Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.
Jimi Hendrix
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| Ethnographic heritage of the Antzasti Farmstead Antzasti = place of blackthorns and apple trees Providing insight into traditional Basque rural life |
The Basque house is perhaps better thought of in terms of a family seat, rather than a simple dwelling of bricks and mortar and for many Basques the mere thought of selling their home, or even a piece of their land, is shameful. In the old laws (fueros), the Basque etxea (home) had the same properties as an embassy or a church; it was out of the reach of the law and, if a family member was wanted for some serious crime, the police had no right to enter the house, having to sit out the long wait until the suspect deigned to appear.
As you walk through a Basque village you will see that
almost no house shares a wall with another one even if the immense walls are
just centimeters apart. Although this would have made economic sense, each
‘etxea’ is seen very much as its own very separate family entity; the land
beneath the eaves is often the jealously-guarded property of the owners.
Basque farmsteads are often quite small units as the
terrain of the Pyrenees does not allow for large extensive farming. They would
usually produce enough to provide for one extended family but little more:
producing their own meat, vegetables, maize, milk and eggs and having their own
source of wood. Each household made its own sheep’s cheese and bread and
although, today, some buy sugar, oil and wine, these could easily be substituted
by honey, animal fat and cider (the traditional Basque beverage) all previously
produced on their own farm.
Traditionally, the Basque house is inherited by just
one of the children, often, but not always, by the oldest boy. Although, in the
past, tortuous negotiations would have taken place in the village plaza as the
men tried to marry as many of their children as possible into family
homes: ‘If I let your daughter marry my
son and give him my house, then I want you to marry your eldest son to my
daughter so that she gets yours.’ And so on. It is of little surprise that the
Spanish word to get married is ‘casarse’ (casa being home).
The rest of the siblings had to make their own way in
life and although they were ensured a bed and food in the family home while
they were single, many left the area to become soldiers, to find work in the Americas, or (more
recently) the Alps or to become nuns or priests. A father’s decision to send a son to a
seminary to become a priest had very little to do with his religious
inclinations and far more to do with the fact that the vicarage was the last
free house in the village!
However, things are changing and the honor of being
named as the sole heir to the family home is now considered a mixed blessing.
Not only does the house come with all the farm work and the draining expense of
upkeep and repair, but it comes with a long list of social responsibilities
towards the family. The couple who inherits the house are not only duty-bound
to look after the ageing parents but also to provide a bed and food for any
other unmarried siblings. As there is a very high number of single men in the Basque country, apart from her own
family, the poor wife may find herself providing for an army of parents, uncles
and brothers in law.
Today many of the youngsters opt to move into flats in
the village and take up a routine job in a local factory rather than take on
the institution of the Basque etxea.
If you are ever walking in the Basque countryside and
come across an elderly person in their front yard, do take the time to ask them
the name of their house and compliment them on how pretty it is. Their hard
work and pride deserves recognition. It will be well appreciated!
Hanging Bridge
The Bizkaia Bridge,
popularly known as the ‘Puente Colgante’ (hanging bridge), is considered the
oldest transportation bridge in operation in the world. That project was to answer the need to connect
both banks at the mouth of the river Nervión without hindering navigation.
Architect Manuel Alberto de Palacio Elisagüe was commissioned
to build the bridge and was aided by the French specialist in suspended bridges
Ferdinan Arnodin. The bridge, 200 feet (61m)
high and 525 feet (160m) long, was opened on July 28th, 1893, and
since then it has transported vehicles, people, and goods in a suspended
gondola to/from Portugalete and Getxo.
It was the first of its kind in the world and served as a model for some
twenty more European and American bridges (in UK, Germany, France, Argentina).
Architect Palacio Elisagüe spoke three languages
Euskera, Castellano and French. His
impetus for study led him to move to France, a country that at that time was at
the forefront of the world of creative architecture. There he was marked by all
kinds of influences that would give rise to the idea of the Bizkaia Bridge
that he designed at the early age of 31. Other notable works by Palacio Elisagüe
are: The Bank of Spain in Madrid,
the Crystal Palace in London, the Atocha Station in Madrid. I have seen all of them without knowing they
were from the same architect.
We can say that today's bridge is practically the same
as the one Alberto de Palacio Elisagüe dreamed of at the end of the 19th
century. After 120+ years, more than 80% of its structure is the same as that
built between 1890 and 1893. In addition, the restoration and maintenance work
have strictly followed the original project concept.
In 2009, it provided uninterrupted
service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a daily average of 16,300
pedestrians and 1,200 vehicles. It cost
more for cows and horses to cross than for a person at a rate of about 3 to 1.
On July 13th, 2006, it was declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO as it is one of the metal structures that best
represents the industrial revolution and due to its innovative use of
lightweight braided steel cables. In
addition, it successfully combines beauty and functionality. Since it was first opened, it has become a
symbol of the strength of the Biscayan metallurgical industry. A lift in each tower and a high level walkway
means that you can cross its upper deck and take in an exceptional view at 164 feet
(50m) up.
