Page 10 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - September '21

Page 10, Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens
Bilbao: Two Sides

By Don Kiselewski, MCC, Romans. However, Hannibal
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens (the famed Carthaginian
Travel Leaders military commander and
The birth and growth of tactician) recruited many
Bilbao, Spain, is closely of his army’s soldiers from
linked to the lay of the land. the Basque. The relationship
The city’s layout was greatly between the Romans and
influenced by the estuary and Basque was affable and as
surrounding mountains. a result, Latin influence was
Since ancient times the integrated into the culture.
territory around Bilbao has Provincial lines were drawn
been active. There have up in the Basque region in the
been numerous archeological finds to substantiate its early 11 century, established
th
early existence. Its functioning as a city did not, however, by religious entities. These
begin until the Middle Ages, when it developed as a powers fought and divided
trading center. Its initial development grew out of the lands in the assimilation of their
Pilgrims’ route, which ran along the coast to Santiago de territories, causing lingering
Compostela. The coming and going of the faithful gave resentment in the area. Fighting The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
rise to intense cultural and commercial activity. erupted on two occasions;
Archaeologists have estimated that the evolution of both times the Basque lost.
the civilization located where the Pyrenees Mountains die They surrendered in 1839
into the Cantabrian Sea dates back around 40,000 years. after the first Carlist War and
And, the area’s Basque population had its beginnings did so with the understanding
some 7,000 years ago, about 2,000 years before sheep that their status would be
were introduced into the area. The origin of the distinctive respected, which it wasn’t.
Basque language has been traced to writing and etchings The second loss created a split
dating back some six millennia. This evidence established of the Basque region between
perimeters of the tongue from southern Aquitaine to France and Spain.
Catalunya. Research has also suggested that Basque Sabino de Arana y Goiri
people worshipped a sun god. This came from linguistic became the catalyst and first
clues, and there is no hard evidence of this belief. leader of the Basque Nationist
The Castillian desire to be an inland seaport was still Movement because of this
another reason for Bilbao’s development. Castilian wool division of land. The official
producers sought a port location where their wool could name of the organization
be shipped to the countries of central and northern Europe. is Eusko Alderdi Jelzalea.
The port in turn allowed the import of merchandise to the The Basque people refer to
merchants of Castile. themselves as “Euskaldunak”
Bilbao, the seafaring village, was granted the status of (Euskara speakers).
township by Privilege Diego Lopez de Haro V, Lord of Bilbao is the most highly Designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry in 1997, Bilbao’s Guggenheim
Biscay, on June 15, 1300. The town charter established its populated of the Basque Museum showcases modern and contemporary art.
jurisdictional boundaries over the Ría del Nervión, which metropolises and the economic
became known as the Ría of Bilbao. Its municipal limits capitals of the area. Agriculture, the basis for the establishment Ana Aguirre Zurutuza, the chancellor for trade and
extended to the lower Nervión Valley. The name Bilbao of the original area, has subsided, so it attained its character tourism of the Basque government, was the heroine that
is thought to have found its meaning in the Basque words because of the impact created by the iron industry. The changed the image of Bilbao. She did it by sponsoring
“Bi aibo,” referring to the two banks of the river Nervión magnitude of trade relations with Great Britain from which international competitions that brought in world-
on which it was established. coal was imported and to which steel was exported raised renowned architects to give the city a new look. Norman
It was during high tide that vessels could sail upstream Bilbao to the position of unofficial capital. Bilbao has always Foster designed the underground and in 1991 Frank O.
on the Nervión River in search of safe refuge and the trading considered itself the Basque capital with the most “British Gehry designed the Guggenheim Museum. What the
post. Thus Bilbao was born, and because of the large amount style.” The iron industry had been around since Roman times. Opera House does for Sydney, the Guggenheim does for
of iron ore that was mined and worked, the area grew rapidly. The beginning of the movie The Full Monty bears Bilbao – establishes its identity.
The city’s merchants set up a trade guild and established a striking similarity to the happenings of Bilbao. Even though the Guggenheim creates a love/hate
relations with the other trading areas along the coast of Manchester, England, was a steel producing town that relationship for its viewers, there is no doubt that it
Europe, and eventually established trade with England went bust and led a group of young men to resort to has put Bilbao on the map. It is built of titanium (not
and south American countries. This became known as the stripping. However, it wasn’t disrobing that saved Bilbao,
Carrera de Indias, the trade convoy to the New World. but one very unique idea that did the trick. Bilbao: Two Sides on page 11
The Basque area has always been independent and
autonomous, staying out of conflicts between Carthaginians and

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