MONUMENTS

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Casco Histórico de Plentzia

No visit to Plentzia would be complete without a stroll through the narrow streets of its old quarter. Despite the profound changes the town has seen over the last hundred years, this area retains the unique charm so typical of historical enclaves.

Plentzia's old quarter comprises a host of different buildings combining old mariners' houses and historical buildings such as the church, the museum building (formerly the town hall), an old tower built by the Muxika-Butron family at the corner of Udaletxe Aldapa and Eleiz Enparantza, and large nineteenth century palacetes built by the local bourgeoisie. This combination of architectural styles makes the town particularly attractive and in the cobbled streets, visitors can trace an exciting historical past.

The town of Plentzia is of medieval origin. It was first settled in 1236 by the Lord of Biscay, Lope Diaz de Haro, (1214-1239) and in 1299, Lope's grandson, Don Diego López de Haro granted it a town charter. Founded in Gaminiz, the original layout consisted of three streets running parallel to the river (Barrenkale, Artekale and Goienkale), intersected by two transverse cantones or alleys (now Madalen Aldapa and Udaletxe Aldapa), running from the waterfront to the town centre, crowned by the church square. The entire town was surrounded by a wall with various gates (the exact number is not known), the only remnant of which is St. James' Arch in Eleiz Enparantza. The town was practically destroyed by two devastating fires in 1437 and at the end of the seventeenth century, leaving only the shell of the church, the Muxika-Butron Tower and part of the city walls (the latter subsequently destroyed).

It is still possible to make out the remains of the old medieval street plan, with the narrow plots of land. There are even some examples of the typical vegetable gardens behind houses - a feature which has almost completely disappeared from other towns in the province.

Contrary to what one might expect, the town's principal economic activity was not fishing-though this was also important in the early years-but coastal sea trade and shipbuilding. Local men also served on deep-sea vessels from other ports.