Donostia

"San Sebastian" redirects here, see also San Sebastian in the Philippines and San Sebastián in Venezuela .

San Sebastián with sailboats

Donostia (in Basque) or San Sebastián (in Spanish), officially Donostia-San Sebastián, is the capital city of the province of Guipuzcoa, in the Spanish autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its population is 182.930 (2005 estimate).

The city is located in the northeast of Spain, on the Bay of Biscay, close to the French border. San Sebastian's picturesque coastline makes it a popular beach resort.

Contents

1 History
2 Recreation
3 Culture
4 External links

History

1174 The city is awarded status as fuero by king Sancho VI of Navarre.
1200 The city is conquered by Castile, whose king Alfonso VIII, confirms its fuero.
1656 The city is used as the royal headquarters during the marriage of the Infanta to Louis XIV at Hendaye nearby.
1728 The foundation of the "Real Compañía Guipuzcoana de Caracas" boosts commerce with the Americas.
1808 Napoleonic forces capture San Sebastian in the Peninsular War.
1813 On 31st August, British and Portuguese troops besieging San Sebastian defeat French occupying troops. The relieving troops lost all self-control and burnt down the city, in spite of the fact that the inhabitants were anti-French. Only the street at the foot of the hill (now called 31st August Street) remains.
1813 The city is rebuilt in the same spot but with a slightly altered layout, but architecturally in much the same style.
1833 British volunteers under Sir George de Lacy Evans defend the city against Carlist attack. Their fallen are buried at the "English Cemetery" on Monte Urgull.
1863 The city walls are demolished (their remains are visible in the underground carpark at the Boulevarde) and an expansion of the city begins.
1936 The city was divided by the Civil War. The General Workers' Union (UGT) conducts a reign of terror against supporters of the Nationalist cause.
1937 The province falls to Falangist forces in the Spanish Civil War, who now take reprisals against the UGT.

Recreation

San Sebastián/Donostia is the home city of the Primera División football club Real Sociedad. The city's Estadio Anoeta also hosts rugby union matches featuring Biarritz Olympique

Culture

Every year on 20 January (the feast of Saint Sebastian) the people of San Sebastián celebrate a festival known as the "Tamborrada". At midnight in the Konstituzioa plaza in the "Alde Zaharra/Parte Vieja" (old city), the mayor raises the flag of San Sebastián, during 24 hours the entire city is awash with the sound of drums. The adults dress as cooks and soldiers, and march around the city. They march all night with their cook hats and white aprons with the March of San Sebastián. The origin of this custom is said to be that Spanish tradesmen, including cooks, mocked the occupying French army during the Napoleonic wars, by aping their daily procession from Monte Urgull to the water-pump at San Telmo. Later, the procession was developed when Vicente "Txiki" Buenechea donated barrels to be used as drums for the procession. Adults usually have dinner in "Sociedades," which provide elements of the procession, and which traditionally were only admitted for males. Nowadays even the strictest ones allow women on the "Noche de la Tamborrada". They eat very sophisticated meals cooked by themselves, mostly composed of seafood (traditionally elver, now no longer served due to its exorbitant price) and drink the best wines. For "Donostiarras" this is the most celebrated festival of the year. After hearing drums all night children wake up with a version of the Tamborrada for kids. Children dress traditionally as soldiers and march around the city. Children from all the schools of San Sebastián march that day. They have their specific costumes which usually represent a particular country (England, Germany, Romania, etc.)

A festival called Semana Grande or Aste Nagusia is held every year in August. There is a fireworks competition in which every night, there is a fireworks presentation over the bay, and at the end, a winner is declared.

San Sebastián is known for its Basque cuisine and pintxos (tapas) and restaurant district near the port.

The most important Spanish International Film Festival is held in San Sebastián, the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival

External links

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