Amara has changed a lot in recent decades and many will not believe that there is a dwelling in the neighborhood. But there's one, the last one. Caserío Txanpuene. But it won't last long. On Thursday, excavators began working in the area of torrential rains.

El caserío Txanpuene is located at 57 on San Roque Street, next to the Arbaizenea Palace of the Alba family. Moreover, until recently, these aristocrats have also owned the farmhouse and the surrounding land. However, the Etxabe family has lived for the past 150 years as a tenant in Txanpuen and now they will not be able to re-enter the dwelling after many years of “threat”.

In fact, in 1997 the Alba family reached an agreement with the City Hall of San Sebastian: The aristocrats stayed with the plain land of Arbaizenea (including the farmhouse) and the City Hall with the green and steep space of the facade of Txanpuene. The City Hall plans to build the Txanpon Enea Park on an area of 10 hectares that has been in the hands of the City Hall since: A green space with access from Morlans, Amara and Aiete. However, the project has not been implemented since then.

Starting in 2005, a process of urbanization began in the surrounding lands of Txanpuene, which was paralyzed by the economic crisis. In 2016, the “threat” suffered by the Chanpuenes materialized: the Alba family sold the farmhouse Txanpuene and the land to the real estate companies Neinor SL, Renteria SL and Irunesa SL. These companies are carrying out the urban project of Arbaizenea. Etxabe's neighbors saw the risk of losing their home clear, when those companies, the new owners, asked for the eviction of the Txanpuene farmhouse. Then, the tenants of the house went to court.

The Court of Donostia-San Sebastian, initially favorable to tenants, recognized that tenants had become owners of the dwelling over time, but the companies resorted to the ruling and the Court of Gipuzkoa gave them the reason. In this way, the case has reached the Constitutional Court (TC), where the judgment has not yet been delivered.

It's falling down

However, by order of the judiciary since Tuesday morning, the Txanpuene House is in the hands of real estate companies and the Etxabe family is no longer a tenant: they will not be able to re-enter the house. Since Tuesday morning, a security worker has been in the house and electricity has been cut. On Thursday morning, the barn began to collapse with the excavators and the hamlet was almost completely dismantled. He also worked on a topographer performing measurements on the adjacent lands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mayor of Donostia-San Sebastian, Eneko Goia, has said that they have acted "in accordance with the legality" because "they won the appeal presented by their owners". However, according to Jon Lakuntza, a member of the resident association Amara Bai, “in theory the ruling of the Constitutional Court is not over, but at three months they have been told that they have little chance of winning.” The eviction and eviction of the dwarf has therefore been initiated before the end of the judicial process.

The real estate companies in charge of the urban project of Arbaizenea plan to build luxury homes in the area where the Txanpuene dwelling is located: “They will build three-storey houses and small chalets,” according to Jon Lakuntza. Txanpon Enea Park must wait for the urbanization project: “The park was not built at the time because it lacks to build a home on the elevator road. We thought that even doing that housing was not worth doing the park,” the mayor explained.

The neighborhood associations of Amara Bai, Morlans and Lantxabe de Aiete have called for the protection of the farmhouse and the Ancora association has valued the historical-artistic value of the building. As explained by the Ancora Association, this is a farmhouse belonging to the 18th century, at least. The dwelling, owned by Antonio de Claessens, was acquired in 1895 by the Duke of Sotomayor. Inside, the Txanpuenea conserves the original wooden structure and has various elements of interest such as the cross and the dintel of La Nueva Barceloneta, 1773. In the land of the farmhouse there is also a source from the beginning of the 19th century: “The people of Lantxu thought of making a museum with all the sources in Amara and Aiete, to show how the water city was supplied. When there were plagues or wars, they took water from here,” explains Lakuntza.

For Ancora it is “regrettable” the disappearance of the farmhouse of the 18th century: “It’s one of the few remaining here next to Katxola. We have asked to protect over 70 houses, but we have not received an answer. There seems to be no need to protect more husbands. It’s very painful for us,” explains Eneko Oronoz, a member of Ancora. Taking into account the history of Txanpuene, Oronoz has underlined the following: “There have been wars, but it has not been able to cope with speculation.”

Protection of Amara's neighbours

Amara's neighbours have shown their support for Txanpuena since the dwarf was put at risk: “We have been celebrating Txanpuene Eguna for thirteen years because we saw that the cottage was in danger. We've gathered 160 people and we've had trikitilaris, txalapartaris, children's games, etc. The children were taught the sink behind the farmhouse,” explains Lakuntza.

Txaro Lazcoz has been living on San Roque Street for 54 years, next to Txanpuene, and believes that the neighborhood has changed a lot: “We were all a family, but now nothing: the neighbors don’t know us either.” It still has a lot to do with the peasants of Txanpuene: “There we were making fire to San Juan. There were cows and the women of San Roque came to look for milk, and before All Saints Day, the neighbors met us in Txanpuene with chrysanthemums and moss to make crosses and crowns, and then we sold them in the market of San Martin,” he explained. Lakunza recalled that in Txanpuene there were also about 45 sheep, so there are still some chickens and some orchards.

Lazcoz has also seen the Duchess of Alba in the surroundings of the house “in a L4, with the driver”. Lakuntza also has another anecdote with the aristocrat: “A neighbor told me that they were children who had been in Arbaizeta. The Duchess of Alba had a tennis court in which several children from the neighborhood were engaged in gathering balls. Then I gave them a chocolate sandwich in exchange.”

The neighborhood has changed a lot.

Lakunza said that the Basoerdi Park was also very different, that is, it was a "mountain". Lazcoz recalled that there was another hamlet on the site. In fact, the woman who has lived 54 years on San Roque Street has seen a change of landscape: “In addition to the Txanpueta, there was another house in the street and the house of the guards of Arbaizenea. All of them were shot down and new houses were built. The buildings in front cover the views: before, we saw people walking on the beach and now we didn’t.”

“The green areas and the joy of the neighborhood are being removed. In the new neighborhood of San Bartolomé there is also concrete. What do we leave to our boys and girls!” Lakuntza said. The neighbors feel “helplessness”: “It gives us the helplessness to see the beautiful places of the neighborhood take us away. They did the same with the lump of the rock,” said Lakuntza. The dwarf Txanpuene is in danger of extinction, but according to the Lantxabe association, “the procedures are being carried out so that tenants do not throw the dwarf”

Txanpuene is being knocked down, and it will be covered by the old Amara concrete.