Santurtzi ( es, Santurce; eu, Santurtzi ) is a
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
town in the province of
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
, 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 ...
, Spain. It is located in the
Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the
Nervión
, name_etymology =
, image = Nervion.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, image_caption = River Nervion with Zubizuri footbridge.
, map =
, map_size =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map ...
river, on its
left bank, 14 km downriver from
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
and forms part of the ''
Greater Bilbao''
agglomeration
Agglomeration may refer to:
* Urban agglomeration, in standard English
* Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster".
* Economies of agg ...
. It has a population of 45,853 (2019) and a land area of 6.77 km².
The district of
Santurce of the city of
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), ...
,
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
derives its name from Santurtzi.
History and Toponyms
According to legends, the current church of St. George was originally founded as a monastery by English monks fleeing from religious persecution. They established themselves on the Basque coast, specifically the
Somorrostro Valley, from which would later develop the town of Santurtzi.
The name Santurtzi is derived from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''Sant Georgi'', as was the hermitage in
Gordejuela near current Oquendo. In neighbouring
Cantabria,
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
and
Araba exist several towns with variations of the same name: Santurde, Santiurde de Reinosa and Santurdejo.
The Spanish language form ''Santurce'' first appeared in 1333, whilst its Basque counterpart would first be shown written in 1372. During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
it could also be found referred to as ''San Jurdic, San Yurdie, Sturse'' and ''Santursi,'' amongst others. In current day, both names are used interchangeably, with certain preference given to ''Santurtzi'', given its frequent use in Spanish.
The official name of the municipality has also seen various changes. During the 19th century it was officially considered to be Santurce, however in 1901 it was divided in two. The inland part of this division would become Santurce Ortuella, as the mining town of
Ortuella
Ortuella is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, northern Spain.
Nowadays part of Greater Bilbao region, until ...
had grown enough to promote itself as the largest urban conglomeration of Santurce. The coastal side maintained its population base in Santurtzi, and began to be called Old Santurce. The cultural and traditional relationship between the two divisions can still be observed in the border area of
Kabiezes.
Geography
In general, Santurtzi has a very rough
orography, although excluding ''Mount Serantes'' (452m) - one of its most symbolic topographic elements - it is not at high altitude, the significant heights being spurs of the Serantes (Serandi): ''The Mallet'' (245m) and the ''Fortified Heights'' (123 and 106m). Its relief is contained within the north flank of the
anticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a type of fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex up in which the hinge or crest is the ...
of Biscay. It is a structural type relief composed of
urgonian limestone
The Urgonian Limestone is a geologic formation in France. It preserves fossils dating back to the Cretaceous period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark
Arts, entertainm ...
from the
Cretaceous period found all throughout Punta Lucero-Serantes, smoothly inclined towards the
Estuary of Bilbao
The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...
.
The climate in Santurtzi pertains to the humid
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
type. The temperatures are moderate throughout the year, with more frequent rains in spring and autumn. Winters are mild and summers not excessively warm. The average temperature is 20 °C (70ªF) in summer and 8 °C (48ªF) in winter.
Demographics
Mayors
Geographic location
Tourism
The life in the area is focused on the sea, which inspires its work and its leisure. Fishing boat and rowing boat races, and the celebrations of the Virgin of the Carmen are carried out each year.
Events and festivities
* Easter Monday -
Pascua - Cornites
* April 23,
San Jorge
* June 24, San Juan, San Juan neighbourhood
* June 29,
San Pedro (Cabieces neighbourhood)
* July 16,
Virgen del Carmen
* September 8,
Virgen del Mar (Mamariga neighbourhood)
Monuments
*San Jorge church (1725, the tower in 1844)
*House Toasts (1890)
*Town Hall (1905)
*Monument to Cristóbal Murrieta (1923)
*Patronato Santa Eulalia (1914)
*Home and clinical San Juan de Dios (1925)
*Oriol Palace (1913)
*Science of navigation school (1860) and Hijas de la Cruz college (1863)
*Virgen del Mar church (1901)
*Fishermen Confraternity (1916)
*Town Park (1918) and Central Kiosk (1917)
*Mamariga fountain (1882)
*Monument to the Sardinera (1964)
*Fishing Port (1916) and Virgin of Carmen (1950)
*Museum of Sculptures
*Monument to Miguel de Unamuno
*Señorío de Vizcaya Square (redesign 2007)
File:Señorio Bizkaia General Noche 2.jpg, Señorío de Vizcaya Square
File:Palacio de Oriol.jpg, Oriol Palace
References
External links
Official website(in Basque / Spanish)
Santurce-Santurtzi in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)
{{authority control
Municipalities in Biscay
Estuary of Bilbao
Fishing communities
Port cities and towns on the Spanish Atlantic coast