Foral Organization.
It was one of the eighteen republics in which the Juntas Generales were to be held [F. de G., Title IV, Chap. I]. It had a seat in these and in the particular meetings in the seventh position to the right of the Corregidor and voted with fifty-eight hearths, including those of the particular head of the towns in its jurisdiction [F. de G., Title IX, Chap. III and IV]. By the mid-19th century, it had, together with Lezo, 31 hearths. This city was a fortified place with very strong walls, its bastions, and other large outer defenses and fortifications, well supplied with food stores and ammunition for its maintenance. It had a Royal Presidio for its protection at the Crown’s expense. Its security and preservation were entrusted by the king to the province, ordering it to keep it under its control, taking it away from Marshal D. García de Ayala who was in charge of it [F. de G., Title II, Chap. V]. By the mid-19th century, there was a fourth-class customs office there, with staff and a corps of public treasury carabiniers.
Municipal Organization.
There is no clear information about the original municipal government of Fuenterrabía, as it was founded under the fuero of San Sebastián. Gorosabel believes it should be inferred that it was similar to that city. The oldest known ordinances were those confirmed by the Catholic Monarchs (Burgos) on December 30, 1496; its Town Council consisted of two mayors, a provost, two senior jurors and four junior jurors, a faithful notary, and a syndic attorney. According to these ordinances, this number of councilors was to be maintained, with their election taking place on January 1 each year by four persons appointed by as many electors chosen by the one drawn by lot from among the mayors, provost, and senior jurors. New ordinances were drafted by Corregidor Licentiate Diego Ruiz de Lugo on May 9, 1530, and confirmed with some restrictions and modifications by Queen Joanna I in Ocaña on March 31, 1531. These consist of 170 chapters and deal with the election of councilors, their powers, supplies, distributions, inspection of weights and measures, salaries of employees, public hearings of the mayors, accounts of municipal property and taxes, and other points of municipal government, policing, and administration. These ordinances were altered regarding the method of electing councilors under the royal provision of October 13, 1597, according to which it was to be done by six electors drawn by lot among the participating residents. By another decree issued in Madrid on November 4, 1671, a city agreement was approved stipulating that the election of the treasurer should take place each year after that of the mayors, in the same manner. Everything changed with the general law of January 8, 1845, which regulated the government of the towns of Gipuzkoa. Other provisions concerning supplies, maintenance and wage taxes, levies, the presentation and examination of accounts, and other aspects of economic administration were likewise repealed by the same law and specific decrees. The municipal corporation of Fuenterrabía in 1860 consisted of a mayor, two deputy mayors, and nine councilors. Fifty-five farmhouses in the Jaizubia neighborhood, under the jurisdiction of this city, belong to the parish of Irún, and even militarily, they had to serve under this town’s banner, as d by a court ruling on September 1, 1618. Today, it is a municipality of the judicial district of San Sebastián.