Legazpi

Legazpia (in Basque and officially Legazpi) is a Spanish municipality in the province of Guipúzcoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. It is in the Alto Urola region.

Place name

When it comes to addressing the etymological meaning of Legazpi, all philologists agree in recognizing the presence of the Basque word "azpi", which means "below" or "lower part", depending on whether it is used as an adverb or a noun. There is, however, no agreement on the beginning of the name. The following etymologies have been proposed, all of them based on the Basque language:

Legats or Legartz = 'grijosa land, pebbles' (referring to that of the mountains),

Legatz = 'hake' (recalling the presence of two fish in the municipal shield),

Leku = 'place' (place for being in a valley between high mountains)

However, the most probable interpretation is this other: according to what is known, the forges of Legazpia were supplied with iron in the mines of the nearby mountains, specifically Lekanburu (today called Oilargain, in Mutiloa). Later they made it in the valley, on the banks of the Urola, in what is currently Legazpia. They called "Lekan-buru" to the head or top of Lekan and "Lekan-azpi" (Lekazpi, Legazpi) to the place under the Lekan mines, that is, Legazpi is the lower part and Lekanburu the upper part of the same geographical place.

The name of the town has traditionally been transcribed as Legazpia, with this variant remaining as the formal name of the town in Spanish. The final -a has the value of an article in Basque and for this reason it is common for it to be lost in place names over time. Thus, in this language the people are currently called Legazpi instead of Legazpia. The pronunciation is somewhat different, the name is pronounced in Basque with the Z sounding like the Z in English, and not sounding like a C, which is how it sounds in Spanish.

By the resolution of April 12, 1991 of the Vice-Ministry of Local Administration, published in the BOPV on April 22 of the same year, the official name of the municipality was changed from Legazpia to Legazpi.

There is a city in the Philippines called Legazpi, as well as a neighborhood in Madrid with the same name. Both owe their name to the conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi, who was a native of the neighboring town of Zumárraga and whose family was originally from Legazpia.

The name is legazpiarra. Due to their metallurgical tradition, the people of Legazpiarras are often nicknamed ilintxak, which means 'brands' in Basque. This is the name, for example, of the local soccer team.

Situation

It is located to the south of Guipúzcoa, practically in the center of the three Basque capitals, Bilbao 75 km, San Sebastián 64 km and Vitoria 55 km.

The municipality belongs to Alto Urola. It limits to the north with Anzuola, Villarreal de Urrechu and Zumárraga, with Oñate to the west, with Cegama and Parzonería de Alzania to the south and to the east with Ceráin, Mutiloa and Gaviria.

The Bríncola and Barrendiola streams, which originate in the Aizgorri, give rise to joining the Urola River in Brinkola, which runs through the Municipality for 12 km.

Legazpia has an area of 42.2 km² and an altitude of 400 ms. no. m.. The town can be accessed either by the regional road GI-2630 (San Prudencio-Urrechu), or by the GI-3520 (Legazpia-Segura). RENFE, on the other hand, links Legazpia to Irún and Miranda de Ebro.

Church of Legazpia.

Origins of Legazpia and its name

The fact that in the municipality there are vestiges of old forges, which still retain the names of Jentiletxe and Jentilola (house and forge of gentiles), has given reason to suppose that they existed from the time of the gentiles and before Jesus Christ. The oldest written and precise allusion that we know about the existence of Legazpia dates back to 1290. It is made by Sancho IV of Castilla when he says:

...I think it's good that the forges that are masuqueras in Legazpia, that are in wasteland, are robbed by bad men and robbers, that they come closer to the town of Segura...

Urban core

Possibly the nucleus was born in 1608, after the exemption of Segura. The oldest preserved map of Legazpia must be dated to 1805: the town center was made up of a regular street, square, hospital, town hall, public inn, 40 houses, as well as a parish church. It was completed by an environment with 124 scattered farmhouses.

Until 1920 there were few transformations. Industrial growth will cause the expansion of the urban area (schools and fronton) and in the 30-40s the New Street.

Since 1940, urban neighborhoods were created: the Ensanche Oeste (San Ignacio, Aránzazu,...), neighborhoods in accordance with the most advanced urban planning criteria of the time. Starting in 1956, a second stage took place with Ensanches Norte (Urtatza, Laubide...) and Sur (Itxaropen, Almirante Vicuña) carried out after the enactment of the Land Law and Ministry of Housing.

Rural neighborhoods: Brinkola, gained importance with the construction of the railway in 1864, 2 km away from the urban area.

