Gernikako Arbola

{{Short description|Oak tree symbolising Biscayan Basque freedoms}} {{For|the namesake Basque anthem|Gernikako Arbola (anthem)}} {{more citations needed|date=September 2023}} [[Image:Arbre de Gernika.jpg|thumb|The "new tree"]] [[Image:Arbol de Gernika. Casa de Juntas de Gernika-Gernikako Batzarretxea. Gernika-Lumo, Vizcaya-Bizkaia..JPG|thumb|The trunk of the "Old Tree"]] '''''Gernikako Arbola''''' ('the Tree of Gernika' in [[Basque language|Basque]]) is an [[oak]] tree that symbolizes [[fuero|traditional freedoms]] for the [[Biscay]]an people, and by extension for the [[Basques|Basque people]] as a whole. It is located in [[Guernica (city)|Gernika]], Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. The [[Lord of Biscay|Lords of Biscay]] (including [[kings of Castile]] and [[Carlist]] pretenders to the throne) swore to respect the Biscayan liberties under it, and the modern [[Lehendakari]] of the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]] swears his charge there.

==Dynasty== In the Middle Ages, representatives of the villages of Biscay would hold assemblies under local big trees. As time passed, the role of separate assemblies was superseded by the Guernica Assembly in 1512, and its oak would acquire a symbolic meaning, with actual assemblies being held in a purpose-built hermitage-house (the current building dates from 1833). [[Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies|The Spanish regent Maria Christina]], accompanied by her infant daughter Queen [[Isabella II]], was the last Spanish monarch to swear an oath to the ''charters'' under the iconic oak in 1839.

The known specimens<ref name="ElMundoTrees">{{Cite news |date=26 February 2005 |title=OTRO ARBOL DE GERNIKA / Foto titulada. Arbol de Gernika. El lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe presidió ayer en la Casa de Juntas la plantación del nuevo roble |url=http://www.elmundo.es/papel/2005/02/26/espana/1761516.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050306120358/http://www.elmundo.es/papel/2005/02/26/espana/ |archive-date=2005-03-06 |work=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]] |department=ESPAÑA |publisher=Unidad Editorial, S.A. |page=20, col. 3 |id={{Factiva|MUNDO00020050226e12q0002j}}. [[Nexis Uni]] [https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn%3acontentItem%3a4FK1-68F0-01H9-G3TP-00000-00 {{small|4FK1-68F0-01H9-G3TP-00000-00}}].}}</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=April 2026|reason=This source only discusses the first 4 trees.}} form a dynasty: * "the father", planted in the 14th century, lasted 450 years * the "old tree" (1742–1892), re-planted in 1811. The trunk now is held in a templet in the surrounding garden. * the third (1858–2004), re-planted in 1860, survived the [[Bombing of Guernica]] in 1937 but had to be replaced because of a [[fungus]]. The gardeners of the Biscayan government keep several spare trees grown from the tree's acorns. * the fourth (1986–2015) was replanted on the site of its father on 25 February 2005. It died of a humidity related disease on 15 January 2015. * the fifth was planted in March 2015, aged 14.

The Tree of Gernika came to prominence during the First and Third Carlist Wars as a symbol of Basque liberties, with its renown and appreciation spreading throughout the Basque diaspora in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, thanks to the popularity of José María Iparragirre's namesake anthem. María Cristina of Savoy, regent during her daughter Isabel's minority in the First Carlist War, swore to uphold the Basque charters under the oak in 1839.

The tree's significance is illustrated by an event which occurred shortly after the Guernica bombings. When the Francoist troops took the town, the [[Tercio]] of [[Begoña]], formed by Carlist volunteers from Biscay, put an armed guard around the tree to protect it against their [[Falangism|Falangist]] allies, who had wanted to fell this symbol of Basque nationalism.<ref name="Martorell">{{Cite news |last=Martorell |first=Manuel |date=31 October 2005 |title=Del Burgo y la defensa del árbol de Gernika: El padre del diputado navarro ordenó a los requetés formar un cinturón en torno al roble que los falangistas querían cortar / Jaime del Burgo Torres y su proyección política |work=El Mundo - País Vasco |department=EUSKADI |page=11 |id={{Factiva|MNDOPV0020051031e1av00009}}.}} Reproduced as: {{Cite web |title=Del Burgo y el árbol de Gernika (2005) |url=https://eka.partidocarlista.org/del-burgo-y-el-arbol-de-gernika-2005/ |website=la Página web del Partido Carlista de Euskal Herria-E.K.A. |publisher=Euskal Herriko Karlista Alderdia [Basque Country Carlist Party]}}</ref> On 26 June 1950, [[Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma|Xavier of Bourbon-Parma]], Carlist claimant to the Spanish throne during Franco's dictatorial regime, swore the Basque charters in the Oak of Guernica.

