- This Saturday, March 11th (12h.) act open to the public on the occasion of the end of the works that have made it possible to restore and preserve this site of the sixteenth century
- 50% of the budget of the action comes through the aid program of 1.5% cultural, the Government of Spain
The mayor of Irun, José Antonio Santano and the government delegate in the Basque Country Denis Itxaso visited the results of the restoration and conservation of the remains of the castle of Gazteluzahar.
As the mayor pointed out, "the main objective of the works has been to restore, preserve and value these remains as an element of great importance in the cultural heritage of Irun and Gipuzkoa, and with the new discoveries made during the works we managed to get closer to what this enclave meant. The renovation of its entire environment will be key to opening this site to the citizens and allowing the visit of the remains of the fortress, as well as hosting activities."
For his part, the government delegate, Denis Itxaso, highlighted the "commitment to the protection of heritage" that the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture carries out by dedicating 1.5% of the total budget of investments in infrastructure for this purpose. “These are investments that in many cases can hardly be paid for by the owners of the properties to be protected and that, in addition, have a very positive effect in other sectors such as tourism or the generation of employment.”
First, the work of clearing and moving land around this enclave was carried out. Then the surface cleaning of the cubes and masonry canvases that make up the walls of the castle was completed. A task that has been carried out manually based on spatula, scraper, brush and water blasting in order to avoid damaging the surface of the different walls. These works, which have been carried out accompanied by an archaeological control, have also allowed to bring to light parts of the ruin hitherto hidden, fundamentally the removal of part of the North Cube.
In later phases, progress was made with the work of protection and rehabilitation of the ruin itself, which consisted in the consolidation of mortar pieces, the injection and filling of the cracks existing in the different canvases and the reconstruction of logs/rifles. Then, the time came for the conditioning of the public space around the fortification. Thus, the pedestrian tours were formalized to visit the exterior and interior of the ruin. Lighting work has also been carried out in the environment and furniture installation.
It should be noted that this action is supported financially by the Spanish Government’s 1.5% cultural aid programme, which covers 50% of the project. The budget is 601.754.09€ and there is an execution period of 9 months; the awarded company is Harri Construcciones y Mampostería, S.L. This action was included in the initiatives planned by the City Council in the framework of the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of San Marcial of 1522.
Rediscover Gazteluzahar this Saturday
As proof of the activities that can be carried out taking advantage of the restoration of the site, this Saturday, March 11 (12h.) An event open to citizens will take place that will allow the rediscovery of the site. During the event, two of the theatrical scenes that were so well received last year will be represented. Attendees will be able to enjoy the specially prepared titles for the occasion "Un castillo en Behobia" (in Spanish) and "Una aliada con capa de pardilla" (in Basque). The scripts of each scene have been made by the historian Ana Galdós and the artistic direction is in charge of Ana Pérez. The setting is completed with a gastronomic section, since between both scenes there will be an aperitif in the style of the 16th century.
Another of the cultural initiatives that takes shape is the show 'El Canto de Gazteluzahar'. It is a theatrical play inspired by verses of the Irunese Pedro Ballaz that with the collaboration of the choir Atzokoak and the ancient music group Albada was premiered last year at the Amaia KZ (it was planned to be in the square of the Juncal but the rain forced it to move). The idea is, once the works are finished, to take up the original idea and represent it in the surroundings of the fortress.
History
Together with the hermitage of St. Helena, the palace of Arbelaitz, the Consistorial House and the church of the Juncal, Gazteluzahar is part of the group of five enclaves that the Basque Government described as monumental ensembles linked to the Camino de Santiago as it passed through the city; it also represents a key piece of the cultural heritage of Gipuzkoa.
Gazteluzahar Castle stands on a hill at about 41 meters of altitude, located overlooking the Behobia district and the strategic Bidasoa Vacuum. From a triangular floor, he had a brief active life. It was built in 1515 by order of Ferdinand the Catholic and demolished in 1542. It was later rebuilt in 1719 and devastated again in the same year. It was built to contain, pending reinforcements, the possible entry of French troops into Castile.