The Fuero of Fuenterrabía
The fuero was granted by the conqueror of Guipúzcoa, Alfonso VIII, together with his wife Eleanor and their son Ferdinand, on April 18, 1203. Gorosabel reproduces the Latin text in his Historical Dictionary of Guipúzcoa, of which neither the original nor an early copy is currently preserved. The town council was granted the same status as San Sebastián and was given territories extending from the Oyarzun River to the Bidasoa, from Peña de Aya to the sea, from Lesaca and Belfa (Vera?) to the sea, Irún with all its inhabitants, and the port of Astuniaga, from which the king collected 500 maravedís. Guillermo de Lazón and his associates were designated as citizens, and the people of Hondarribia were exempted from all tolls throughout the kingdom.
Carta-Puebla of Fuenterrabía granted by Alfonso VIII (excerpt in Latin)
Praesentibus et futuris notum sit quod ego Alde fonsus Dei gratia rex Castellae et Toleti, una cum uxore mea Alionor et cum filio meo Ferdinando, dono et concedo vobis concilio de Fonterrabia praesente et futuro forum de Sancto Sebastiano perpetuo habendo...
Regarding the extent of the territories, Gorosabel comments:
From the context of King Alfonso VIII’s privilege, the jurisdictional territories granted to Fuenterrabía extended from west to east, from the Pasajes canal to the Bidasoa River. They therefore included the territories of Irún, Lezo, and Pasaje, in its eastern part, i.e., the San Juan neighborhood. Irún is explicitly mentioned in the privilege, as is Lezo, called Guillermo Lazon; the supposed associates or neighbors seem to be the inhabitants of Pasaje or its surroundings. As for the limits from south to north, Peña de Aya, Lesaca, and Belfa (probably Vera) to the sea, one might assume the Oyarzun valley was included, but this was not the case; at that time, the valley was independent of Fuenterrabía.
The fortification and repopulation of Hondarribia were motivated by Castilian royal convenience following the conquest of Guipúzcoa in 1200. A significant part of the population gathered around the castle and its fortifications, attracted by the advantages of the royal charter. Others preferred to continue farming or fishing, settling on the Magdalena sands. Since the Middle Ages, Fuenterrabía had three classes of inhabitants: farmers, merchants, and fishermen. The latter became known for their skill in whale fishing, a whale appearing on the town seal in 1295. Animals were spotted from a watchtower by a salaried atalayero from the council or the Confraternity of Saint Peter (14th century). Once warned, fishermen pursued the whale and butchered it on the shore. Residents inside the walls engaged in trade. One neighborhood still reflects this role: La Lonja, near the Puntal, where tolls were collected for goods crossing the Bidasoa or stored for export to or from Navarre. The goods were diverse: iron from Biscay and Guipúzcoa for Bidasoa forges, Navarrese agricultural products (oil, wool, grains, wood, wine), whale products, smaller fish, etc. The town therefore had two ports: Astuniaga as a refuge in storms, and the Puntal, a fully functioning commercial port.