Amurrio is a town and municipality located in the northwest part of the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. It has over 10,000 inhabitants. It is between Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao, respectively 41 km and 31 km.
Geography Amurrio is in border with the following towns: In the North: Ayala and Orozko (Biscay). In the South: Orduña (Biscay). In the East: Zuia. In the West: Ayala.
Councils Amurrio has 10 settlements within its municipality: Aloria Amurrio (capital) Artomaña Baranbio Delika Larrinbe Lekamaña Lezama Onsoño Saratxo Tertanga
History Amurrio had entered into written history in 1095. It had its own council in 1842, before it belonged to Ayala, and became independent in 1919.
Amurrio remained a farming area even with the rise of industry. In the 1950s there were small workshops working with gold and silver and with liqueurs. Also there were enterprises working with railways and valves. All of them helped to prop up the weak agricultural economy of the area.
The great change, nevertheless, occurred a few years later with the setting up of major steel companies; which, with their promise for the future, attracted people form other lands. They brought Amurrio their rich human diversity, and the population doubles in the ten years leading up to 1975. In 1976 it acquired nine more towns, including Arrastaria, forming today's administrative division."Amurrio, illustrations for today, images forever". 2001. Ayuntamiento de Amurrio y Edyfoat
Economy Amurrio's economy revolves principally around industry, despite services are also important. This countryside is in close harmony with industry, since not in vain do more than 60% of the population work in factories and workshops.
Historically, steel and tube production have been the best known industry in Amurrio. Due to the 21st century petroleum crisis, many more job positions were created. Nowadays, between Amurrio and Llodio are located two of the most significant steel tube producers of the Basque Country and Europe: Tubacex and Tubos Reunidos."Amurrio, illustrations for today, images forever". 2001. Ayuntamiento de Amurrio y Edyfoat
The industrial estates Aldaiturriaga and Saratxo, adjoining the railway and road, offer the appropriate land and amenities.
These are the factories that have more than 50 employees: Aceralava Acería de Álava: 150 employees. Amurrio Ferrocarril y Equipos: 175 employees. Industria Auxiliar Alavesa (INAUXA): 140 employees. Kime: 110 employees. Lázaro Ituarte Internacional: 50 employees. Möllertech: 330 employees. Tubacex Tuberías Inoxidables (TTI) : 160 employees. Tubos Reunidos: 940 employees.
Due to the steel manufacturing factories' huge presence, Amurrio has created a medium-sized steel industry network: Talleres F.Larrinaga: valve and gear production. Castinox: production of valves, stainless steel and various components of the industry, as well as smelting alloy.
The sectors of wood manufacturing and construction are also remarkable: Etxeguren: industrial projects: maintenance, change of machinery, installations... Plaza Amurrio : supply for construction, materials, furniture...
Even if agriculture is on a second level, there are some important shops where this home-made or home-extracted products can be bought: Industrias Cárnicas Burutxaga: meat industry. Lur Denok: ecological food.
Demography During the 1960s and 1970s the inhabitants of Amurrio grew, among others because of the process of industrialisation of Biscay -it must be taken into account that Amurrio is very close to Bilbao and it is under its influence.
From the 1980s onwards, due to the economic recession, population stabilized. In 2008, nevertheless, the town recovered and reached again to 10,000 inhabitants.
Source: www.ine.es
Politics Municipal elections of AmurrioPolitical party2015.Results of Municipal Elections in Amurrio 2015. Ara.cat. Accessed May 5, 2016 2011.Results of Municipal Elections in Amurrio 2011. Ministerio del Interior. Accessed May 5, 20162007.Results of Municipal Elections in Amurrio 2007. El País. Accessed May 5, 20162003.Results of Municipal Elections in Amurrio 2003. Ministerio del Interior. Accessed May 5, 2016 1999. Results of Municipal Elections in Amurrio 1999. Ministerio del Interior. Accessed May 5, 20161995.Results of Municipal Elections in Amurrio 1995. Ministerio del Interior. Accessed May 5, 2016 Votes %Town councillors Votes%Town councillors Votes%Town councillorsVotes %Town councillors Votes %Town councillors Votes %Town councillors Partido Nacionalista Vasco (EAJ-PNV) 39,92 7 39,03 7 24,57 4 58,01 9 18,03 2 24,36 3 EH Bildu / Bildu 27,64 5 35,62 7 - - - - - - - - Ahora Amurrio-Orain Amurrio (AA-OA) 13,71 2 - - - - - - - - - - Partido Socialista de Euskadi-Euskadiko Ezkerra (PSE-EE) 6,76 1 9,80 1 12,31 2 12,41 1 8,95 1 8,53 1 Partido Popular (PP) 5,24 1 11,05 2 11,24 1 16,93 2 18,16 2 9,48 1 GUK Bai 5,09 1 - - - - - - - - - - Por Un Mundo Más Justo (PUM+J) - - 1,80 0 - - - - - - - - Eusko Abertzale Ekintza-Acción Nacionalista Vasca (EAE-ANV) - - - - 15,93 2 - - - - - - Aralar - - - - 4,56 0 6,69 1 - - - - Ezker Batua-Berdeak (EB-B) - - - - 2,51 0 3,17 0 2,17 0 - - Eusko Alkartasuna (EA) - - - - 27,11 4 - - 31,89 5 43,27 7 Unidad Alavesa (UA) - - - - - - 1,15 0 0,53 0 2,15 0 Euskal Herritarrok (EH) - - - - - - - - 19,29 3 - - Herri Batasuna (HB) - - - - - - - - - - 10,06 1
Twin towns , Agounit.. Euskal Fondoa. Accessed April 27, 2016
Culture
Basque The Basque dialect used in Amurrio is a variation of the Western dialect.
