Abanto and Ciérvana

Abanto y Ciérvana (in Basque: Abanto Zierbena and officially Abanto y Ciérvana-Abanto Zierbena) is a municipality in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. It belongs to the province of Vizcaya and the judicial district of Baracaldo. However, from a historical perspective, both Abanto de Yuso and Abanto de Suso were part of the Four Councils of the Somorrostro Valley within the Las Encartaciones region until 1805.

It is bordered to the north by Ciérvana, to the northeast by Santurce, to the east by Ortuella, to the south by Galdames and to the west by Musques. It has a population of 9369 inhabitants (INE 2022).

In 1994, Ciérvana established its own municipality, separating itself from the old municipality of Abanto and Ciérvana - with effect from January 1, 1995 -; Despite this, the municipality was not called Abanto because there is a municipality called Abanto in the province of Zaragoza.

The capital of the municipality is located in the population center of Gallarta. Emblematic municipality in the exploitation of iron ore, whose veins were already 'adored' by Pliny. There are no open mines since 1993, when Agruminsa ceased mineral extraction. This population moved location due to the advance of the mines on its old location. In the municipality there are extensive samples of its mining past.

Other important population centers within the municipality are Sanfuentes and Las Carreras.

Geography

Integrated into the Greater Bilbao region, the municipal capital, Gallarta, is located 16 kilometers from the capital of Biscay.

Structurally, this area is part of the so-called “Vizcaya Anticline”, whose southeast-northwest direction is maintained in the mountainous alignments that persist today. The different consistency of the materials in the face of erosion has given rise to an uneven landscape and relief. The Cotorrio River, a tributary of the Barbadún, receives water from several streams that originate in the Triano mountains. They are irregular streams that have suffered channeling and diversions since the last century as a result of mining exploitation. The altitude ranges between 522 meters to the southwest (Ventana peak) and 20 meters on the banks of the Cotorrio River, to the northwest. The capital, Gallarta, rises 100 meters above sea level.

Northwest: Muskets	North: West	Northeast: Santurce
West: Muskets		This: Ortuella
Southwest: Musques	South: Galdames	Sureste: Ortuella

History

Before the promulgation of the Law of Municipal Councils of the Kingdom of 1841, the current municipality of Abanto and Ciérvana was part of the Somorrostro Valley, one of the 10 "republics" into which the Las Encartaciones region was divided. The Somorrostro Valley was in turn divided into seven councils. When the Town Hall Law was enacted, the councils of Somorrostro were constituted as independent town councils. Three of them; Those of San Román de Ciérvana, Santa Juliana de Abanto (also called Abanto de Suso) and San Pedro de Abanto (also known as Abanto de Yuso) were formed into a common town council that became known under the name ofAbanto and Ciérvana. A few decades later the municipality officially changed its name and in the 1887 census it appeared for the first time under the name Abanto y Ciérvana.

Since approximately the middle of the 19th century there has been intensive use of the iron ore exploitations in the region, which which will give rise to the so-called “Mining Boom”. It is at this time when the administrative center moves from San Pedro to Santa Juliana de Abanto, with the Town Hall House being built in the squares of the Gallarta neighborhood where the first plenary session was held on the 7th. July 1883. All of this will generate a wide supply of jobs that will be covered by the surplus population of rural Spain. It is the beginning of massive immigrations coming in these early dates from nearby areas and provinces (Álava, Navarra, La Rioja, Cantabria and Burgos). The conditions in which these people had to live and work can, without any fear, be described as subhuman, since they were forced to live in unhealthy barracks or to buy basic necessities in certain stores or mandatory canteens, not always in optimal conditions for them. consumption. The mortality rates due, on the one hand, to diseases caused by both infections and lack of hygiene (outbreaks of typhus, cholera or tuberculosis) and due, on the other hand, to work accidents, were high and a constant concern among certain sectors.

In the framework of these living and working conditions, the social consciousness of the miners arises and, intrinsically linked to it, the general strikes. The mining area is going to be one of the places in Spain where social and labor conflict is going to reach greater virulence. The workers' demands are aimed at primary improvements in the standard of living and at no time, except in the Strike of 1917, following the model of the Soviet Revolution, will they have a political character of change of the system. There are various strikes with disparate results. The first, most important due to its scope and achievements derived from it, is the one that takes place in 1890. It will be followed, among the best known, by that of 1903, 1906 and 1910. In all of them the same type of demands were demanded: increase in salary, abolition of barracks, mandatory canteens and task work. The favorable resolution of many strikes made the socialists gain prestige, since they had channeled discontent. In this environment of poverty, hard work and social conflict, the figure of Dolores Ibárruri “Pasionaria” clearly stands out. She herself, in the first chapters of her autobiography, recounts the environment in which she developed her childhood and youth, until the call of politics and her work as her deputy took her away from her beloved homeland. her.

