Gernikako Arbola

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Representatives of Biscayan villages originally held assemblies under local trees until 1512, when the Guernica Assembly superseded them. The role evolved so that actual meetings moved to a purpose-built hermitage-house (the current building dates from 1833), while the oak acquired deep symbolic meaning. A dynasty of oaks has stood there: 'the father' planted in the 14th century lasted 450 years; the 'old tree' (1742–1892) was re-planted in 1811, with its trunk now held in a templet. The third oak (1858–2004), replanted in 1860, survived the Bombing of Guernica in 1937 but eventually succumbed to fungus. Gardeners keep spare trees grown from acorns. The fourth tree (1986–2015) was replanted on 25 February 2005 and died of a humidity-related disease on 15 January 2015. The fifth was planted in March 2015, aged 14.

In Their Own Story

During the First Carlist War, María Cristina of Savoy swore to uphold Basque charters under the oak in 1839, marking her as the last Spanish monarch to do so alongside her infant daughter Queen Isabella II. The tree gained prominence during the First and Third Carlist Wars, spreading its renown through the diaspora thanks to José María Iparragirre's anthem. After the 1937 Bombing of Guernica, Francoist troops took the town, but the Tercio of Begoña (Carlist volunteers from Biscay) placed an armed guard around the tree to protect it from Falangist allies who wanted to fell this symbol of Basque nationalism. On 26 June 1950, Xavier of Bourbon-Parma, the Carlist claimant to the Spanish throne during Franco's regime, swore the Basque charters at the site.

Reader's Guide

To understand Gernikako Arbola, visit its location in Gernika, Biscay, within the Basque Country, Spain. The current assembly building dates from 1833 and stands adjacent to the tree's location. Visitors can see the templet in the surrounding garden holding the trunk of the 'old tree' (1742–1892). The site is a symbol of friendship; Basque authorities present descendants of the tree as gifts to diaspora groups and related cities. An oak leaf logo represents the local government of Biscay, and an oak appears on the heraldic arms of Biscay and many towns. Other significant 'fuero trees' in Biscay include the Árbol Malato in Luiaondo, the Abellaneda oak for the Encartaciones Juntas, the Gerediaga oak for Durango, and the Aretxabalagana oak.

Did You Know?

• The fourth tree, replanted in 1986, died of a humidity-related disease on 15 January 2015.
• During the Civil War, Carlist volunteers formed an armed guard around the tree to protect it from their Falangist allies who wanted to cut it down.
• The trunk of the 'old tree' (which lived from 1742 to 1892) is now preserved in a templet in the garden.
• Gardeners of the Biscayan government keep several spare trees grown from the original tree's acorns.
• María Cristina of Savoy was the last Spanish monarch to swear an oath to the charters under the oak, doing so in 1839.