Paris1972-Versailles2003

Well I am happy to tell you on this nice coastal town by passed several times and only once in it. There have been many trip from France to/from Spain. Always memorable family trips forever in our minds ; and one of the memorable routes was along the Atlantic ocean by Hondarribia in Spain. This would be my introductory entry and will be in my black and white series, no pictures, Therefore, here is my take on this is Hondarribia !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The town of Hondarribia is in the province of Guipuzcoa in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, and in the kingdom of Spain, Facing the French city of Hendaye from which it is separated by the Bidassoa river facing Hendaye. It shares with them the bay of Txingudi, it occupies a strategic position on the border between Spain and France,  and commands the main passage of the western Pyrénées. Together with Hendaye and Irun, it forms the cross-border urban community of Bidasoa-Txingudi. Hondarribia is called Fuenterrabía in Spanish and Fontarrabie in French. Until 1980, the official name of the town was Fuenterrabía, a name that was changed that year to Hondarribia by decision of the municipal council. Since 1989, the only official name of the town has been Hondarribia. But the Spanish continue to widely use the name Fuenterrabía and the French Fontarrabie.

Other things to see here are the Palacio Zuloaga Palace an urban palace located in the historic center. Most of the palace dates from the 18C. It houses the municipal library and the historical archive, Palacio Eguiluz Palace, also known as the House of Juana la Loca. It probably dates from the 17C, although there is a legend that gives it greater antiquity and states that Juana la Loca and Felipe el Hermoso stayed in this palace during their trip from Flanders to Castilla. The walls of the town 16-17C that surround the monumental historic center. Four bastions are preserved: San Nicolás, de la Reina, San Felipe and Santiago, both partially preserved. You can also see the enormous curtains that join the bastions of San Felipe and de la Reina, as well as the one that joins the latter with that of San Nicolás. Of great interest is the Santa María cube, partially preserved near the main access gate to the walled enclosure that bears the same name. Castle of Charles V now a Parador. It is one of the most significant buildings in the city. It is a rectangular fortress built in the Middle Ages on the highest part of the promontory where Fuenterrabía was located. It gets its name from the fact that it was enlarged during the reign of Emperor Charles V, who is said to have stayed in this castle-palace. In 1968 it was renovated and transformed into a national Parador, a function it continues to fulfill today. Puerta de Santa María, the main gate of the walled enclosure until the San Felipe ravelin was built in the 17C, relegated to a secondary role. It displays a coat of arms of the town carved in sandstone transferred from a convent. San Telmo Castle: built in the 16C on a cliff next to Cape Higuer to defend the entrance to the Bidasoa river from corsair attacks. It consists of an artillery battery and several buildings enclosed by a wall featuring two sentry boxes and the royal arms. It was renovated in the 18C and is currently a private residence. Fort of Our Lady of Guadalupe: built in 1900 on Mount Jaizquíbel, near the sanctuary of Guadalupe, forming part of the Oyarzun entrenched camp, of which it would constitute the most powerful fort. Today, a large part of the walls and ramparts still remain, such as the two access gates to the stronghold. Inside the old town, the paved streets form a rectangular plan in the area where beautiful houses with balconies are found in the forged, The main festivals of Fuenterrabía are celebrated from September 7 to 11, coinciding with the festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe (September 8), patron saint of the city. The Alarde de Fuenterrabía, which has been celebrated every September 8 since 1639, is, in essence, the annual renewal of the vow made to the Virgin of Guadalupe in gratitude for the liberation of the siege to which the city was subjected in the year 1638, within the framework of the Thirty Years’ War, after a 69-day French siege.

A bit of history I like tell us that the city is mentioned in 1150 in the city charter granted to San Sebastian by the King of Navarre Sancho VI. In 1203, a new charter was granted to Hondarribia after its conquest by the King of Castilla Alfonso VIII, with the customs of San Sebastian. It was united to the Crown of Castilla at the same time as Gipuzkoa. Fortified in 1200, the city suffered numerous attacks due to its position on the border between the kingdoms of France and Castilla (and later Spain). In 1476, King Louis XI of France invaded Gipuzkoa and besieged Hondarribia, an operation carried out with the support of King Alfonso V of Portugal, for the benefit of his wife Juana la Beltraneja, a candidate for the throne of Castilla. In 1615, an exchange of princesses took place on Isla del Faisán/île des Faisans or Pheasant Island, located on the Bidasoa river, with a view to marriages between the French and Spanish dynasties: Henry IV’s daughter, Elizabeth, came to Spain to marry Philip IV, while Anne went to France to marry King Louis XIII. In 1638, as part of the Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659), a collateral part of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), Hondarribia suffered its most famous siege. Prince Henry II of Condé, at the head of an army of twelve thousand men, was driven out by a sortie of the city’s seven thousand defenders. The end of this siege is celebrated each year by its inhabitants during the Alarde. In 1719, the city was taken on June 17 after a month-long siege by the troops of Louis XV commanded by Marshal Berwick. In 1794, it was surrounded on August 1 and then taken by the troops of the Convention commanded by Generals Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey and Charles Louis Joseph de Gau de Frégeville during the War of the Pyrenees. The fortifications on the eastern side, facing France, were razed. In 1836, during the First Carlist War, the city was attacked on July 11 by a British expeditionary force (English Volunteer Legion), commanded by General George de Lacy Evans, sent by King William IV to support the loyalist troops of Isabel II. The attack failed and the British withdrew. In 1837, the city was captured on May 18 by the British Legion.

The City of Hondarribia on its heritage : https://www.hondarribia.eus/es/patrimonio

The Hondarribia tourist office on its heritage : https://hondarribiaturismo.com/en/the-old-quartier/

The local Hondarribia-Irùn tourist office on Hondarribia : https://www.bidasoaturismo.com/en/que-visitar/hondarribia-a-medieval-town/

The Gipuzkoa region tourist office on Hondarribia : https://www.gipuzkoasansebastian.eus/en/things-to-do/gipuzkoa-top-ten/hondarribia

The Euskadi basque country tourist office on Hondarribia : https://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/towns/hondarribia/webtur00-content/en/

The Spain National Tourist Office on Hondarribia : https://www.spain.info/en/destination/hondarribia/

There you go folks, a dandy memorable ways of my dear France and Spain. The memories lingered and alway looking forward to be back, eventually ; worth the detour and trip on it, with the Pyrénées lurking on you! Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Hondarribia !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!