Eibar". Basque Country Tourism Department (in Spanish). 15 January 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "Teatro Coliseo". Eibar City Council (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "Carreteras". Foral Council of Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Líneas y Horarios". Lurraldebus (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Bizkaibus". Foral Council of Biscay (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Se pone en marcha el nuevo servicio de autobús desde Eibar hasta Madrid". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 21 September 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ "Servicio Udalbus Eibar". City Council of Eibar (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "We Are Two Sections". University of the Basque Country (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- ^ Zubía y otros, Rafael (1989). Escuela de Armería de Éibar Eibarko Armeria Eskola 75 urteurrena. CIUDAD: Eibar EDITORIAL: Escuela de Armería. BI 1171/89.
- ^ "Euskal Bizikleta: una carrera con base histórica". Juanjo Sebastian (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "El Santuario de Arrate, final de etapa de la Vuelta Ciclista a España" (in Spanish). SER. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "La Vuelta de otoño pierde tres etapas". El País (in Spanish). 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ Lorenzo, Clara G. (2021-09-09). "Muere la pintora Alicia Iturrioz a los 94 años" [The Painter Alicia Iturrioz Dies at 94]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
External links
[edit]Eibar
View on GrokipediaGeography and Environment
Location and Topography
Eibar is situated in the province of Gipuzkoa, within the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country in northern Spain, at coordinates 43°11′N 2°28′W.[10] The municipality lies on the border with Biscay province, at an elevation of 121 meters above sea level.[11] The town occupies a narrow valley traversed by the Ego River, flanked by mountains that rise to heights between 700 and 800 meters.[12][1] This topography has resulted in a compact urban core characterized by dense development along the riverbanks, constrained by the surrounding peaks.[13] In addition to the central urban area, Eibar encompasses five rural districts—Otaola, Aginaga, Arrate, Mandiola, and Gorosta—offering contrasts in terrain with more dispersed, hillside settlements.[13][14]Climate and Natural Features
Eibar experiences a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen classification Cfb), characterized by mild temperatures and abundant precipitation throughout the year. The annual average temperature is approximately 12.4 °C, with winter lows rarely falling below 5 °C and summer highs seldom exceeding 25 °C, fostering consistent habitability in the region.[15] Annual rainfall totals around 1,277 mm, distributed across frequent showers that contribute to verdant landscapes but also elevate flood risks in the narrow valleys, particularly during autumn and winter storms.[15] Fog is common in the riverine lowlands due to topographic channeling of moist Atlantic air, enhancing humidity levels often above 80% and supporting the growth of dense vegetation.[16] The Deba River, traversing Eibar's central valley, shapes local hydrology and has historically facilitated water-dependent activities through its steady flow from upstream mountains.[17] Surrounding peaks, part of the Basque Mountains, harbor diverse ecosystems including deciduous forests and scrublands that sustain wildlife such as birds of prey and ungulates, while providing timber and mineral resources in pre-industrial eras.[1] These features promote ecological resilience amid the area's rugged terrain, though industrialization's legacy includes localized water contamination from metal processing effluents, addressed through regional remediation since the late 20th century via Basque government initiatives improving stream quality.[18]Demographics
Population Dynamics
As of January 1, 2025, Eibar's population stood at 27,540 residents, reflecting minor annual fluctuations around 27,000 since the early 2010s following the post-industrial decline.[19] This stability contrasts with earlier volatility driven by economic shifts, with the population decreasing from a mid-20th-century peak of approximately 32,000 in the 1980s to about 26,000 by the early 2000s amid factory closures and out-migration.[20] Empirical data from the Basque Statistics Office (Eustat) indicate an overall density of 1,101 inhabitants per km² across the municipality's 24.5 km² area, with higher concentrations—estimated at over 3,000 per km²—in the compact urban core compared to sparser rural outskirts.[21] Historical population growth accelerated during the 19th and early 20th centuries due to rural-to-urban migration fueled by armaments and manufacturing expansion, rising from 4,133 in 1877 to 16,372 by 1950 as workers relocated from surrounding agrarian areas.[22] This influx reversed in the late 20th century, with net depopulation from the 1970s onward as industrial downsizing prompted emigration, particularly of younger cohorts seeking opportunities elsewhere, leading to a net loss of several thousand residents by 2000.[21] Recent trends show stabilization through economic diversification and limited inflows, with annual changes under 1% since 2010, supported by census records from Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE).[20]| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 4,133 |
| 1900 | 6,583 |
| 1920 | 11,888 |
| 1950 | 16,372 |
| 1981 | ~32,000 |
| 2000 | ~26,000 |
| 2025 | 27,540 |