The population of Gallarta moved location in the 60s and 70s of the XX century due to the advance of the mines about its former location. There are no open mining operations since 1993, when Agruminsa ceased mineral extraction.

The current municipality is made up of only two of the three old councils, since Ciérvana (the former San Román de Ciérvana) was established on January 1, 1995 as an independent municipality, separating itself from the rest of the municipality. However, it was decided to retain the name of Abanto and Ciérvana, despite the fact that it is currently made up only of the Abanto part of it, because there is another municipality called Abanto.

Municipal coat of arms

The attributes that are represented in the hallmark of Abanto and Ciérvana, with two wolves and eight asps or sotuers in melting, belong to the coat of arms of the house of the Counts of Ayala, and were adopted for that seal as a historical memory of the people since Don Fernando de Abanto, nephew of those counts, founded in 1602 the old parishes of Saint Peter and Saint Julian.

The five blue mountains, the mine mouth, the hole, the pickaxe, the shovel and the cart that appear at the foot of said seal signify the mining industry, a source of wealth for the municipality and the origin of its great development in population. and municipal revenues.

Population centers

According to the INE, the municipality of Abanto and Ciérvana is made up of the following Population Centers: Sanfuentes, Gallarta and Las Carreras. (2015 population data)

• Sanfuentes: 1836 inhabitants. Including the following neighbourhoods and groups:
  • The Casal.
  • Serantes Group.
  • Grupo Las Encinas.
  • Santa Barbara Group.
  • Montellano urbanization.
  • Mayor Juan de Sanfuentes.
  • Saint Lucia.
  • The Heros.

• Gallarta: 4843 inhabitants.
  • Grupo El Cerro.
  • Loredo.
  • Grupo Doctor Areilza.
  • Peñucas Group.
  • San Miguel Group.
  • Buenos Aires.
  • Cat.
  • Santa Juliana: 102 inhabitants.
  • Abanto: 55 inhabitants.
  • The Hera.

• The Races: 1993 inhabitants.
  • San Lorenzo.
  • The Llanos.
  • Grupo El Minero.
  • The Trinity Group.
  • Gure Etxea Group.
  • Grupo María Auxiliadora.

Other neighborhoods in the municipality include:

• • San Pedro: 38 inhabitants.
  • The Bao.
  • The Bárcena.
  • Murrieta: 45 inhabitants.
  • Revilla.
  • Diego field.
  • El Campillo: 31 inhabitants.
  • La Balastera: 73 inhabitants.
  • The broad.
  • Carolinas.
  • Pucheta: 265 inhabitants.
  • Blondes.
  • The Bardasca.
  • Dream.
  • The Castaños: 67 inhabitants.
  • Cotorrium: 154 inhabitants.
  • Eleven.
  • The Manzanal.
  • Las Cortes: 6 inhabitants.
  • Florida: 9 inhabitants.
  • Fonso.
  • The Calizas: 47 inhabitants.
  • Picon: 21 inhabitants.
  • The Bernecho.
  • The Cerrillo.
  • The Barga.
  • Triano: 49 inhabitants.
  • Urbanization La Magdalena.

