Ea (also pronounced ''Ie'' in local Basque) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of

Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...

, northern Spain. The town has three boroughs: ''Ea'', ''Bedarona'' and ''Natxitua''. The main one, Ea, is the most populated of the municipality, which has a total population of 865 (2014).

Geography

Ea is located on the coast, 50 km northeast from Bilbao, in the bottom of a tiny estuary that breaks through the cliffs of the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

. The Ea river crosses the town, which has three bridges, the oldest one being the so-called "''Roman Bridge''" (featured in the coat of arms) that is really a medieval one. There is a small fishing port, but the predominant activities of the town are agriculture, silviculture and cattle, with many farms disperse around the typically basque countryside.

History

The area was a rural one, centered on the parishes of Natxitua and Bedarona. In the 16th century, fishermen from both villages founded a new permanent settlement at the bottom of the tiny estuary of the river Ea. After two centuries, the settlement became far more important than its two neighboring villages, so finally a new municipality was created, uniting the two former villages and with capital in Ea. As a remainder of its past as two separated parishes, Ea has two main churches, one at each bank of the river.

Transport

There is a taxi service in the town.

Fiestas

The first fiesta in the calendar is

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

, from the night of the 23rd until the 26th of June. On the 16th of July the town celebrates The Virgin of Carmen, patron saint of fishermen.

San Ignacio San Ignacio (the Spanish language name of St. Ignatius (disambiguation), St. Ignatius) is a common toponym in parts of the world where that language is or was spoken: Argentina * San Ignacio, Argentina, Misiones Province * San Ignacio Miní, a ...

takes place in the Bedarona neighborhood on the 31st of July. During the first weekend of August there is the Gazte Eguna rock festival in Natxitua. On August 24 the people of the town gather together for San Bartolome day. There is a paella championship, traditional Basque sports and dancing at night. There is an end-of-summer party on the last weekend of August.

Culture

Days Of Poetry

Every year since 2003, for three days in July, members of the cultural workshop HEA, inspired by the Basque poet and Ea summer visitor

Gabriel Aresti Gabriel Aresti Segurola (October 14, 1933 – June 5, 1975) was one of the most important writers and poets in Basque language in the 20th century. He grew up in Bilbao, which was a Spanish-speaking environment. Although his father talked to ...

, organize the poetry festival Eako Poesia Egunak (Days of Poetry in Ea). The event incorporates dance, poetry, concerts and theater and has become a major event in the Basque cultural calendar. The 2014 edition is from the 15th to the 17th of July.

Gallery

Image:Ea2.jpg, Estuary, looking to the

. Image:Bedarona.JPG, Rural coast landscape from ''Bedarona''. Image:Ea3.jpg, The fishing port and the beaches. Image:Ea5.jpg, Closeup of the ''Roman Bridge''.

References

External links

Ea town council

EA in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)
Municipalities in Biscay Populated coastal places in Spain {{basqueCountry-geo-stub