Tolosa, Gipuzkoa


Tolosa is a town and municipality in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, in northern Spain. It is located in the valley of the river Oria, next by Uzturre, a local mountain topped by a white cross.
On 29 March 1939, there was a fatal accident to the overnight Sud Express train between Paris and Lisbon. Its economy relies primarily on the industrial sector, specifically papermaking.

Geography

Neighbourhoods

Iurre, Berazubi, Bidebieta, San Esteban, Izaskun, San Blas, Amarotz, Usabal, Santa Lucía, Montezkue, Belate, Belabieta, Alde Zaharra, Auzo Txikia, Alliri, Arramele, Iparragirre, Urkizu, Aldaba, Larramendi, Aldaba Txiki and Bedaio.

Notable buildings

One of Europe's tallest Douglas fir trees can be found in the una plantación de abetos in Tolosa

History

In the neighborhood of San Esteban was discovered a human settlement of 9000 years of antiquity. For the instruments and remains of carving of flint found, it would be a group whose economy was based on the hunting and gathering of fruits.
Of the Bronze Age, about 4000 years old, are the dolmens of Belabieta and Añi, burial constructions testimony of the first religious manifestations.
In the Iron Age, about 2300 years ago, the first settlements arise. They settle in mounts of average height, like for example Intxur in Aldaba, and are protected surrounded by walls. In addition to knowing iron, they were farmers and ranchers.
All antiquity, including Romanization and until at least the year 1025, in which Gipuzkoa enters History, is a dark period of which little is known.
The territory of Gipuzkoa was incorporated to Castile in 1200. In 1256, the king Alfonso X the Wise of Castile granted the fuero to Tolosa. In this jurisdiction the inhabitants of Tolosa were granted privileges with which the inhabitants of the nearby villages, or those of other provinces, did not count. Also it arranged the fortification of Tolosa, Ordizia and Segura, points border with Navarre. The original city rises in an island separated by an arm of the Oria that passed by the present street of the Rondilla and is completely walled, with six doors with defense towers.
In 1282 it suffers a fire that destroys it. Sancho IV of Castile grants new privileges to him to foment its reconstruction and the arrival of new inhabitants; among them he frees those who were to settle there of all tribute to the Crown, privileges confirmed later by Ferdinand IV of Castile and Alfonso XI of Castile.
However, maintaining these privileges was problematic at times, as when in 1463 the collector Jacob Gaón demanded payment of the tax called order to Toulouse. They replied that they were exempt from payment, by the provisions approved by the king. Gaon threatened them, and several of them killed him, beheaded and exposed his head on top of a pillory, as punishment for having put Tolosa at the top of his list of collections. King Henry IV of Castilehe went to Toulouse to avenge his death, but the authors fled the village. The king ordered that the house where the crime was committed was destroyed. He failed to execute the perpetrators, since before catching them he received a petition from the Junta de Gipuzkoa requesting pardon for the Tolosarras, and explained the arguments of the latter, and Enrique IV acknowledged that they were exempt from payment.
The insecurity reigning since the 14th century means that for two centuries several towns and villages join and separate the council of Tolosa, including Abaltzisketa, Aduna, Albistur, Alegia, Alkiza, Altzo, Amasa, Amezketa, Andoain, Anoeta, Asteasu, Baliarrain, Belauntza, Berastegi, Berrobi, Zizurkil, Elduaien, Ezama, Gaztelu, Hernialde, Ibarra, Ikaztegieta, Irura, Laskoain, Leaburu, Lizartza, Orendain, Orexa and Iurre. Tolosa is committed to the defense of the villas, which are under the jurisdiction of the mayor, and are usually ascribed to the privileges and privileges of Tolosa. During the fourteenth century various disagreements occurred with these cities, and a conflict with San Sebastián by the cases of Andoain, Aduna and Alkiza, that ditched in 1479 with the passage of these three towns to the jurisdiction of San Sebastian.
In 1469 it underwent another important fire, and another greater in 1503 that affected even the parochial church, in spite of being isolated. It is granted in both new privileges to aid in its reconstruction, and the Catholic Monarchs issued an order by which the corregidor of the province resides in Tolosa when not visiting other villas.
The 9 of August 1794, during the War of the Convention, the troops French occupied Tolosa. In the War of Independence it was occupied again. While it was dominated by the Napoleonic army it underwent the attacks of the guerrillas of the zone.
From 1844 to 1854 under the government of the Progressives, Tolosa was the capital of Gipuzkoa for 10 years, later giving ownership to San Sebastián, with the consequent transfer of the Diputación and all the management and government to the new capital of the province.
Tolosa was one of the most important cities of the territory controlled by the Carlists in the civil war of 1872–1876, reason why was one of the headquarters of the newspaper the Real Cuartel.

Notable people