Mayors, elected or appointed, since 1842

• January 1842 - January 1843, Andrés José de San Martín Ugarte
• January 1843 - July 1843, Alisal Emeter
• July 1843 - March 1844, Benigno Ruiz de Murga
• March 1844 - 1/1/1846, José María de Arechabaleta
• 1/1/1846 - 3/1/1847 Juan Francisco del Merro
• 3/1/1847 - 1/1/1850, Miguel de Escurza
• 1/1/1850 - 1/1/1854, Paul of the Heros
• 1/1/1854 - 2/10/1854, Francisco de Robledo
• 2/10/1854 - 12/3/1857, José González and El Cerro
• 12/3/1857 - 1/1/1859, Cosme de Allende
• 1/1/1859 - 1/1/1861, Miguel de Escurza
• 1/1/1861 - 1/1/1865, José de Aranguren
• 1/1/1865 - 1/1/1867, Lejarza Rupert
• 1/1/1867 - 1/1/1869, Manuel de Garay and Laza
• 1/1/1869 - March 1872, Agapito de Sasia
• March 1872 - September 1873, Antonio Hurtado
• September 1873 - January 1874, Agustín Yarto
• January 1874 - 1/1/1875, Antonio de Escuza (dean governer)
• 1/1/1875 - 1/1/1876, Maximine de Uriarte
• 1/1/1876 - 7/3/1876, Manuel Chave (accidental)
• 7/3/1876 - 11/4/1876, Juan Ángel de Allende
• 1/4/1876 - 1/4/1877, José Antonio Escuza
• 1/4/1877 - 1/7/1879, Mamerto Bermeosolo
• 1/7/1879 - 1/7/1881, Juan Ángel de Allende
• 1/7/1881 - 1/7/1885, Mariano de Olabarría
• 1/7/1885 - 1/1/1890, Calisto López Sáez
• 1/1/1890 - 1/7/1891, Eugenio Solano
• 1/7/1891 - 1/1/1894, Agustín Iza Rementería
• 1/1/1894 - October 1900, Calisto López Sáez
• 3/11/1900 - 1/1/1904, Agustín Iza Rementería
• 1/1/1904 - 1/1/1906, Agustín Garmendia
• 1/1/1906 - 1/1/1910, Bernardo Ruiz Elizondo
• 1/1/1910 - January 1912, Alejo Egusquizaga Bilbao
• January 1912 - January 1914, Manuel Asla
• January 1914 - 1/1/1916, José Salcedo Zubaran
• 1/1/1916 - 1/1/1918, Luis Sanjinés
• 1/1/1918 - 1/1/1920, Fabriciano Torróntegui
• 1/1/1920 - 1/10/1923, Antonio Pujana Meave
• 1/10/1923 - 26/3/1924, Dionisio Ureta Balparda
• 26/3/1924 - 12/3/1930, Tomás Quintana Martín
• 12/3/1930 - 31/1/1931, Dionisio Ureta Balparda
• 31/1/1931 - 15/4/1931, Francisco de Uribe Urioste
• 15/4/1931 - 28/4/1931, Nemesio Merodio Ramos (provisional)
• 28/4/1931 - 14/11/1934, Antonio Pujana Meave
• 14/11/1934 - 23/2/1936, José Colón Laza
• 23/2/1936 - 2/7/1937, Antonio Pujana Meave
• 2/7/1937 - 9/2/1938, Luis Sanjiés Renovales
• 9/2/1938 - 3/5/1952, José Colón Laza
• 3/5/1952 - 29/8/1955, Eugenio Mendicote Mardones
• 29/8/1955 - 5/12/1959, Juan Ramón Sánchez-Serrano Múgica
• 5/12/1959 - 26/8/1964, Francisco Garaygordobil Barrutia
• 26/8/1964 - 14/12/1969, Tomás Alonso García
• 14/12/1969 - 10/9/1974, José Antonio Romero Onaindia
• 10/9/1974 - 19/4/1979, Luis Andrés Merodio García
• 19/4/1979 - 23/5/1983, Francisco Puerto Balmisa
• 23/5/1983 - July 1987, Luis María Vallejo López
• July 1987 - 15/6/1991, Francisco Puerto Balmisa
• 15/6/1991 - 1995, Luis María Vallejo López
• 1995 - 2003, Juan José Mezcorta Puertollano
• 2003 - 2013, Manuel Tejada Lanbarri
• 2013 - 2023 Maite Etxebarria Azpiolea
• 2023 - Iñaki Urrutia del Cura

Administration and politics

Demography

In 1996 Ciérvana became independent.

Communications

Road

• : Cantabrian motorway.
• N-634: Irún - Santiago de Compostela (pK 128 and 131)
• N-639: Santurce - Gallarta
• BI-2757: unites the N-634 road with the municipality of Valle de Trápaga through Gallarta.
• BI-3791: joins Gallarte with Portugalete.

Bus

Bizkaibus

• A2336 Muskets - UPV
• A3323 Portugalete - Galdames
• A3333 Santurce - Gallarta on Saturdays and holidays goes up to La Arboleda (Valle de Trapaga).
• A3334 Santurce - Valmaseda
• A3335 Sestao - Muskets
• A3336 Bilbao - Musques
• A3338 Musks - Baracaldo - Las Arenas
• A3340 Musks - Abanto and Ciérvana - Bilbao (by highway)

Other lines

• A3718 Gallarta - Vitoria
• VAC-220 Bilbao - Castro Urdiales (by N-634)

Railway

Renfe Cercanías Bilbao

• Bilbao-Abando - Muskets: Stations Gallarta and Pucheta (Putxeta)

Famous people

• Dolores Ibárruri (1895–1989), Spanish Republican, Communist Politics