Archives

Fishing in Bermeo (Bizkaia)

0
Posted on 2020-07-17 in
Bermeo (Bizkaia), c. 1930. Indalecio Ojanguren

Bermeo (Bizkaia), c. 1930. Indalecio Ojanguren. General Archive of Gipuzkoa.

Bermeo is a seaside city with nearly 17 000 inhabitants. Former caput Biscaiae ‘capital of Bizkaia’, the city was for centuries a major fishing and trading port.

Deep-sea trawler vessels of about 150 tonnes, each manned by some 15 fishermen from Bermeo, would leave the neighbouring city port of Ondarroa. They sailed through the Gulf of Bizkaia, as far as the Sole Bank, fishing for, among other species, hake (lebatza), monkfish (zapoa), bib (takarta)… Trawlers fished in small fleets of one, two or three, taking turns, if at all, to bring the catch back to shore. They stayed out at sea for as long as the caught fish would keep fresh, approximately 20 days, and embarked again after a couple of days off. (more…)

St John of Gaztelugatxe

0
Posted on 2019-06-21 in
St John of Gaztelugatxe. Bermeo (Bizkaia), 1994. José Ignacio García

St John of Gaztelugatxe. Bermeo (Bizkaia), 1994. José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

This maritime sanctuary dedicated to the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist has over the centuries been one of the most important pilgrimage destinations on the coast of Bizkaia. Pilgrims flocked here to pray, make a wish, promise, express their gratitude…, but also in search of unparalleled aesthetic and landscape experiences. The chapel and an old hermit’s house stand on the island, connected to mainland by a two-arched bridge. 232 stone steps along a narrow path lead to the hermitage, although tradition has it that there once were as many as there are days in a year. The quite inaccessible islet of Aketxe lies close. (more…)

The feast of the Magdalene in Bermeo (Bizkaia)

0
Posted on 2017-07-14 in

The mayor of Bermeo throws the roof tile. Igone Etxebarria, 2013. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

The feast of the Magdalene is celebrated on 22 July. Blue is the colour of the day, and the taste of the sea permeates the event. It is a great day in the neighbouring coastal cities of Bermeo, Elantxobe and Mundaka, and yet people from Bermeo live it with special intensity. (more…)

Carrito

Archive