The Walled Borough
The urban center of the walled population consists of a main street that runs from the Santa María arch to the fortified church, along with a network of fairly regular cross streets. The old parade ground was located at the highest point of the city. The main streets were Mayor, Pampinot, Chapitel or San Nicolás, Fuentes, and Tiendas. Its structure and buildings date from the modern age, although the location has hardly changed since the Middle Ages. The steep Mayor Street stands out for its traditional character and is the scene of the famous processions and the alarde. However, the most important street in the Middle Ages was not Mayor Street but San Nicolás or Chapitel, which Mayor Street replaced after the opening of the Santa María gate in 1516. Solid Renaissance houses were built along the new street in stone rather than wood, with beautiful coats of arms on the façades. The streets Tiendas, Platerías, and Carnicería reveal their guild and commercial origins. By decree of July 4, 1963, the historic center of the city and its area of influence were d a national historic-artistic monument.
The City in the Mid-19th Century
D. Florentino Portu, secretary of the city council for fifty years, described it as follows:
“The city’s area, enclosed by its walls, measured about 2,000 paces and was surrounded on the north, west, and part of the south by a wide moat, and defended on the east and south by the Bidasoa estuary. Of all its fortifications, although it was always a garrison town, only one bastion remained, entirely destroyed by mines, two towers badly damaged for the same reason, long stretches of walls, and the strong house or palace of Emperor Charles V. The number of houses in the city proper was 129, almost all two-story and fairly regular in construction and interior layout…”
(The text continues with detailed descriptions of neighborhoods, houses, squares, and fortifications.)
Expansions
These were created by reclaiming marshes and sandbanks from the sea. Major works took place at the end of the 19th century. The streets Faro, Butrón, Matxin de Arsu, Vélez, Domingo Eguía, and Almirante Alonso were laid out over the 16,625 m² gained by building seawalls. In 1907, the construction of the breakwater began, and villas were erected along the seafront up to Cape Higuer.
The Beach
One of the deepest in Gipuzkoa, it was equipped with a breakwater, later converted into a picturesque tree-lined promenade with rocks, bathers, and fishermen.
The Walls
The fortifications known in Hondarribia date from after the construction of the early medieval castle, conquered by the King of Castile in 1200. After passing to the Castilian Crown, the town became a border stronghold, first with the English crown, then from the 15th century with France. The modern remodeling of the walls occurred in the following century, with the Catholic Monarchs and Emperor Charles V. The walls were enlarged and perfected, reaching 70 feet high and 32 feet wide, with bastions and towers. In the early 17th century, the fortification elements were: Bastion of Magdalena, Bastion of Leiva, Bastion of the Queen, Bastion of Santa María, Bastion of San Felipe, and Bastion of Santiago. The main entrance was through the Santa María gate, displaying the city’s coat of arms, and via the San Nicolás gate. The eastern section, where the fortified church and castle are located, was protected by the Bidasoa estuary. During the War of the Convention, the French army blew up much of the eastern walls, which they considered a threat. The city council ordered partial demolition on November 29, 1854, and in 1885 established the paseo de las murallas, now a tree-lined promenade with villas, gardens, and roads.