The most important festivity of the year in Irun has begun, “San Marciales”.

The Aurresku, the bonfire and Gatibu’s concert will be the main acts of the first day of the celebration. The natives of Irun will return to begin to the streets to live the beginning of the parties of San Pedro and San Marcial, which will start officially on June 23, 2009 at 20.00 hours, with the proclamation that there will read in the Town hall the journalist Lourdes Maldonado. A bit before this, at 19.00 hours, the traditional Tree of San Juan will be placed and at 19.30 hours, the giants will divide and pigheaded of Irungo Atsegiña and Bidasoako Txaranga, to encourage the streets before the official greeting at the expense of Maldonado, with which there will begin of more solemn form the celebration of San Pedro and San Marcial. From this moment they begin an endless number of activities that do not stop until July 1.

A bit of history

The parade of weapon that celebrates in Irun  called “Alarde” every June 30, day of San Marcial, the patron saint of the city, is the commemoration of the victory of the native troops on the Frenches during the dawn of June 30, 1522. The battle, which took place in Aldabe Irun’s Rock, formed a part of a series of French offensives which aim was to control the frontier zone of the Bidasoa.

France was trying to recover the Kingdom of Navarre conquered by Fernando I and annexed to the Wreath of Castilla. The French king, Francisco I, was not ready to resign the control that till then was supporting in Navarre, with this aim, the French troops, after a series of unsuccessful incursions they decided to surround the former kingdom, taking the fortress of the loyal troops to Castilla. The incursions began in October, 1521, but it was not until June 28, 1522 when an army of 4.500 mercenaries (labortanos and Germans) crossed the river Bidasoa and took positions in the mount that till then was known as Aldabe’s Rock, getting this name for an existing hamlet in the place. The following day, on June 29, day of San Pedro and San Paul, the German quota got hold of Gazteluzar’s fortress. Opposite to this aggression, the captains iruneses, Juan Perez de Azcue and Michael de Ambulodi, supervised by the troops, summoned all the eligible males for the war, only 400 men.

On the other hand, the role of the women and the children iruneses was fundamental. The clergyman of Renteria, Mosén Pedro of Hirizar, neighbor of the mentioned villa and that had the office of ” holder of bastimientos “, bought and distributed more than four hundred ” axes of wood ” among the women and the young boys of the city with the aim that they were walking, silently and with the axes burning, during a league, from the top of the Royal Way at the time, which was dividing the ways of Oiartzun and Renteria, up to Irun’s square, making believe to the enemy that the soldiers were assembled in Irun’s zone and not advancing was doing to Aldabe’s Rock.

While women and children were walking along the Royal Way, the troops, with the help of the General Captain of Gipuzkoa, Beltrán de la Cueva, who came to the battle with part of his infantry, 1.500 men, and 150 horses, were advancing slowly and secretly for the opposite side, surprising first to the forces labortanas that they were sleeping in the mount and then to the Germans in Gazteluzar. The German surviving soldiers ran to the meeting of the labortanos, ignoring the happened in Aldabe’s Rock, and were in turn depressed.

The ostentations of weapon have a medieval origin, was forming in this epoch escorts armed as special ornament in public ceremonies of civic - religious sign. The function of these armed, existing militias in the whole Europe, was it of honoring dates as the popular holidays, celebrated the days of San Juan Baptizer and San Pedro or that of the Corpus-Christi, among others. When after the wars Carlists eliminate the ordinances that were forcing to the ostentations of weapon, these they went on to the popular culture supporting the presence of troops of military character in celebrations and pilgrimages.

In the Basque Country, from the Middle Ages, in agreement with the jurisdictions that were governing the territory, every village had the faculty and the obligation to be organized militarily, forming a part of its statutory militias all the males in ages included between the 18 and 60 years. To come in defense of the territory they must be prepared militarily and have his armament ready for when his contest was needed; to such a purpose, from time to time and in notable dates, the males had to come with their weapons to the summons to train in its managing and to take part in the ostentation or parade that was celebrated. After the accomplishment of the ostentation of weapon there was sent certificate of the accomplishment of the same one to the Deputation, maxim responsible for the of Guipuzcoa weapon. Attending to this it makes clear that its origin in the ostentation of weapon of the day of San Pedro, civic, obligatory act, which was celebrated in the whole province. Therefore inside San Marcial’s Ostentation we find two differentiated acts: the magazine of weapon, of civic and obligatory character, and San Marcial’s procession with armed countrymen, a purely religious act of devotion, which already was realized in 1523, being Lope de Irigoyen, mayor of Irun, who took part in the battle of Aldabe’s Rock, the one who headed the first ostentation.

Therefore, though historically they could find references to the accomplishment of an ostentation of weapon in Irun before 1880 together with the fulfillment of the vote to San Marcial for the victory of 1522, everything seems to indicate that the stage posterior to the Second War Carlist (1872-1876) is the moment in which the first steps are begun to give for the evolution of these acts towards San Marcial’s Ostentation that today we know. For centuries the ostentation of weapon was celebrated the day of San Pedro, June 29, and to the díasiguiente San Marcial’s procession, being a 1804 the year of the unification of the ostentation and the vote emitted by the chapters ecclesiastically and secular, beginning a process of change in the festivity on having joined procession and ostentation in the same day.

