Lumbier (''Irunberri'' in Basque language) is a village and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

and

autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, in the north of

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") , ...

, 38 km from the capital of the community,

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

. It has a population of about 1400. It stands on the River Salazar in a region of natural interest. It also has interesting historical connections.

Place name

It is believed that the present village of Lumbier goes back to ancient times to the communities of the

Vascones The Vascones were a pre-Roman tribe who, on the arrival of the Romans in the 1st century, inhabited a territory that spanned between the upper course of the Ebro river and the southern basin of the western Pyrenees, a region that coincides wi ...

mentioned by Roman geographers such as

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ' ...

which included those known as the ''iluberritani'', which traditionally have been associated with the village of Lumbier. Some Roman remains have been found in Lumbier and the remains of a Roman and Celtic villa have been found in the nearby municipality of Liédena. Starting from its ancient name of ''Ilumberri'', linguists have reconstructed the development of its present forms. * In the

Romance Languages The Romance languages, sometimes referred to as Latin languages or Neo-Latin languages, are the various modern languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages in the Indo-European language ...

: Ilumberri -> Lumberri -> Lumbier. * In the Basque Language: Ilumberri -> Irunberri. Regarding the etymological significance of Ilumberri, it is believed that it comes from archaic Basque. The first part seems to be the same as in place names such as Irún or Iruña (

), and it has been traditionally associated with the word ''hiri'' o ''(h)ili'' (town) in

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 ...

. The second part ''berri'' means 'new'; thus its etymological meaning would be similar to 'new town'.Blog de Toponimia de Mikel Belasko
published in ''Diccionario etimológico de los nombres de los pueblos, villas y ciudades de Navarra. Apellidos navarros''. Editorial Pamiela, Pamplona, 1996. 2ª ed, 1999. At present, Lumbier is located in the non-basque-speaking area of Navarre, so its Castilian name is the only official one, though the place-name "Irunberri" is still used. The inhabitants of Lumbier are generally erroneously referred to as "gatos" ('cats'); the correct expression is "ahorcagatos" (cat-hangers'), which dates back to 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, ...

, when a number of French sympathisers from

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

("cats") were caught trying to flee to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and they were hung here.

Symbols

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of Lumbier has the following

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...

: The ancient seal of the village has, in addition to those items just mentioned, a crescent sinister and a star dexter to the central tower, and appears in the Charter of Union (Carta de Unión) which was signed by all the towns and villages of Navarre at Puente la Reina in 1328.

Geography

Location

Lumbier is located in the western part of the autonomous region of Navarre at an altitude of 467 metres above sea level. Its municipal area has an area of 57.40 km² and has borders on the northern side with the municipalities of Urraúl Bajo and Romanzado, on the eastern side with the latter, on the southern side with those of

Yesa Yesa ( Basque: ''Esa'') is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links= ...

, Liédena and Sangüesa and on the western side with that of Urraúl Alto.

Topology and hydrology

Two deep gorges(Foz) with rock faces of up to 300 metres high have been created by the Rivers Salazar and Irati in the foothills of the Sierra de Leire. The surrounding area consists of a wide valley with wheatfields, low Mediterranean countryside and Holm oak woods. There is deciduous and Common-pine woodland in the higher areas of Arangoiti (Sierra de Leire). This area falls in the Site of Community Importance (Natura 2000 Network) and ZEPA (Special Bird Protection Area) "Sierra de Leire-Foz de Arbayún" which includes the "Arbayún Gorge", the "Lumbier Gorge" and "Acantilados de la Piedra y San Adrián" Natural Reserves. It is located on the right bank of river Salazar and near the left bank of the river Irati where it joins the river Salazar, on a flat hill which is 467 metres high. between a loamy hollow and a north-west outcrop of the Sierra de Leire.

References

External links

Ayuntamiento de Lumbier
- Official web page.

- Government of Navarre -Information and data on localities of Navarre.
LUMBIER in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)

Tourism website
{{Authority control Municipalities in Navarre