Eskibel (official

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 ...

name) is a village in

Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see. Its ca ...

, Basque Country,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It forms part of the Southwest Rural Zone of

Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória (b ...

. It is situated 7.5 km southwest of the city in a small valley surrounded by the Mountains of Vitoria. Always sparsely populated, in the early 19th century it had only 22 people, in 1960 it had 10, and today has only 2 (2001 census). The village comprises a few small buildings and the ruins of the Church of San Lorenzo (St Lawrence). A romanesque statue, known as the Virgin of Eskibel, was salvaged from the church ruins and can now be seen at the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art in Vitoria. Eskibel was the site of fighting in the

Spanish War of Independence The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain, ...

in the early 19th century and later during the

Second Carlist War The Second Carlist War, or the War of the Matiners (Catalan for "early-risers," so-called from the harassing action that took place at the earliest hours of the morning), was a civil war occurring in Spain. Some historians consider it a direct ...

, when it was held by the Carlists of Vitoria. The "Castillo de Gomecha" at Eskibel is the remains of an old fortified

watch tower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

External links

Populated places in Álava {{BasqueCountry-geo-stub