Salvatierra/Agurain

**Salvatierra** in Spain an **Agurain** in Basque (offeecially *Agurain/Salvatierra*), it is a toun an municipality locatit in the province o Álava in the Basque Autonomous Commonty, northren Spain. The municipality, nummerin 4,407 inhabitants (2007), is in turn the heid toun o the destrict or *Cuadrilla o Salvatierra*. The gross income per faimily amoonts tae 6,784 € (1997, Basque Autonomous Commonty: 8,258 €). Wi reference tae wirkforce bi economic sectors, 10.36% are employed in agricultur, 35.78% in the industry sector, 47.92% in the service sector an 5.95% in the construction industry (data no available for the municipality, applees tae the lairger Salvatierra Destrict).

## Geografie
The municipality, locatit at the centre o the eastren Alavese Plains, comprises a core built-up aurie sittin on a law ridge (605 m heich) an consistin o three historical streets that stretch oot sooth tae north, i.e. *Zapatari*, *Mayor* an *Carnicería*, which bear witness tae auncient guild clusters. North an wast at the feet o the ridge, twa wattercourses, the Santa Barbara an Zadorra, ootlined the toun's limits no time ago, while increasinly absorbit bi the rapid urban development. Ootside the waws of the toun spread age auld neebourheids, such as the Madura (Basque for 'swamp'), La Magdalena or San Jorge. On either side o the road connectin the 'Portal del Rey' (main sooth entrance tae the toun) an the train station, a sprawl developit in the 1950s and 1960s, cried La Moncloa. The toun keeps on growin east beside the Madura throu new hoosin projects in the 2000s (decade), i.e. Harresi Parkea.

Thare are ither minor nuclei (veelages) dottin the ootwaird land o the municipality o Salvatierra as follaes: 
* Alangua
* Arrizala: hame tae the famous dolmen Sorginetxe.
* Egileor
* Iturrieta: umwhile veelage on a plateau (Basque Muntains) nouadays turned intae a ferm.
* Opakua: at the fuit o the munt Arrigorrista, lends its name tae a windin muntain pass.

## Economy

**Agurain** benefits frae its location on the important European road axis N-1 E-5 E-80 an the Northren Railwey, follaein that it developit industry syne the early 20t hunderyear. In this respect, it is wirth mentionin the ane time stinky **Curtidos Salvatierra S.A.L.**, a tannin factory, which providit no lang ago wirk for so mony inhabitants. Nouadays the toun nummers three industrial estates, the twa existin so far an a new ane unner construction, namely, *Litutxipi* athort the train station, *Agurain* on the wast (wi **PEM**, umwhile **PUM Española**, as its tradeetional flagship factory; maximum surface aurie for biggin 19,773 m2) an *Galzar* (urbanization wirks unner wey in 2008, maximum surface aurie for biggin 14,035 m2). The twa latter industrial estates pairticipate in a wider regional logistic scheme kent as *Vitoria Logistic Corridor*.

A solar pouer plant in the ootskirts o the toun wis inauguratit in 2007, currently the biggest in the Basque Autonomous Commonty, wi a view tae injectin intae the pouer netwirk 350,000 kWh/year.

## History

The toun o Salvatierra wis foondit in 1256 by the Castilian king Alfonso X on the umwhile dounset o the veelage **Hagurahin** on tap o a hill, a heichlie defensible poseetion. Castile wis intent on strenthenin the territories borderin on the Kinrick o Navarre seisit some decades ago. As a result, the king foondit various stranghaulds or free touns (*salvas terras*, *seguras* an *villas francas*) ower the land o Gipuzkoa an Álava en route tae Gascony throu the northre Wey o St. James, wi a view at the same time tae fosterin Castilian trade.

Salvatierra wis in the ensuin decades an hunderyears hame tae various scuffles, battles an sieges on the grunds o its borderin location wi Navarre an its strategic position in the King's Heich-gate tae Fraunce. In the 13t hunderyear, the definitive layoot o the toun wis established, wi encirclin waws an twa big fortifee'd kirks sealin Salvatierra at the north an sooth ends (*Santa Maria* an *San Juan* kirks respectively). The so-cried *olbeas* wur erectit at this time an aw. These consistit o arcades, made oreeginally o firth, next tae baith pairishes in the ane-time bustlin mercatplaces, an they hae endured up tae the present, awtho reconstructit in the 16t hunderyear.

The toun thrivit on its good location an trade in the Wey o St. James, an it even haed a Jewish quairter, locatit in the day's 'Arramel' st. In 1521 the toun haed tae fend aff the attack o its awn laird, the Coont o Salvatierra, a rebellious leader that revoltit against emperor Charles V in the Revolt o the Comuneros. Yet he failed tae win the town, the Coont wis arrestit an executit bi the imperial forces, hintle tae the joy o the inhabitants. The joy didna last lang tho, syne shortly efterwairds the plague swept throu the toun, which eventually resultit in the burnin o Salvatierra (1564), a disaster that some blame on a desperate attempt tae put a end tae the grim epidemic. Anerly the waws (an baith main kirks) wur spared, amaist the whole toun wis destroyed, a fact reflectit in poems bi the writer Juan Perez de Lazarraga.

