Zaldibar
Encyclopedia
Zaldibar is an elizate
, town and municipality
located in the province of Biscay
, in the Basque Country
, Spain
. Zaldibar is part of the comarca
of Durangaldea
and has a population of 2,876 inhabitants as of 2006 and according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute
.
as "horse valley", from zaldi (horse) and ibar (valley). The coat of arms of the town then includes a horse. Zaldívar is the name in Spanish
. However, the town was named Zaldua (Basque) or Zaldúa (Spanish) until 1932. Zaldua is then translated from Basque to Spanish as "el soto
", which might be referred to a sotobosque, Spanish word for understory
. "Valley of the Soto" is then another possible origin of the current name.
Currently, Zaldua is considered an archaism
and it is not used, being since 1980 Zaldibar the official name of the municipality.
of Zaldua, today Zaldibar, was part of the ancient merindad of Durango and had voice and right to vote in the Juntas of Guerendiaga, where it occupied the seat number seven. As it is common with the elizates, the original date of founding is unknown. The tradition tells that the Navarre king
Sancho II of Pamplona
(935
-994
) lived ten years in on of the towers of Zaldibar as a prisoner. The owners of the forementioned tower controlled several territories of what today is Zaldibar. There are historical data that places the construction of the San Andres church (the church of the town) in the 13th Century
. The church was reconstructed in 1778 from previous damage.
of Durangaldea
and the province of Biscay
. It borders at south with the municipality of Elorrio
, at west with Berriz
, at north with Mallabia
and Ermua
and at east with the province of Gipuzkoa.
river in Abadiño
. The river is joined by several small streams as the Solozabal and Agirre-Sakona. The oriental part of the municipality is crossed by the Ego river, which joins the Deba river in Eibar
.
highway also crosses the municipality but cannot be accessed from it; the nearest accesses are in Durango and Ermua
. Both roads connect Zaldibar with the rest of Biscay
(and its capital, Bilbao
) and the province of Gipuzkoa (and its capital, Donostia).
Zaldibar has a station of the narrow-gauge regional railways, Euskotren
, which connects the town with other major municipalities and cities like Bilbao
, Amorebieta-Etxano
, Durango, Eibar
, Donostia and Hendaye
.
Elizate
Elizate is a Basque term that refers to an early form of local government in the Basque Country which was particularly common in Biscay but also existed in the other provinces. It literally translates as "church door"...
, town and municipality
Municipalities of Spain
The municipalities of Spain In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. municipi.*Galician or , sing. municipio/bisbarra.*Basque , sing. udalerria. are the basic level of Spanish local government...
located in the province of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Zaldibar is part of the comarca
Comarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
of Durangaldea
Durangaldea
Durangaldea is a comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas or regions that compose the province of Biscay. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango.- Geography :...
and has a population of 2,876 inhabitants as of 2006 and according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
.
Toponymy
Zaldibar can be translated from BasqueBasque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
as "horse valley", from zaldi (horse) and ibar (valley). The coat of arms of the town then includes a horse. Zaldívar is the name in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. However, the town was named Zaldua (Basque) or Zaldúa (Spanish) until 1932. Zaldua is then translated from Basque to Spanish as "el soto
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
", which might be referred to a sotobosque, Spanish word for understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
. "Valley of the Soto" is then another possible origin of the current name.
Currently, Zaldua is considered an archaism
Archaism
In language, an archaism is the use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current. This can either be done deliberately or as part of a specific jargon or formula...
and it is not used, being since 1980 Zaldibar the official name of the municipality.
History
The elizateElizate
Elizate is a Basque term that refers to an early form of local government in the Basque Country which was particularly common in Biscay but also existed in the other provinces. It literally translates as "church door"...
of Zaldua, today Zaldibar, was part of the ancient merindad of Durango and had voice and right to vote in the Juntas of Guerendiaga, where it occupied the seat number seven. As it is common with the elizates, the original date of founding is unknown. The tradition tells that the Navarre king
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
Sancho II of Pamplona
Sancho II of Pamplona
Sancho II Garcés Abarca was King of Pamplona from 970 until his death. He was the son of García Sánchez I and Andregota, daughter of Galindo Aznárez II, Count of Aragon...
(935
935
Year 935 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* A third attempt to conquer Egypt by the Tunisia-based Shi'ite Fatimid dynasty fails....
-994
994
Year 994 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Sweyn Forkbeard marries Sigrid the Haughty.* Otto III reaches his majority and begins to rule Germany in his own right....
) lived ten years in on of the towers of Zaldibar as a prisoner. The owners of the forementioned tower controlled several territories of what today is Zaldibar. There are historical data that places the construction of the San Andres church (the church of the town) in the 13th Century
13th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 through 1300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era...
. The church was reconstructed in 1778 from previous damage.
Geography
The municipality of Zaldibar is located in the southeastern part of the comarcaComarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
of Durangaldea
Durangaldea
Durangaldea is a comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas or regions that compose the province of Biscay. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango.- Geography :...
and the province of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
. It borders at south with the municipality of Elorrio
Elorrio
Elorrio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain.-Geography:...
, at west with Berriz
Berriz
Berriz is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, northern Spain...
, at north with Mallabia
Mallabia
Mallabia is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, northern Spain...
and Ermua
Ermua
Ermua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* * *...
and at east with the province of Gipuzkoa.
Hidrography
The main river of the town is the Zaldu or Zalduerreka, which joins the IbaizabalIbaizabal
The river Ibaizabal drains southeastern Biscay to the Estuary of Bilbao. It is 43 km long from its source at Elorrio to the Nervion, and it passes by the towns of Durango and Amorebieta and joins the Nervion river at Basauri. Both rivers run then together for a short length until they merge...
river in Abadiño
Abadiño
Abadiño is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain, about 35 km from the provincial capital of Bilbao....
. The river is joined by several small streams as the Solozabal and Agirre-Sakona. The oriental part of the municipality is crossed by the Ego river, which joins the Deba river in Eibar
Éibar
Eibar is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346...
.
Transports
The main road communication of Zaldibar is the N-634 which crosses the town from east to west. The AP-8Autopista AP-8
The Autopista AP-8 is a highway in the north of Spain and crosses the Basque Country from east to west. It is known as the Autopista del Cantábrico and connects the French Border with Bilbao...
highway also crosses the municipality but cannot be accessed from it; the nearest accesses are in Durango and Ermua
Ermua
Ermua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* * *...
. Both roads connect Zaldibar with the rest of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
(and its capital, Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
) and the province of Gipuzkoa (and its capital, Donostia).
Zaldibar has a station of the narrow-gauge regional railways, Euskotren
EuskoTren
EuskoTren is a commuter rail service which operates in the Basque Country provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos...
, which connects the town with other major municipalities and cities like Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, Amorebieta-Etxano
Amorebieta-Etxano
Amorebieta-Etxano or Zornotza are two different names for the same town and municipality located in Biscay in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain. Athletic Bilbao defender Xabier Etxeita was born in Zornotza, as is Beñat Intxausti, a professional cyclist.-External links:*...
, Durango, Eibar
Éibar
Eibar is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346...
, Donostia and Hendaye
Hendaye
Hendaye is the most south-westerly town and commune in France, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and located in the traditional province Lapurdi of the French Basque Country...
.