An oak tree is depicted on the heraldic arms of Biscay and subsequently on the arms of many of the towns of Biscay. An oak leaf logo is used by the local government of Biscay. The logo of the Basque nationalist party [[Eusko Alkartasuna]] has one half red and the other green, the colors of the Basque flag. An old version of the logo of the Basque nationalist youth organisation [[Batasuna|Jarrai]] also display oak leaves. The Basque authorities present descendants of the tree as a symbol of friendship to Basque diaspora groups and related cities.

{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- | align="center" | [[File:Bizkaikoarmarri.svg|150px]] | align="center" | [[File:Escudo de Gernika Lumo.svg|150px]] | align="center" | [[File:Ehu logo.svg|200px]] | align="center" | [[File:Athletic Club crest 1922.png|150px]] |- | Arms of Biscay | The coat of arms of [[Guernica|Gernika-Lumo]] | The logo of the [[University of the Basque Country]], with [[Eduardo Chillida]]'s interpretation of the oak | An early version of football club [[Athletic Bilbao]]'s crest with the tree and city icons |- |}

[[Image:Escudo del Pais Vasco.svg|thumb|The oak leaves and acorns around the [[Coat of arms of Basque Country (autonomous community)|coat of arms of the Basque Country]] are another reference to the tree.]]

==Other ''fuero'' trees in Biscay== *{{ill|Árbol Malato|es}} in [[Luiaondo]], another tree of special significance for the Basques. *The [[Abellaneda]] oak for the [[Encartaciones]] Juntas. *The [[Gerediaga]] oak for the [[Duranguesado|Durango area]]. *The [[Aretxabalagana]] oak, where Biscaynes had to receive their lord when he came to put his oath on the [[fuero]] under the Gernika oak.

==See also== * [[Upstalsboom]], the meeting place of the Frisians and symbol of the [[Frisian freedom]]. * [[List of individual trees]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== {{commons category}} *''[[Auñamendi Encyclopedia|Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia]]'', section "Gernika-Lumo": [https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/eu/gernika-lumo/ar-57197/ "Folklorea: Gernikako Zuhaitza"] {{In lang|eu}} or [https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/es/gernika-lumo/ar-57197-143187/#40853 "Folklore: Árbol de Gernika"] {{In lang|es}} ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806022551/http://www.euskomedia.org/aunamendi/57197?idi=en&regs=10&pos=21&epi=40853#mrc12}}) * {{Cite web |date=21 May 2020 |title=El árbol que fue un parlamento. Casa de Juntas de Gernika |url=https://turismo.euskadi.eus/es/top-viajes/el-arbol-que-fue-un-parlamento-casa-de-juntas-de-gernika/webtur00-exptop/es/ |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=Turismo Euskadi - Turismo en Euskadi, País Vasco |publisher=Eusko Jaurlaritza - Gobierno Vasco |language=es}} *{{Cite web |title=The tree of Gernika |url=https://jjggbizkaia.eus/en/seats/the-tree-of-gernika |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=General Assemblies of Bizkaia |publisher=Bizkaiko Batzar Nagusiak-Juntas Generales de Bizkaia |language=en-US |department=Find out about us : Seats : Gernika Assembly Hall}} *{{Cite AV media |title=L'arbre de Guernica |date=1975 |last=Arrabal |first=Fernando  |author-link=Fernando Arrabal |last2=Cinieri |first2=Francesco  |type=Surrealist film |language=fr |publisher=Babylone Films; Ci-Le Films; Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld; Luso Films |trans-title=The Guernica Tree / The Tree of Guernica |id=[[IMDb]] [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072656 tt0072656].}} * {{Cite book |last=HadžiMuhamedović |first=Safet  |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781000182989 |title=Living Beings: Perspectives on Interspecies Engagements |date=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic / Routledge |editor-last=Dransart |editor-first=Penelope |series=ASA (Association of Social Anthropologists of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth) Monographs |at=Chapter 4 |language=en |chapter=The Tree of Gernika: Political Poetics of Rootedness and Belonging |doi=10.4324/9781003085881-4 |lccn=2013035918 |id={{ISBN|978-1-003-08588-1}} (eBook), {{ISBNT|978-0-8578-5841-2}} (hbk), {{ISBNT|978-0-8578-5842-9}} (pbk) |orig-date=eBook Published: 2 June 2020 |chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003085881-4/tree-gernika-political-poetics-rootedness-belonging-safet-had%C5%BEimuhamedovi%C4%87}}

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[[Category:Individual oak trees]] [[Category:History of the Basques]] [[Category:Guernica]] [[Category:Individual trees in Spain]] [[Category:Trees in culture]] [[Category:Basque symbols]]