Urgull is a hill located in the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

city of San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It has a peak elevation of 123 meters and is a defining feature of the city's coastal topography along with

Mount Ulia Mount Ulia is a minor ridge located east of San Sebastián in the Basque Country, territory of Spain, reaching 243 m at its highest point. The ridge stretching out to the east along the coastline sinks in the strait leading to the bay of Pasaia ...

and

Igeldo Igeldo (in Spanish Igueldo) is a quarter of San Sebastián, San Sebastian (Gipuzkoa, Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain). It is almost a small town located at the mountain range of the same name towering over the west si ...

. Urgull is situated between the old town and the Paseo Nuevo, at the eastern end of La Concha Bay and is one of the city’s biggest green spaces. The hill served as a strategic defense point during the 12th century. With the establishment of modern state boundaries in the 16th century, the fortifications on the hill were reinforced at its summit stands Mota Castle, whose features include headquarters, barracks, warehouses, a chapel and a 12-meter-long sculpture of Jesus Christ added in 1950. Urgull played a notable role in military operations, including the

Siege of San Sebastián The siege of San Sebastián (7 July – 8 September 1813), part of the Peninsular War, Allied forces under the command of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington failed to capture the city in a sie ...

in 1813 and various assaults during the

Carlist Wars The Carlist Wars (, ) were a series of civil wars that took place in Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought over claims to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1 ...

in 1823, 1836 and 1876. However, as San Sebastián transformed into a tourist resort, the hill lost its military importance and was sold to the city council in 1924. Today, Urgull is primarily covered in trees, with military structures and promenades offering views over the bay and the city. The historic stronghold at the summit now houses a history museum, which is part of the

San Telmo Museoa San Telmo Museoa ( English: San Telmo Museum, or STM) is a museum of the Basque society located in Donostia-San Sebastián, addressing old and contemporary Basque culture, arts and history in a European, global context. It moved to its current l ...

located at the southeastern access of the hill.

References

External links

San Sebastián, Monte Urgull (planetware)
{{coord, 43, 19, 29, N, 1, 59, 20, W, region:ES_type:mountain_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Hills of Spain Mountains of Gipuzkoa

See also

References

External links