Elorrio

**Elorrio**, colloquially **Elorrixo** is a toun an municipality locatit in the province o Biscay, in the Basque Kintra, Spain. Elorrio is pairt o the *[[comarcas o Spain|comarca]]* o Durangaldea an haes a population o 7.117 inhabitants as o 2007 accordin tae the Spaingie Naitional Statistics Institute.

## Toponymy
In the Basque leid, *elorrio* is the wird for the reid fruit (haw) o the common hawthorn. The Basque wird *elorri* means "hawthorn". The coat o airms o the toun shows a hawthorn. Colloquially, the toun wis cried *Elorrixo* in Basque.

## History

The Argiñeta tombs that the day lee juist ootside the toun o Elorrio are baith pre-Christian an Christian (the earliest date o the latter is recordit as 893). In 1053, the San Agustín de Etxebarria monastery wis foondit, which in time wis renovatit an eventually became present-day kirk (a example o Gothic airchitectur). In 1356, Don Tello, Laird o Biscay, offeecially creatit Elorrio (throu a foondational charter) on the laund whaur the monastery stuid, as a means o creatin a toun tae defend his borders against invasion frae neebourin Gipuzkoa. In 1468 the toun wis the steid o a major battle atween warrin clan factions in the Basque Kintra (the Oñacinos an the Gamboinos). Housomeivver, incidents o this teep decreased, an atween the saxteent an the aichteent hunderyears, the toun's fortunes grew, gainin renoun for its airn-forges, an especially the production o lances. 

As a result o this economic expansion, a nummer o important biggins wur constructit (maistly durin the saxteent hunderyear) that are the day considered monuments o significant historical an airchitectural importance. In the nineteent an early twintiet hunderyears, Elorrio, awtho it remained a predominantly landwart toun, became a tourist destination, as fowk visitit the locality tae attend ane o its twa well-kent spas. Efter the Spaingie Ceevil War, Elorrio went throu a period o industrialization, wi a nummer o smaw, faimily firms an wirker cooperative enterprises emergin. In 1964, the whole toun wis the first ane in Biscay tae be declared a Centre o Historical an Airtistic Importance. Its population, which grew frae 3,500 in 1950 tae 8,000 in 1981, currently (2004 records) nummers juist ower 7,000 fowk.

## Geografie

Elorrio is locatit at the eastmaist point o Biscay, in the *comarca* o Durangaldea, northren Spain. It limits at north wi Berriz an Zaldibar at northwast wi Abadiño, at wast wi Atxondo, at east wi the province o Gipuzkoa an at sooth wi the province o Álava.

The toun is surroondit bi various muntains, such as Intxorta (797m) an Udalatx (1092m), an is traversed bi the Zumelegi river that, efter jynin the River Arrazola in Atxondo, goes on tae shape the Ibaizabal river.  

The toun is situatit 39 km frae the provincial caipital o Bilbao.

## Demographics

The Naitional Institute o Statistics estimates that the population o Elorrio wis 7,294 in 1 Januar 2013.

## Economy
The economy o the municipality is based on the industrial activity. Nanetheless, the fermin activities still hae relevance in the aurie. Maist of the landwart exploitations are based on beef an milk production an, in less nummers, the exploitation o pines.

The maist important economical activity in the aurie is the industry; Elorrio is hame for several industries o metal processin.

## Transport
The anerly mean o transport is bi road; the BI-634 road crosses the toun an connects it wi Durango, caipital ceety o the *comarca*, an Arrasate-Mondragón in the province of Gipuzkoa. In Durango the road connects wi the AP-8 heich-gate tae Bilbao an Donostia-San Sebastián while in Arrasate-Mondragón it connects tae the AP-1 heich-gate tae Eibar an Vitoria-Gasteiz. Frae Elorrio stairts the BI-2632 road tae Bergara an Elgeta (both in Gipuzkoa) an the BI-3321 road tae Berriz.

Twa lines o the Bizkaibus netwirk hae stations in Elorrio; the lines A3923 and A3914. Elorrio then haes buses tae Bilbao ivery oor an tae Durango an ither lesser municipalities ivery 30 minutes.

## Notable fowk

* Saunt Balendin Berrio-Otxoa (Valentín de Berrio-Ochoa in Spainyie), ane o the Vietnamese Martyrs, wis born in Elorrio in 1827. Ordained in 1851, he became a Dominican an wis later sent tae Manila an Tonkin as a missionar. At the age o thirty-ane, he wis namit a bishop, but wis later killed in Tonkin in 1861. He wis canonisit bi Pape John Paul II in 1988.

* José Antonio Ardanza, born in 1941, wis lehendakari or preses o the Basque Kintra, 1985-1999. He wis the CEO o Euskaltel, a Basque telecommunications company, till his retirement in 2011.

* Alejandro Goicoechea, born in 1895, wis the ingineer who developit wi José Luis Oriol the Talgo railwey vehicle. He dee'd in 1984.

* Anne Igartiburu, born in 1969, is a Spaingie TV presenter an actress.

## References

## External links
* ELORRIO in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) 
* Elorrio Official Website  In Basque and Spanish