The Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country (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 ...

''Euskalerriaren Adiskideen Elkartea'' and 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 Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

''Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País''), also known as ''La Bascongada'' or ''Bascongada Society'', was founded in the mid-18th century to encourage the scientific, cultural and economic development of the Basque Country.

Establishment

The founding members were the ''Knights of Azcoitia'' or the ''Triumvirate of Azcoitia'', under the encouragement of

Xavier María de Munibe e Idiáquez Xavier María de Munibe e Idiáquez, Count of Peñaflorida (23 October 1729 — 13 January 1785) was a Spanish writer and intellectual, known for his leading work in Enlightenment Spain and Basque literature. He founded the Royal Basque Societ ...

, count of Peñaflorida, José María de Eguía, marquis of Narros, and the encyclopedist and Enlightenment scholar Manuel Ignacio de Altuna. The blueprint for its constitution was drafted in 1763 in Vergara and approved in 1765. Its inception is inextricably linked to the economic momentum spurred by the activity of the Guipuzcoana Company.

Importance for the arts, culture, and the territory

The establishment of the society was followed by the founding of the Seminar of Vergara a decade later (1776), the first higher education institution to operate in Basque territory. Research carried out by

Fausto Elhuyar Fausto de Elhuyar (11 October 1755 – 6 February 1833) was a Spanish chemist, and the first to isolate tungsten with his brother Juan José Elhuyar in 1783. He was in charge, under a King of Spain commission, of organizing the School of Mines i ...

and brother Juan Jose in the seminar led to their isolating of the chemical element

tungsten Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isolat ...

, and Ignacio de Zavala came up with the procedure to obtain cast steel. In music the Society sponsored the work of composer

José de Larrañaga Fray José de Larrañaga (17281806) was a Franciscan friar, organist, ''maestro de capilla'' of the Sanctuary of Arantzazu, composer, and was active in the Basque musical and cultural movement of the 18th century. Life Larrañaga was born in Azkoit ...

. Literary activity was conducted by

Félix María de Samaniego Félix María Serafín Sánchez de Samaniego y Zabala (12 October 1745 – 11 August 1801) was a Spanish neoclassical fabulist. Life He was born and died in Laguardia, Álava, in the Basque Country, and was educated at Valladolid Valladoli ...

and others. The Society was the first institution in Modern Age to ever regroup any Basque districts into a sole cluster out of common concerns—they operated on their own up to that point. It was also the first society of its kind in the Basque Country and Spain, with societies cut out after its pattern spreading soon afterwards all over Spain, and the New World.

Historical members or "friends"

* Pablo de Olavide (1725–1803), politician, lawyer and writer born in Perú. *

(1728–1806), Franciscan friar and composer. *

(1745–1801), neoclassical fabulist. *

Jose de Mazarredo y Salazar Don Jose de Mazarredo Salazar de Muñatones y Gortázar Order of Santiago (Bilbao 1745 – Madrid, 1812) was a Spanish naval commander, cartographer, ambassador, astronomer and professor of naval tactics. He is considered to be one of the best Spa ...

(1745–1812), naval commander, cartographer, ambassador, astronomer and professor of naval tactics. * Valentin de Foronda y González de Echávarri (1751–1821), Spanish General Consul in Philadelphia from 1801 to 1807 and Spanish Plenipotentiary Minister in the U.S. from 1807 to 1809. *

(1755–1833), chemist, and the joint discoverer of

with his brother Juan José Elhuyar in 1783. *

Cosme Damián de Churruca y Elorza Cosme Damián de Churruca y Elorza (27 September 1761 – 21 October 1805) was a Basque Spanish noble, admiral of the Royal Spanish Armada, naval scientist and Mayor of Motrico. During the Battle of Trafalgar, he was the commander of the sh ...

(1761–1805), naval admiral and scientist. *

Diego de Borica Diego de Borica (1742–1800) was a Basque colonial Governor of the Californias, from 1794 to 1800. Family Diego de Borica y Retegui was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz to a family connected to Father Fermín de Lasuén's. In 1780 Diego de Borica marr ...

(1742–1800), Governor of the Californias from 1794 to 1800. *

Josefina Muriel Josefina Muriel de la Torre (February 2, 1918 in Mexico City – January 30, 2008) was a Mexican writer, historian, researcher, bibliophile, and academic. She specialized in the history of the feminine and religious world of the time of New Spa ...

(1918–2008), writer, historian, researcher, bibliophile, academic;

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

by the government of Spain in 1966.

Organisation Today

* Director: Mikel Badiola González, lawyer and professor of administrative law at the University of Deusto * Deputy director: Juan José Pujana Arza, lawyer and politician, first president of the Basque Parliament and former senator in Parliament of Spain. * General Secretary: Joseba Sobrino Aranzabe * Treasurer: Joseba Jaureguizar Bilbao, General Director of Tecnalia * President of the commission of Alava: Amelia Baldeón Iñigo * President of the commission 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 ...

: Lorenzo Goikoetxea Oleaga * President of the commission of

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) 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 depa ...

: Juan Bautista Mendizabal Juaristi * President of the delegation in the

Courts A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

: Íñigo López de Uralde Garmendia * President of the delegation in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

: Ana Rita Valero de García Lascurain

References

External links

Página web oficial de la Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País
{{DEFAULTSORT:Real Sociedad Bascongada De Amigos Del Pais Basque history Basco Basque culture 1765 establishments in Spain Gipuzkoa