Donostia

Camino Vasco del Interior

Gipuzkoa · GuipúzcoaPaís Vasco / Euskadi · País Vasco

Transparent Basque toponym. Donostia, from the Basque Don ('lord', from the Latin dominus) plus Ostia (Sebastian), designates 'Saint Sebastian' as dedication of the martyr saint. The Castilian form San Sebastián coexists with the Basque as co-official denomination since 1980.

The town's foundation dates from 1180 by Sancho VI the Wise of Navarre as free port; it passed to the Castilian Crown in 1200 after Alfonso VIII's conquest of Gipuzkoa. It has been capital of Gipuzkoa since 1854. Its gastronomy and historical centre make it a major tourist destination of the Cantabrian.

Evolution of the name

  1. Sancti Sebastiani Christian Latin 5th–12th centuries
  2. Donostia medieval Basque from the 12th century

Reflections, to the letter

Donostia is San Sebastian: the Roman martyr bound and shot through with arrows. Look up at the portal of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro in the old town and you will find him carved in the upper niche, pierced by arrows between two angels. The saint who gives the city its name waits in the stone for whoever knows to look.

Languages of origin

Themes

Origin status

confirmed

Glossary

Basque-Castilian co-officiality
Linguistic regime of the Basque Country established by the 1979 Statute of Autonomy that recognises Basque and Castilian as official languages. The double official signage of toponyms (Donostia-San Sebastián, Bilbo-Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz) reflects this co-officiality. Euskaltzaindia fixes the standardised forms.

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Camino Vasco del Interior

  1. ··· toward Santiago
  2. Ordizia
  3. Beasain
  4. Alegia
  5. Tolosa
  6. Villabona
  7. Andoain
  8. Donostia
  9. Errenteria
  10. Irún