It is estimated that a quarter of the inhabitants are Basque-speaking people. However, the usage of Basque is much lower than that. In order to encourage its use, the town hall launches more than a campaign and learning programme per year, such as Euskaraz Bizi eguna, where every citizen is invited to participate in activities and conferences in Basque.
There is also an ikastola ("Aresketa") and bertso-eskola, where both compulsory and extracurricular lessons are taught in Basque. Amurrio has also been more than once the scenery of Araba Euskaraz: in 1986, 1996, 2005 and 2013. Additionally, in 2010 the celebration on the public school was held in Lucas Rey.
As for associations promoting and encouraging Basque, Belaiki euskara elkartea, Aspaltza euskara elkartea, Aiaraldea and Aiaraldeko Euskalgintza Kontseilua could be mentioned.
Festivities From August 11 to August 17 patronal festivities in honour of Assumption of Mary and Saint Roch. August 15, Blessed Virgin Mary other Assumption of Mary day. August 16, Saint Roch. Artzain eguna: third Sunday of September. Within this day various activities related to the shepherding are organised: cheese competition, sheep meet tasting, shearing demonstration, and so on. Mikoturismo eguna: in November. Day in which activities around mushrooms are organised: conferences, special menus elaborated with mushrooms, pintxo competition, and so on. January 17, Anthony the Great (or San Anton). October 28, Simon the Zealot and Jude the Apostle (or San Simon and San Judas). April 28, festivities in honour of Saint Prudentius, the patron saint of Álava. May 9, Las Entradillas dance. Txakolin eguna: in May, the following Sunday of Isidore the Laborer. Destacable our txakoli, which receives an origin denomination: Txakoli de Álava.
Museums Some of the museums one can find in Amurrio are the following:
Aresketamendi This outdoors museum is located at the outskirts of Amurrio, near the upper side of the town (Zaraobe, the ancient meeting point). It has 22,600m2.
It is mainly dedicated to renewable energies (air, water, sun and biomass) and supports sustainable energetic practices. It has about 26 energetic gadgets, either for children or adults.
Museum of Liqueur This museum was the first of its time in Euskadi. It goes over the career of Manuel Acha's distillery, who was founded in 1831 and has some well-known brands such as Karpy liqueur or Sierra de Orduña pacharan. There is an exhibition on barrels, of 19th century and 20th century, accounting books, advertising material from 20th century, references to the Karpy cycling club (professional clothing of the 1960s and 1970s), and so on.
The area has approximately 250m2 distributed in three rooms.
Txakolineria This is the largest txakoli producer in Álava. The visit consists of visiting the txakolineria and afterwards a tasting in the txoko, which is similar to a community or local where friends usually meet.
Monuments In 1905 there was already a small Romanesque "monastery" in Amurrio, on a promontory, on the side of the main road. With the passage of the years, houses were built in the area, along with the Palacio de Cejudo mansion. On another promontory, near where the routes intersect, the chapel of San Antón and the Ugarte Tower-House were erected. It is for this reason that big houses and churches are at the side of the roads rather than on squares."Amurrio, illustrations for today, images forever". 2001. Ayuntamiento de Amurrio y Edyfoat
Church of Santa María Here we find a pointed arch and cantilevers from the old Romanesque church, dating from the middle or late 13th century, still preserved. However, the greater part of the building is in the Renaissance style, dating from the middle of the 16th century.
The well designed altarpiece is unusual in that only the central part is gilded. The Stations of the Cross were painted by Juan de Aranoa.
San Antón chapel This was a meeting place for the ancient councils, as well as a place at which oaths were taken. Here, on the 17th January each year, judges, forest keepers and scribes were appointed. Alongside, according to old papers, it was the Hospital of San Antón which on occasion afforded shelter to travellers making the pilgrimage to the shrine of St James. The picture of St Anthony venerated in the hermitage is by Mauricio Valdivielso, known as the Santero de Payueta.
Nowadays there is a market held in Sant Antón chapel every Friday.
Urrutia Tower-House Also known as the Palacio de Cejudo, after the name of the family that lived in it, it is next to the parish church and at the side of the old main road; the road which connected the plains of Castile (historical region) with ports on the Bay of Biscay. It is a beautiful construction dating from the 16th century, notable for its ashlar work and its clean lines.
Ugarte Tower-House Its construction was ordered in 1728 by Manuel de Ugarte y Orúe Knight of the Order of Santiago, to add his estate. This tower-house costed more than six thousand silver pesos escudos. Since 1983, it has been the municipality's cultural centre.
Palacio de Larrako, in Lezama This is mansion is next to the point at which another road branches off from the old road connecting Vitoria-Gasteiz and Balmaseda, between Lezama and Berganza.
Its construction was ordered by Captain Juan de Ugarte in the 1640s. The building is quite well preserved and affords an idea of the big houses in which the wealthy lived.
GUK sculpture This sculpture -we in English- is one of the latest acquisitions on Amurrio. It was built in 2000. It is made of steel and hundreds of names are written on it.
Ever since its construction, a gala is yearly celebrated to honour special citizens who have collaborated to improve the town and town-life.
Juan de Urrutia sculpture
Sports Most common sports in Amurrio are football, basketball, cycling and Basque traditional sports (Basque pelota) and dances. However, the citizens also practice skiing, mountain climbing, and mountain running.
Most sports are practices in the sports centre or in "Refor", which is a sports complex with a gymnasium, a track, two football fields, a rugby field, a tennis field, and a basketball court.
Football Regarding football, there is a club (Amurrio Club playing in Tercera División. It was founded in 1949.
Basketball