Deba is a town located in the province of

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa ( , ; ; ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiqu ...

, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The town centre is right on the sea, and the municipal district includes a series of country villages, such as Itziar,

Lastur Lastur is a neighborhood of Deba, Gipuzkoa, Spain. References

Towns in Spain Populated places in Gipuzkoa Debabarrena {{Spain-geo-stub ...

and Elorriaga.

History

The town shares a name with the

Deba River The Deba River (; ) is a river in the Basque Country, Spain. It rises in Arlaban, into Araba province lands, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, in the Bay of Biscay, in Deba, Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa ( , ; ; ) is a province of Spain and a histori ...

, cited in Roman chronicles. Shell deposits and bone harpoons may be found in many caves in the Deba municipal districts, and some of the figures in the

Palaeolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

shrine at Ekain further show the town's relationship to the sea. The town's origins date back to 1343.

Sancho IV of Castile Sancho IV of Castile (12 May 1258 – 25 April 1295) called the Brave (''el Bravo''), was the king of Castile, León and Galicia (now parts of Spain) from 1284 to his death. Following his brother Ferdinand's death, he gained the s ...

granted the citizens of "Monte-Real", in Itziar, a charter as a township in 1294. Subsequently, they moved closer to the coast and founded a new settlement that they called Monreal de Deba. In the 15th century, Deba enjoyed a period of splendour due to shipping, particularly with the export of wool from Castile and

Aragón Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to south): Huesca, Zaragoza, a ...

to various

European countries The list below includes all entities falling even partially under any of the various common definitions of Europe, geographical or political. Fifty generally recognised sovereign states, Kosovo with limited, but substantial, international reco ...

. In the 19th century the port declined and tourism rose. Deba has an annual festival called " San Roke festivities".

References

External links

* http://ocio.diariovasco.com/fotos-fiesta/deba-sanroke1.php?foto=11
Official Website
Information available in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

.
DEBA in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)
Information available in

Municipalities in Gipuzkoa Populated coastal places in Spain Debabarrena {{basqueCountry-geo-stub