Ea, Biscay

Ea, river and Roman Bridge.

Location of Ea in Biscay.

Ea is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.

The town has three boroughs: Ea, Bedarona and Natxitua. The main one, Ea, is the most populated of the municipality, which has a total population of 870 (2007).

Geography

Ea is located on the coast, 50 km northeast from Bilbao, in the bottom of a tiny estuary that breaks through the cliffs of the Bay of Biscay. The Ea river crosses the town, which has three bridges, the oldest one being the so called "Roman Bridge" (featured in the coat of arms) that is really a medieval one. There is a small fishing port, but the predominant activities of the town are agriculture, silviculture and cattle , with many farms disperse around the typically basque countryside.

History

The area was a rural one, centered on the parishes of Natxitua and Bedarona. In the 16th century, fishermen from both villages founded a new permanent settlement at the bottom of the tiny estuary of the river Ea. After two centuries, the settlement became far more important than its two neighbouring villages, so finally a new municipality was created, uniting the two former villages and with capital in Ea. As a remainder of its past as two separated parishes, Ea has two main churches, one at each bank of the river.

Gallery

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  Estuary, looking to the Bay of Biscay.

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  Rural coast landscape from Bedarona.

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  The fishing port and the beaches.

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  Closeup of the Roman Bridge.

References

• Ea town council
• EA in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) (Spanish)