The city vanished. Scarcely a single house remained standing. In a matter of days, thousands of soldiers perished—primarily among the assailants (English, Portuguese, Germans, Croats, and others), but also among the French who had occupied the city. Once a breach was forced into the walls—where the Bretxa market now stands—the invaders poured in, looting with savage abandon, slaughtering over a thousand inhabitants, and torturing those suspected of concealing wealth or jewels. No woman was spared; from young girls to elderly matrons, all who failed to escape across the rooftops were raped. After days of merciless destruction, they set fire to every last house.
Lord Lideroch, who led the troops on the ground and oversaw the week-long devastation of the city, was honored for his deeds. Meanwhile, the man who commanded the assault from his base in Hernani, the Duke of Wellington, is immortalized in grand equestrian statues in prominent locations across cities such as London and Manchester.
On the very day the city fell, the survivors gathered in Zubieta, a few kilometers from the smoldering ruins. In the Aizpurua farmhouse, they stood—“pale, emaciated, hollowed by grief”. Yet, amidst their desolation, they resolved to rebuild. The city would rise again, bearing the same names, preserving its ancient toponyms, encircled once more by protective walls. And so, it was done. Thus, the city was reborn. Every year, this tragedy is commemorated on August 31.
Today, January 20, thousands upon thousands of people will take to the streets, and around 30,000—two in every ten inhabitants—will do so with drums, echoing those once carried by the armies of that time. But today, they will drum not for war, but in celebration of their city’s resilience. It is a day of festivity, during which, for 24 hours, drums will resound, and the songs composed for the city (Donostia, in Basque; San Sebastian, in Spanish) by Raimundo Sarriegi will be sung joyfully. The city’s anthem ends with the phrase: “gu beti pozez, beti alai” (we always with joy, always happy).
Long is the list of cities that have been destroyed by war yet managed to rise again, flourishing once more with life. We do not forget those cities that have recently suffered devastation across various continents. We hope that, in time, they too will be reborn.
Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)