Acts distinguished from the San Marciales 2009

On June 25, Thursday:

* At 22:00: In the fronton of the Street Santiago, Trikitixa’s Concert and Percussion at the expense of Txorimaloak Soinu Taldea. In case of badly time the activity will move to the AMAIA K.Z.
On June 26, Friday:

* At 18:30: In the fronton Uranzu, 57th Championship Kurpil Kirolak Ball to Hand Made keen organized by the Society of Ball Kurpil Kirolak. Free entry

* At 22:00: In the fronton of the Street Santiago, Dantza performance of the group Kemen Dantza Taldea. In case of badly time the activity will move to the AMAIA .KZ.

On June 27, Saturday:

* At 10:00: In the facilities of Wave Sagardotegia, Euskal Herriko Hitz Geziduen Txapelketa, organized by Xedera Hitza Jokoak, S.L.

* At 18:00: In the Anzaran’ square , performance of the Majorrettes de San Vicente de Paul, later they will cross diverse streets of the city.

* At 18:00: From the Plaza bulging Urdanibia of the Raise XXXIII Athletic to San Marcial organized by Bidasoa Atletiko Taldea.

* At 20:00: In the Amaia K.Z., Operetta, ” Giant and Pigheaded “, of M. F. Caballer organized by the Lyric Association Luis Mariano de Irun. Price of the entry: 24 € associates and 30 € not associates.

On June 28, Sunday:

* At 10:00: Exit from the facilities of the Sports Society Santiagotarrak of the Concentration II Popular Piragüismo’s and Oar.

* At 19:00: Exit from the square of San Juan of the Giants and Pigheaded of the Irungo Atsegiña and Bidasoako Txaranga accompanied by the fanfarre Irungo Atsegiña and Municipal Band of Txistularis. The streets will cross San Marcial, Sargia, Larretxipi, Plaza Urdanibia, Reedy Street, Santiago, Bidasoa, Avenue of You Go out, Fermín Calbetón keeps silent About Schools, Street, Street León de Iruretagoiena to finish in the square of San Juan

* To them 00:15 hours: From the Bidegorri of Santiago, Fireworks, at the expense of Pyrotechnics Paul.

On June 29, Monday:

* To them 08:00 hours: In diverse neighborhoods, traditional Diana de San Pedro, at the expense of the Band of Musical ” Irun’s City “.

* To them 08:00 hours: Reveille in diverse neighborhoods interpreted by Flageolet-players Uranzu.

* To them 09:30 hours: From the Walk of Colon, exit of the cycle race XC I Reward San Pedro - The Classic XVIIth Irun, category Elite and Sub-23, organized by the Cycle Club Irunés.

* At 10:30: Of the square of San Juan, exit in procession of the Municipal Corporation to the Church, accompanied by the Municipal Band of Txistularis, Band of Musical ” Irun’s City ” and Giants of the Irungo Atsegiña.

* At 12:00: To the exit of Mass and in the Small square of the Reed-bed, the Municipal Corporation will dance the Aurresku.

* At 12:30: In the Arkupes of the House Consistotrial, San’s Pedro Traditional Concert offered by the Band of Musical ” Irun’s City “.

* At 19:00: Exit from the square of San Juan of the Giants and Pigheaded of the Irungo Atsegiña and Bidasoako Txaranga accompanied by the fanfarre Irungo Atsegiña and Municipal Band of Txistularis.

* At 22:00: Rememoración of the Act of the Torches. Exit from the Ambulatory one of the Avda. Gipuzkoa, crossing: Artaleku, Major, San Juan, Prudence Arbide, Street Jesus, Larretxipi, Hermitage, Arbes’s Mill and Artia’s Bridge. Organized by Juvenile Pagoki Asociación.

On June 30, Tuesday:

*  At 06:00 hours: Diana de Villarrobledo.
* Beginning of the Ostentation San Marcial.

* At 12:00: In the mount San Marcial, fulfillment of the Secular Vote of the year 1522 for the Municipal Corporation.

* From 13:00: Mass in San Marcial’s Hermitage on July 01, Wednesday:

*At 08:00 hours: In the square of Urdanibia, contest of cattle organized by Irungo Euskal Kirolak.

* At 10:00: In the square of Urdanibia Trikitilaris.

* At 11:30: In the square of Urdanibia Bertsolaris.

* At 12:00: In the square Rural Urdanibia Deporte.

* At 18:00: In the fronton Uranzu, Departed from Professional Ball organized by Kurpil Kirolak

* At 18:00: In the square of Urdanibia, the XIXth Championship of the Bidasoa of Dance to them Free, organized for Meakako Adixkideak Dantza Taldea.

* At 22:00: Exit of the Fanfarres Jostallu, Elizatxo and Gauerdi.

* At 22:45: From the Bidegorri of Santiago, Fireworks at the expense of Pyrotechnics Zaragozana.

* At 24:00: From the square of Txanaleta, gone out of the Correcalle end of the festivity, which will cross the Walk of Colon, Street Jurisdictions, Major Street to finish in the Plaza San Juan, with the participation of the Fanfarres Jostallu and Elizatxo.