San Sebastián: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Although the earliest written evidence of settlement here dates from 1014, San Sebastián was for centuries little more than a fishing village. By 1174 San Sebastián was granted self-governing status by the kingdom of Navarra for whom the bay was their principal outlet to the sea. Whale and cod fishing - historical staples of Basque cooking - were the primary industries, and San Sebastián also had a prosperous role in the export of Castilian products to European ports, later benefiting from burgeoning commerce with the Americas. In the 18th century San Sebastián yielded twice to French invaders, but disaster came with the Peninsular War, during which Anglo-Portuguese forces razed the city in 1813 after wresting it from French hands. After the fire, the Parte Vieja was built; the city you see today is largely a product of the years following the withdrawal of Napoleon's troops from Spain. In the 19th century San Sebastián became a popular summer retreat for the Spanish royal family and aristocracy.

Modern History

As the Spanish royal summer residence, San Sebastián continued to develop as a seaside destination into the new century, helped by steady economic growth and the continued patronage of the Gran Casino by well-to-do Europeans. A surge of civil projects initiated by progressive city governors, such as the erection of street lights and tram tracks and the installation of telephones, added flavour to the bustling city. This period, when San Sebastián held the reputation as the place to be, came to be known as the Belle Époque , continuing on through the First World War until general Primero de Rivera came to power. By outlawing gambling he cut a major artery to San Sebastián's success and the city entered a period of quiet, coinciding with the Spanish Civil War.

An industrial boom after the civil war of the 1930s heralded in a housing expansion in the city. A great deal of migrants, many of them from outside of the Basque area, were absorbed into the city.

Recent History

The rise of the Basque separatist group Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA) in the late 1960s, with their claims for an independent Basque state, has seen over 800 people die, the Batasuna party banned by court ruling in 2003 and debate raging in Spain over the validity of the group's claims. In 2000, over one million people, including Prime Minister Aznar, marched in Barcelona denouncing ETA's continued use of violence. Though several attempts at discourse have been organised, all have fallen through.

Almost half of San Sebastian's people speak Euskera, and plenty of heated protest and debate over national identity takes place in the city.

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