San Sebastian: History

The privileged position San Sebastian occupied, with its sheltered port, led to a very important maritime commerce. For this reason, ironworks and shipyards were established all along the Urumea river in order to build ships and meet the needs of the growing commerce that was developing. Donostiarrans also spent their time hunting the whales that appeared on the coasts nearby.

Due to the disputes between countries and the proximity of France, the city had to fortify itself, and so Mount Urgull was converted into a castle armed with artillery to defend the territory. Because of its geographic position, San Sebastián suffered numerous sieges, particularly during the 17th and 18th centuri

In 1808, San Sebastián was occupied by Napoleon's soldiers, which remained in the city until 1813. Anglo-Portuguese troops, commanded by the Duke of Wellington, fought against the French, seized the city and sacked and burned it. Few houses and buildings were saved and so the street in which this event took place was named 31 de Agosto Street, to remember the date when such sad events took place.

The surviving Donostiarrans, reunited on a farm in Zubieta, decided with great willpower and tenacity to rebuild the city. The present configuration of the Parte Vieja, "The Old Part", is the product of that decision.

In 1845 Queen Isabel II came to San Sebastián for the first time. The reason for coming was that she had a skin ailment, and her doctors had recommended salt water baths to treat it. Her presence inspired the Spanish Court and the aristocracy to come and spend the summer in the city, which began to grow little by little.

As a result of this expansion, San Sebastián became a pioneer in the installation of trams, electric street lighting and telephones. The city attracted visitors from all over the world, particularly in the early years of the 20th century, coinciding with the World War I and the "roaring 20's". Its demographic growth was quite accelerated: it went from having 20,823 inhabitants in 1880 to 65,930 in 1925.

After the civil war in the 1930's, industry boomed. As a result, the population increased and more houses were built. These were years of relatively uncontrolled development to provide a solution to the housing demand, which resulted in several unfortunate urban decisions.

San Sebastián continues to evolve. Its direction is to design a modern city on the threshold of the 21st century. Examples of these new initiatives are the Zurriola Beach, the Kursaal Center, the rehabilitation of The Old Part, the impulse given to housing in Amara-Osinaga, the Banks of Loiola, Intxaurrondo, Venta Berri and Aiete and the creation of technological parks and ample sport facilities.