Telleriarte, 1 km from the town center, the Elorregui site formerly dominated the neighborhood and neighboring mountains. It continues along the Oñate-Legazpia highway.

Source: Legazpiko Udaletxeko web orria

Demographics

Administration

Municipal elections 2015

On May 24, 2015, municipal elections were held. These were the results in Legazpia.

Regional elections 2012

On October 21, 2012, elections to the Basque Parliament were held. These were the results in Legazpia.

European parliament elections 2014

On May 25, 2014, elections to the European Parliament were held. These were the results in Legazpia.

Economy

The following industries in Legazpia have more than fifty workers on their payroll according to the Basque Industrial Catalogue:

• Bellota Tools: hand tools and components of agricultural machinery. It is the traditional head of the multinational Corporación Patricio Echeverría.
• CIE Legazpi: transmission components, exchange boxes. It belongs to the CIE Automotive multinational.
• GKN Driveline Legazpi: forged parts for the car sector in semi-heat. It belongs to the GKN multinational.
• Plasnor: plastic transformation.
• Industrial Sidenor: special steels. The company closed its doors in 2009, bringing its production to the Basauri plant.* Precision Forged Systems (SFP): forja.
• Gureak Protected Workshops assembly and machining. Dosage and filling. Packaging (containing of products). Logistics. They give work to disabled people.
• Urola (Div.Maquinaria): cooperative. Construction of machinery for plastic transformation.
• Commercial Zorrotz: manufacturing and marketing of tools for machine tool.

Between 25 and 50 workers:

• Calderería Urretxu: calderería.
• Fundiciones Joaquín Bereciartu: Carbon molded steel parts.
• Ulma Precinox: subsidiary of the ULMA Group belonging to the packaging business.

Society

Music

The Legazpia, music is the order of the day. Lately, the Legazpia Band has become more and more numerous thanks to all the kids who leave the Musika Eskola. In the Musika Eskola, more and more kids and also older people are studying, and this means that a large part of the population of Legazpia knows music.

There is also an organization called Subeltza in which there are many groups, among them Elbereth Taldea, one of the most important in the organization and others like Skapando, D-Pintxos... Most of them are young groups and many are new.

The Patxaranga, a brass band made up of 13 young people, is also becoming very important. This is not only a traditional brass band, with the typical instruments that they have, but it also has a singer, electric guitar and bass.

Basketball

The Legazpia Basketball team is Andraitz k.e.

Football

Legazpia's soccer team is Ilintxa, which has a large number of teams due to the wide following that exists towards this sport locally or worldwide.

Football 7 Tournament

In recent years, the organization Legazpiko Gazteak k.e. organizes a Soccer 7 tournament that lasts several months. On the last day, the match for third and fourth place is played in the morning and the final match is played in the afternoon. Once finished, a festival is held in the village.

Handball

The Legazpia handball team is La Salle. A team that has a wide following in the town and that in recent years has been successful in various categories such as some Basque Country championships.^{[quote required]}

Ball

Basque pelota is a much-loved sport throughout the Basque Country, Navarra and La Rioja, among others. In Legazpia it is a sport that is growing a lot, thanks to Legazpiko Gazteak k.e. Founded in 2002. They have a ball school where they teach young people to play this sport and improve every day.

The baseball tournament that is usually organized in the town has also become a tradition, in which more and more people participate. Tournament that ends with a big party in the Urbeltz pediment in Legazpia, founded in 2003, where it is usually held. It always ends with the town festivities, where parties are usually organized after the popular meal.

Legazpia Anthem

Aizkorriren itzalpean

Urola ibaiak bustiz

Harrotuz jaio zera

Legazpi, gure herria

Sshu klan sshu klan

Ibaitik zeharrolak

Mendietan haizeolak

Olagizon, lurra

Gure harroa, Mirandaola

Santikutzak babesten gaitu

Legazpiar guztiok

Gerora begira gu

Itxaropenez eta ilusioz

Legazpi

You'll be damned sarturik

Euskal Herriko gurutzean

Jende jatorra zabalean

Gora Legazpi

Legazpia City Council.

Relevant characters

City for Fair Trade

Since November 8, 2013, Legazpia is a City for Fair Trade, being the first in Guipúzcoa. It belongs to the small group of cities worldwide (approximately 1100) that are committed to fair trade and work so that all the agents of the municipality (shops, schools, associations, companies and the town hall) support this alternative form of commerce and bring it closer to the citizenship.