Elgoibar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elgoibar
Town hall of Elgoibar
Flag Coat of arms
Elgoibar Location in Basque Country Show map of Basque Country Elgoibar Location in Spain Show map of Spain
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Basque Country
Province	Gipuzkoa
Comarca	Debabarrena
Area
• Land	39.11 km2 (15.10 sq mi)
Population  (2018)
• Total	11,582
• Density	292.46/km2 (757.5/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	20870
Area code(s)	34 (Spain) + 943 (Gipuzkoa)

Elgoibar (Spanish: Elgóibar) is an interesting industrial town in northern Spain. It's located in the Basque Country, a special region with its own culture and language. The town is found in a valley, with the Deba River flowing right through it.

Elgoibar is often called the "capital city of the Machine tool". This means it's a very important place for making machines that build other things!

The town wasn't always called Elgoibar. It was first named Villamayor de Marquina. But it was built in an area known as the "Elgoibar field." Over a few centuries, people started calling the town by the name of the field. By the mid-1400s, official documents began using "Elgoibar," and that name has stuck ever since.

The name Elgoibar comes from the Basque language. It likely combines elge, meaning "field" (especially a farmed one), and ibar, which means "valley" or "plain." So, "elge ibar" could mean something like "cultivated field valley." This fits perfectly with the idea of the "Elgoibar field" where the town was founded.

Elgoibar's Economy: A Hub for Machine Tools

Elgoibar has always been a place for industry. From its very beginning, making things was important here. Even kings were interested in the town's iron production and mining for valuable minerals like gold and silver.

Over time, this early industry grew. It changed into a network of factories that make "machine tools." These are special machines used to create parts for other machines. This is why Elgoibar earned its nickname as the "capital city of the Machine Tool."

Top Companies in Elgoibar

Many important companies are based in Elgoibar. Here are some of the main ones that employ at least 50 people:

• Alcorta Brockhaus, S.A.: This company makes strong forged steel parts, especially for cars.
• AVS Added Value Solutions: They design and build equipment for scientific research and the machine tool industry.
• Bernardo Ecenarro, S.A.: This company creates paints and special coatings, often used in the automotive industry.
• Doimak: They specialize in making "rectifier machines," which are used to finish metal surfaces very precisely.
• Engranajes Grindel, S.A.: This company focuses on manufacturing gears, which are essential parts in many machines.
• Etxe-Tar, S.A.: Another key player in the machine tool industry, making important machinery.

Local Festivities: Celebrating in Elgoibar

Church of San Bartolomé, Elgoibar

Elgoibar loves to celebrate! The town has special festivals for its patron saints, San Bartolome and San Anton. San Anton is actually considered the town's main patron.

Besides these, Elgoibar also joins in bigger regional or country-wide celebrations. These include San Blas, Carnivals, and the Eve of St. Agatha. There's also a cattle fair on the last Saturday of every month, with a very special one on the last Saturday of the year, called Gabon Zahar Feria.

Here are some of the main festivities:

• San Anton Festivity: Celebrated on January 17th.
• San Bartolome: The patron saint of Elgoibar, honored on August 23rd.
• San Juan Festivity: Celebrated on June 23rd.

Local Traditional folk dance members in front of Elgoibar City Hall

Smaller celebrations also take place in the rural areas and at local chapels. An example is the pilgrimage on Santiago Sargoate day.

Sports in Elgoibar

Elgoibar is also a place for sports! For example, the first stage of the 2024 Tour of the Basque Country, a famous cycling race, finished in Elgoibar on May 10th.

Notable People from Elgoibar

Many interesting people have come from Elgoibar, contributing to different fields.

Explorers and Governors

• Martín Íñiguez de Carquizano (?-1527): A sailor who was part of an important expedition led by García Jofre de Loaisa.
• Gabriel de Crucelegui (1635-1689): He served as a governor in the Philippines.

Religious Figures

• Domingo de Alzola (16th century): He became an archbishop in Guadalajara.
• Francisco Aguirre (1863-1941): A missionary priest who worked in China.

Industry Leaders

• Eulogio Estarta (1891-1955): An important industrialist who founded the local company "SIGMA."
• Bernando Ecenarro (1873-1956): Another key industrialist from Elgoibar.

Writers and Journalists

• Pedro Miguel Urruzuno (1844-1923): A priest and a writer who wrote in the Basque language.
• Jasone Osoro (1971): A journalist and a Basque writer.
• Gotzon Garate (1934-2008): A Basque writer, philosopher, and expert in languages, who was also a Jesuit.
• Hasier Etxeberria (1957): A journalist and writer, known for hosting the TV show Sautrela on ETB.
• Uxue Alberdi (1984): A journalist, writer, and a talented improviser of Basque poetry.

Pelota Players

Pelota is a traditional Basque sport, and Elgoibar has produced some great players:

• Roque Echave, known as Echave II (1938)
• Ignacio Cortabitarte (1912-1998)
• Javier Arriola Lizarralde, known as Arriola IV

Football Players

Elgoibar has also been home to many talented football players:

• José Luis González (1964): A goalkeeper who played for teams like Real Sociedad and Valencia C.F.
• Tiburcio Beristain (1904-1959): A football player.
• Fernando Ansola (1940-1986): An international football player who played for teams like Real Oviedo, Real Betis, Valencia C.F, and Real Sociedad.
• Juan Cruz Sol (1947): An international footballer who played for Real Madrid and Valencia CF.
• Markel Bergara (1986): A football player who played for Real Sociedad.
• Ricardo Suarez (1923-2008): A football player for teams like Real Sociedad and Granada C.F.
• Joseba Etxeberria (1977): An international football player who played for Real Sociedad and Athletic Club.
• Itziar Gurrutxaga (1977): An international football player who played for Athletic Club EFT.
• Zuhaitz Gurrutxaga (1980): A football player who played for Real Sociedad.
• Elisabeth Ibarra (1981): An international football player who played for Athletic Club EFT.

Other Sports Stars

• Juan Muguerza (1900-1937): A well-known athlete.
• Jose Maria Benavides (1945): A yachtsman who was Spanish champion 11 times and an Olympic winner twice.

Bullfighter

• Luis Mazzantini (1856-1926): A famous bullfighter.

Politicians

• Jaime Arrese (1936-1980): He was the Mayor of Elgoibar in the 1970s.
• Francisco Javier Ansuategui (1937): A conservative politician.
• Arnaldo Otegi (1958): A Basque nationalist politician and the General Secretary of the Basque nationalist party EH Bildu.

Images for kids

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  Panoramic view of Elgoibar

See also

In Spanish: Elgóibar para niños