Basque Region: One of the oldest civilization in the world

“Comb of the Wind” by Eduardo Chillida at the edge of San Sebastián overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on Spain’s northern border. The Basque region borders France and is a unique culture with its own language. Little is known about the Basque people except that they are the oldest pre-Indo-European ethnic group on the Iberian peninsula. Isolated geographically the Basques lived in isolation from Spain for centuries. In the 1960s an armed struggle for autonomy began and they were granted autonomy in the 1970s and completely in 2011.

San Telmo Museum in San Sebastián has a fascinating display of Basque history and culture. It is housed in a Neo-Renaissance building that used to be a monastery. The sanctuary contains immense canvas murals depicting various aspects of Basque life.

Details of murals depicting industry, whaling, shipbuilding, and a preparatory drawing

Grave markers, early pottery and wheels from Basque villages.

Some of the many advances of the Basque region. The boat you see is one used in regattas held in the bay at San Sebastián are still held and one was going on while we were there. Villages from throughout the region had their teams competing and it was pandemonium and celebration for a full day and night. The Fiat was meant to show what a change affordable small vehicles made for the average Spaniard.

Eduardo Chillida, sculptor of “Comb of the Wind” at the top of this blog post turned his home and estate into a sculpture garden. His metal sculptures fill the landscape and the farmhouse/studio contains even more works of art. It reminds me of Storm King on the Hudson River in New York though it is only his work, not the work of numerous artists.

These were my favorite pieces especially the first two, “Homage to the Sea” with the center image a detail that shows the waves. The piece on the right is titled “Study for Homage to Kandinsky.”

Bilbao was a derelict industrial seaport in 1993 when Frank Gehry designed, and the Guggenheim built, a museum on the banks of the river. It’s been on my list to visit ever since. Bilbao is now a tourist destination and a modern art Mecca.

The old train station, the old city, and the bridge that takes you into the city just adjacent to the museum.

Art along the riverfront walk and all around the museum: On the left Jeff Koon’s Puppy and on the right Louise Bourgeois’ Spider. The figures wrapped in rope are by a Spanish artist, Dora Salazar but have no more information than that. More on what’s inside the museum in another post.

Last stop in Basque Country was Pamplona famous for the San Fermin festival, running of the bulls and Ernest Hemingway. This is about as close as I’d like to come to such a festival.

Pamplona was very quiet when we arrived and got much livelier in the evening. Was so nice to see couples strolling and families out for an ice cream and a bit of running around.