*Salbatierra<br />
*egun ey dago tristeric
*oyta dabela<br />
*eguiten asco negarric
*çerren jarri da<br />
*guztia destruiduric
*ez da gueratu<br />
*barruan ese galantic
*çerca çabaloc<br />
*jarri ey dira bacarric
*oy onezquero<br />
*ez da mercatu bearric (...)*

Efter the burnin, a vigorous an elegant reconstruction ensued unner the hawmark o the Renaissance (late XVI-early XVII). Wirth heichlichtin are the sumptuous wawed stately hames in atween the main streets, such as the *Casa de los Diezmos* in the 'Carnicería' st. While the biggin frenzy o the previous hundereyear waned in the 18t hunderyear, thare wur still some ootstaundin wirks like the pentagonal San Juan Kirk's baroque style porch stretchin oot tae the centre o the mercatplace.

The 19t hunderyear wis tae ken unrest an turmoil in this aurie. The [[First Carlist War]] left a mayor scar on the toun's medieval nucleus, syne the waws wur demolished in order tae furnish the nearbi Guevara fortress, a Carlist key position, wi proper material. Atween baith Carlist Wars the railwey wis established up tae the French border; housomeivver, the stretch aween [[Vitoria-Gasteiz]] an Olazagutia wis ready bi 1862, so Agurain haed awready a railwey stop at that time, follaein that the toun stairtit tae expand sooth oot o the medieval nucleus bi linin baith sides o the road tae the station an SW o the Main Road N-1.

==Crossroads==

The location o Salvatierra in the middle o a plain haes been a important crossroads as early as the Neolithic age, as evidencit bi the presence o twa important [[dolmen]]s aroond (see belaw). Scholars pinpoint the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] manor *Alba*, a milestane in the [[Ab Asturica Burdigalam|Astorga-Bordeaux]] Roman road (extendin wast tae east), in the nearbi veelage o Albeniz (some ithers point tae Salvatierra). The wey windin doun the pass (cave) o [[San Adrian (tunnel)|San Adrian]] intae the plains aroond Agurain that wis tae become the [[Wey o St. James]] evidences prehistoric traces o saional cattle migration, dolmens an burial moonds in the aurie. It wis uised bi Romans an aw an gained momentum efter the seizur o Gipuzkoa an Alava bi the Castilians.

The uise o the Wey of St. James lost grund tae new an mair convenient roads, like the ane built throu Salinas de Leniz in 1765, which pruivit mair practical for carriages, resultin in the transfer o the traffec tae the latter. The traffec gane trickle first an drain later brocht aboot some decay tae Salvatierra. Yet new communications wur bein built at the time: [[Vitoria-Gasteiz]] wis connectit tae the toun wi a new road in 1820, an on tae the corridor o Burunda. In 1862 the railwey connectin [[Madrid]] an [[Irun]] arrivit in the toun. Efter haein crossed the toun richt in the sooth entrance tae the Medieval Nucleus for decades, currently the main road E-5 A-1 (*Nacional I*) passes bi the toun wast tae east en route tae Fraunce.

==Leid==

The main leid o uise in Salvatierra is currently Spainyie an it haes been so for at least the last 150 years. Still in 1841, thare wis a interpreter required bi the toun cooncil for Basque speakin residents.
Housomeivver, nouadays younger generations that come oot o Basque-leid schuils (cried *ikastolas*) syne the 1970s mey speak an/or unnerstaund [[Basque leid|Basque]].

==Featurs==

* *San Juan* an *Santa Maria* kirks: Baith impressive kirks touer ower the toun. Due tae the fortifee'd natur o Agurain, baith kirks seal aff the toun sooth an north in a continuum wi the toun waws. Hence militar airchitectur mey be noticit (thick an stark waws, few windaes an ootwaird corridors perched on their waws for the sentries). Their current construction dates frae the period spanning the 14t tae early 16t hunderyear. They are baith made in late gothic style an distributit in three naves.
* Dolmen *Sorginetxe*: This dolmen north o Arrizala is no far frae anither ane, *Aizkomendi* (locatit north-east in the veelage o Eguilaz), which bears witness tae dolmen biggin activity in the Neolithic. These dolmens, uised as burial monuments, wur arguably situatit at crossroads. The aurie is no athoot tales o witches an spells (in step wi the dolmen's name: 'witch hoose'), especially as regards the cavern o Lezao.
* *Olbeas'' o San Juan: The present-day arcade slopin up sooth tae north goes back tae the 16t hunderyear (rebuilt efter the fire). The lang corridor glows wi picturesque chairm, wi some o its columns bein made o firth. A mercatplace is held thare ivery Tuesday syne the toun chairter wis grantit in 1256.

## References



## Freemit airtins
* SALVATIERRA/AGURAIN in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) Steid in Spainyie
* Tourist information about SALVATIERRA/AGURAIN by the regional Basque Government 
* Tourist information abot the Salvatierra Municipality an Destrict 
* Alternative point o view on toun issues  Steid in Spainyie