Álava

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Álava (IPA: [ˈalaβa] in Spanish) or Araba (Basque pronunciation: [aˈɾaba]), officially Araba/Álava,^[1] is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see.

Its capital city,

It is the largest of the three provinces in the Basque Autonomous Community in geographical terms, with 3,037 km²,^[3] but also the least populated with 331,700 inhabitants (2019).

Etymology

Built around the Roman mansion Alba located on the road

Álava is an inland territory and features a largely transitional climate between the humid, Atlantic neighbouring northern provinces and the dry and warmer lands south of the Ebro River. According to the relief and landscape characteristics, the territory is divided into five main zones:

• The Gorbea Foothills: Green hilly landscape.
• The Valleys: Low valleys, drier, sparsely populated.
• The Plains: Heartland of Álava comprising Vitoria and Salvatierra-Agurain, with a central urban area and crop landscape prevailing around and bounded south and north by the Basque Mountains.
• The Alavese Mountains: High altitude and forested.
• The
  Rioja denominación de origen
  .
• Ayala: The area clustering around the Nervión River, with Amurrio and Laudio as its major towns. The region shows close bonds with Bilbao and Biscaye and an industrial landscape.

Unlike Biscay and Gipuzkoa, but for Ayala and Aramaio, the waters of Álava pour into the Ebro and hence to the Mediterranean by means of two main waterways, i.e. the Zadorra (main axis of Álava) and Bayas Rivers. In addition, the Zadorra Reservoir System harvests a big quantity of waters that supply not only the capital city but other major Basque towns and cities too, like Bilbao.

While in 1950 agriculture and farming shaped the landscape of the territory (42.4% of the working force vs 30.5% in industry and construction), the trend shifted gradually during the 60s and 70s on the grounds of a growing industrial activity in the Alavese Plains (Llanada Alavesa), with the main focus lying on the industrial estates of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Gamarra, Betoño and Ali Gobeo) and, to a lesser extent,

Demography and rural landscape

Agurain/Salvatierra; Vitoria-Gasteiz; Zuia

.

A 2021 sociolinguistic survey found that 22.4% of the adult population spoke Basque, an increase of six percentage points since 2011.[6] Population development The historical population is given in the following chart:

Most populated municipalities (2021) Position Municipality Inhabitants 1st Vitoria-Gasteiz 253,093 2nd Llodio 18,009 3nd Amurrio 10,307 4th Agurain 5,029 5th Iruña Oka 3,468 6th Oion 3,418 7th Aiara 2,951 8th Dulantzi 2,925 9th Zuia 2,318 10th Legutio 1,993 11th Artziniega 1,809 12th Zigoitia 1,802 13th Asparrena 1,633 14th Labastida 1,532 15th Laguardia 1,464

List of rulers (modern Spanish names) :

• Eylo, up to 866
• count of Castile
• Vela Jiménez 870–c. 887
• Munio Velaz
  c. 887–c. 921
• Álvaro Herraméliz c. 921–931, also count of Cerezo and Lantarón
• Fernán González
  931–970, also count of Castile, Álava feudatary of Castile until 1030
• García Fernández 970–995
• Munio González 1030–1043
• Fortunio Íñiguez 1043–1046
• Munio Muñoz (co-lord) 1046–1060, Álava feudatary of Navarre, 1046–1085
• Sancho Maceratiz (co-lord) 1046–1060
• Ramiro 1060–1075
• Marcelo 1075–1085
• Lope Íñiguez 1085–?, Álava feudatary of Castile until 1123
• Lope Díaz the White ?–1093
• Lope González 1093–1099
• Lope Sánchez 1099–1114
• Diego López I
  1114–1123
• Ladrón Íñiguez 1123–1158, Álava feudatary of Navarre until 1199
• Vela Ladrón 1158–1175
• Juan Velaz
  1175–1181
• Diego López II 1181–1187
• Íñigo de Oriz 1187–1199
• Diego López de Haro I
  1199–1214, Álava feudatary of Castile until personal union of 1332
• Lope Diaz de Haro I 1214–1240
• Nuño González de Lara 1240–1252
• Diego López de Haro II
  1252–1274
• Fernando de la Cerda 1274–1280
• Lope Díaz II de Haro 1280–1288
• Juan Alonso de Haro 1288–1310
• Diego López de Salcedo 1310–1332

The title is attributed to the Castilian kings after 1332.

Ecclesiastical history

Bishopric

The Arab invasion of the

• Bivere or Aivere (before 871 – after 876)
• Álvaro (c. 881 – c. 888)
• Munio I (937/956 – 971)
• ? Julián (?–984)
• Munio II (984–989)
• García I (996 – c. 1021)
• Munio III (c. 1024 – c. 1030)
• García II (1037 – 1053/1055)
• Fortún [Fortuño] I (1054/1055)
• Vela (1056–1062)
• Munio IV (1062 – c. 1065)
• Fortún II (c. 1067 – 1088)[7]

Titular see

No longer a residential bishopric, Álava is today listed by the

It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank:^[8]

• Stanisław Smolenski (1970/01/14 – death 2006/08/08) as
  Kraków
  (Poland) (1970.01.14 – 1992.02.01) and on emeritate
• Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa (2008.02.05 – 2010.08.24) as Auxiliary Bishop of Bilbao (Basque Spain) (2008.02.05 – 2010.08.24); later succeeded Bishop of Bilbao (2010.08.24 – ...)
• Nelson Francelino Ferreira (2010.11.24 – 2014.02.12) as Auxiliary Bishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (2010.11.24 – 2014.02.12); later Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (2014.02.12 – ...)
• Carlos Lema Garcia (2014.04.30 – ...), as Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo (Brazil)

Spanish Civil War

At the start of the Spanish Civil War Álava and Vitoria were easily captured by the rebel Nationalists led by General Angel García Benítez, assisted by Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega.^[10] Vitoria was captured on 19 July 1936.^[11] In November 1936 an attempt by Republicans to retake Vitoria was thwarted after being spotted by Nationalist reconnaissance aircraft.^[12] The 1937 Nationalist campaign in Vizcaya was supported by 80 German aircraft based at Vitoria,^[13] where the Condor Legion fighter wing was concentrated.^[14]

See also

• List of municipalities in Álava

Footnotes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Álava-Araba.