New Getaria Town Hall

Getaria Town Hall: A Symbol of History and Art

The current Getaria Town Hall, inaugurated in 1919 by King Alfonso XIII, stands as an emblem of the town's rich history and heritage. Built in 1918 to commemorate the Fourth Centenary of the First Round the World Race, this building not only fulfils administrative functions, but also celebrates Getaria's maritime heritage.

Designed in neo-Basque style, the Town Hall has a rectangular floor plan with three free-standing façades and a rear façade that integrates with the old town hall. Its hipped roof and the layout of its architectural elements reflect the elegance and solidity characteristic of the town halls of the time.

The main façade consists of a ground floor, first floor and attic. On the ground floor, masonry dominates, while ashlar stonework stands out at the corners and frames the openings on the upper levels. The imposing entrance with a bell-shaped arch supported by Doric columns, which leads to a large overhanging balcony on the first floor, stands out. The whole is crowned with an arcade of seven semicircular arches, giving the building a stately air.

An Interior Rich in Art and Historical Memory

The interior of the Town Hall houses valuable works of art, including original sketches by Ignacio Zuloaga, Elías Salaverría and Pablo Uranga, created to commemorate the heroic deed of Juan Sebastián Elcano. Presiding over the Plenary Hall of the Town Hall is an impressive drawing of Elcano signed by Zuloaga.

Two paintings of great historical relevance are also on display:

  • A work by Elías Salaverría depicting the landing of Elcano and the 17 sailors who completed the first circumnavigation of the planet.
  • A painting by Pablo Uranga illustrating Elcano's second expedition, during which the navigator died in the Moluccas Islands in 1526.

Visitors can also admire a hypothetical model of the nao Victoria, offering a detailed view of the ship that changed history.

The Getaria Town Hall is, without a doubt, an essential visit for those who wish to delve into the historical and artistic legacy of this fishing town.

The Old Town Hall of Getaria

The Old Town Hall of Getaria is a neoclassical building from the late 18th century, located on Calle Mayor, next to the current town hall, in the heart of the historic center.

This building was part of Getaria’s monumental ensemble. It has a rectangular floor plan, with three of its facades exposed and the rear one sharing a wall with the current Town Hall. Its austere sandstone ashlar facade is only adorned by the window frames, the double-arched portico on the ground floor (now partially closed), and the town's coat of arms on the first floor.

Getaria’s coat of arms features a harpooned whale, a symbol of the importance of whaling for this port, as well as for many other Basque towns, throughout the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. Recent excavations in Getaria’s historic center have revealed that its inhabitants practiced whaling as early as the 11th century.

Today, the Old Town Hall stands as a testimony to Getaria’s historical and architectural heritage, offering visitors an insight into neoclassicism and the town’s municipal history.