Tolosa (Spanish and Basque: [toˈlosa]) 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.
Its economy relies primarily on the industrial sector, specifically papermaking.
Contents
Geography
Neighbourhoods
Iurre, Berazubi, Bidebieta, San Esteban, Izaskun, San Blas, Amarotz, Usabal, Santa Lutzia, Montezkue, Belate, Belabieta, Alde Zaharra (Parte Vieja), Auzo Txikia, Alliri, Arramele, Iparragirre, Urkizu, Aldaba, Larramendi, Aldaba Txiki, Banjul, and
Bedaio.
Notable buildings
Provincial archive of Gipuzkoa, built in 1904 by the architect Cortázar, was one of the first to be built in concrete in the province. From the sixteenth century, Tolosa was home to the provincial archives, formerly located in the parish.
Town Hall, built between 1657 and 1672, Baroque style, with a ground floor portico and wrought iron balconies. Work of the master stonecutter Juan de Arburola.
Zerkausi Market
Old Town Hall, a rectangular elongated building that follows the line of the old wall so its façade is perpendicular to the streets of the old town, blocking its southern view. In Neoclassical style, it was completely remodeled in the 1980s as a cultural center. Between 1844 and 1854 it was the seat of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.
Convent of Saint Francis, located at the exit of the Camino Real a Castilla. With a basilica floor plan, it was constructed circa 1676 by Nicolás de Zumeta and Agustín de Lizarraga. The retablo of its main altar and the chapel of the Antia are notable.
Convent of Saint Clara. Baroque monastery (18th century) of the Poor Clares with a Churrigueresque-Rococo gilded main altarpiece.
Church of Saint Mary, with 1,630 m2 (17,500 sq ft) of surface at present. The original church was affected by a fire in 1503, but until 1548 works could not be started for lack of money. A building was then erected with three high naves topped by false ribbed vaults supported by six columns, in the local variant of Gothic style called Basque Gothic. In 1761 Martín de Carrera endowed it with the current Baroque façade with a central bell-gable and two towers joined by a balustrade, and a few years later the atrium was added. In the nineteenth century Silvestre Pérez made some Neoclassical alterations. It has a central altarpiece, and in one of the side chapels is preserved the Romanesque-Gothic doorway of the hermitage of San Esteban, which was destroyed by a flood.
Church of Corpus Christi.
Nature
One of Europe's tallest Douglas fir trees can be found in the fir plantation in Tolosa.
History
A 9000-year-old human settlement was discovered in the neighbourhood of San Esteban. From the tools and remains of flint carvings found, it would be a group whose economy was based on hunting and fruit gathering.
From the Bronze Age, about 4000 years old, are the dolmens of Belabieta and Añi, burial constructions that bear witness to the first religious manifestations.
In the Iron Age, about 2300 years ago, the first settlements appear. They settled on medium-high mountains, such as Intxur in Aldaba, and protected themselves by surrounding themselves with walls. In addition to their knowledge of iron, they were farmers and ranchers.
The whole of antiquity, including Romanization and until at least 1025, when Gipuzkoa entered history, is an obscure period about which little is known.
The territory of Gipuzkoa was incorporated to Castile in 1200. In 1256, King Alfonso X the Wise of Castile granted the charter to Tolosa, naming it after Toulouse, France. In this charter, the inhabitants of Tolosa were granted privileges that were not granted to the inhabitants of nearby villages, nor to those of other provinces. It also provided for the fortification of Tolosa, Ordizia and Segura, border points with Navarre. The original city was built on an island separated by an arm of the Oria that passed through the current Calle de la Rondilla (previously named after Pablo Gorosábel) and is completely walled, with six gates equipped with defense towers (gates of Castile, Arramele, Navarre, Casa de las Damas, Matadero and Our Lady of Help).
In 1282 it suffered a fire that destroyed it. Sancho IV of Castile granted new privileges to encourage its reconstruction and the arrival of new inhabitants, including freeing those who were to settle there of all tribute to the Crown (Vitoria-Gasteiz, 20 April 1290), privileges later confirmed by Ferdinand IV of Castile and Alfonso XI of Castile.
However, maintaining these privileges was problematic at times, as when in 1463 the tax collector Jacob Gaón demanded payment of the tax called pedido from the Tolosans. They replied that they were exempt from payment because of the provisions approved by the king. Gaón threatened them, and several of them killed him, beheaded him, and put his head on a pillory as punishment for having put Tolosa at the top of his list of collections. King Henry IV of Castile went to Tolosa to avenge his death, but the perpetrators fled the village. The king ordered the house where the crime was committed to be demolished. He did not execute the perpetrators, since before catching them he received a petition from the Junta of Gipuzkoa requesting pardon for the Tolosans, and presented their arguments, and Henry IV acknowledged that they were exempt from payment.
Spanish Civil War
On 11 August 1936 Tolosa was captured by rebel Nationalist troops under Major Latorre.
Later
On 29 March 1939, there was a fatal accident on the overnight Sud Express train between Paris and Lisbon.
Notable people
José Antonio Zorreguieta, direct ancestor (born 13 February 1777) of Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
Xabi Alonso, footballer
Mikel Alonso, footballer
Periko Alonso, footballer
Ainhoa Arteta, soprano
Javier Bello-Portu, composer
Edurne Pasaban, mountaineer
Juan de Tolosa, founder of Zacatecas, Mexico
Juan Manuel Lillo, football coach
Lara Arruabarrena, tennis player
Isidro Larrañaga, accordionist