In the same year that the bridge was erected, the
Eiffel Tower was built in Paris, its constructive influence is evident in the
lattice structure of the pillars. In 1912, a French aviation pilot named
Beaumont flew under the crossbar for the first time during an air show.
Since 1893, the equivalent of the entire current population of the United States and the European Union combined (approximately 650 million people) have crossed the river on this bridge. The distance travelled by the gondola will have been 31 times around the world (2009 stats).
Barges, swing bridges, drawbridges... many options
were considered to meet the challenge of joining the banks at the mouth of the
Nervión. But only one design met the following requirements: not hinder
navigation, allow the transport of passengers and goods, have a reasonable cost
of execution and guarantee a regular service.
Last but not least, Ferdinand
Arnodin. In addition to being the
co-author of the patent for the bridge, he was the creator of the cable ties
that would definitively replace the chains of the previous bridges. These steel
ties were baptized as 'arnodines' in honor of their creator. In
addition, in France he earned the nickname 'the cable king' and is
considered the sole designer and responsible for the hanging bridge system.
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| Bizkaia Suspended Bridge - 200 feet tall (63m), built 1893 Oldest in the world - still in operation Gondola below, catwalk above UNESCO World Heritage Site (2006) |
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| Elevator to pedestrian catwalk 164 feet up (50m) |
Known as the
seafaring soul of Getxo, this tiny fishing village will win you over with its
small white houses huddled together in very steep alleys in which old bars have
survived the advance of tourism and time.
A great place to enjoy the views of the Bay of Abra, see beautiful sunsets,
and taste delicious seafood.
The fishing
village has been converted into a leisure and recreation area for locals and
visitors. It’s origins date back to the
12th century and is closely linked to the Port of Abra where
sandbars made it difficult to navigate so ‘lemanes’ (experts of the
seabed) helped boats avoid sandbanks when arriving to and getting out of Bilbao. Still many ships wrecked and rescue teams were
created to help out. A long protective jetty
was eventually built so this is not much of a problem anymore but the sea is
still a strong part of the history of this place. It is in people’s blood and culture.
Next door Getxo is a
place where aristocracy had their summer homes.
The grand splendor of the industrial Basque bourgeoisie with its
palatial architecture in eclectic styles can be viewed over 1.4 miles (2.3km).
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| Palacio de Lezama Leguizamon - largest and most striking of homes here Some of the most expensive homes are located in Getxo Near the old Port of Algorta |
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| El Arrantzale (fisherman) y la Sardinera (seller of sardines) Sculpture in Old Port of Algorta |
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| You can see the protective eguzkilore on the door and an upside down hand to its right This hand represents the first time written Basque language was found It was on a 2,100 year old piece of bronze in the shape of a hand like this one |
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| 2,100 year old hand with Basque writing - first and only find with this old written Vasconic language. Found hanging by the side of a doorway. |
Antzasti Euskaldunon Etxea
Antzasti is a time capsule that, through
carefully decorated and contextualized settings, shows what life, leisure and
work were like in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Two sisters, Cristina and Elena Amezaga, have created this
small museum of enormous anthropological value called Antzasti
Euskaldunon Etxea to explain
everyday life and the role of women in town or country environments during that
period of time.
Touring Antzasti, you are presented with two contrasting
settings, one of a farmstead in Arratia (location of the museum) and one of a
middle-class home in Bilbao, using a vast collection of locally obtained materials.
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| Inside Antzasti Farmstead |
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| Antzasti Farmstead - notice the pitchforks to the left They grow and shape them this way |
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| Antzasti Farmstead - Dining Room |
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| Fog slowly lifting up over cut cornfield |
The Ollerias Museum was created with the aim of
preserving the ancient craft of pottery from oblivion and of making popular
Basque ceramics known.
The Basque Pottery Museum is in the Ollerías district
of the town of Elosu. The Museum stands in a rural setting of great beauty
between the Urkiola and Gorbea Nature Parks and on the banks of the Alava
reservoirs.
The building is an old pottery factory which was
rehabilitated and opened to the public in 1993, thanks to an ambitious integral
recovery project undertaken by Blanka Gómez de Segura, the person who gave us
the tour.
Built in 1711, the factory was the old pottery shop
used by several generations of the Ortiz de Zárate family. In 1958, when the
Urrúnaga reservoir was completed and the land from which the potters obtained
their raw materials were flooded, they were forced to close down, with all the previously available clay now underwater.
An enormous old kiln is annexed to the building. It
is square in shape and 18 feet (5.5m) high. Thousands of articles were fired in
it over the centuries until it was lit for the last time in 1958. In 1993, it
was included as a Monument in the General Basque Cultural Heritage Inventory.
From large vessels to pots, from roof tiles to bowls,
from pitchers to cups, the museum shows more than 300 pieces of ceramic.
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| Euskal Zeramika Ollerias (Basque Pottery) Didn't know they 'staple' cracked jars to keep them usable a bit longer |
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| Another jar with 'staple' holes The metal having corroded away |
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| Blanka Gomez de Segura is in charge of this Basque Pottery Museum She is so nice and knowledgeable. Pleasurable visit but thankfully I speak Spanish. |
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| A few examples of terracotta clay tiles |
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| A few of them marked with some types of identifications |
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