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The new Director of the Basque Community Abroad, Gorka Alvarez Aranburu, and members of his team from the Basque Community Abroad Directorate of the Basque Government, took a work trip to Madrid last week to visit various places linked to Basques and met with representatives of several groups in the local Basque community.

Madrid, Spain.   Accompanied by members of his team from the Directorate and the Delegation of the Basque Government in Madrid, Alvarez held meetings with representatives from Madrid Euskal Etxea, The Royal Congregation of Natives Originally from the Three Basque Provinces, the Delegation in Court of the Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country and the Txoko Zar Gastronomic Society. 

The Basque delegation was also introduced to the campaign “Let’s Save the Beti Jai Fronton” whose initiatives carried out in Madrid are to save and maintain this emblematic fronton in downtown Madrid, and visited the site to see what work is being carried out, accompanied by authorities from Madrid city hall’s area of heritage, along with directors of the work.

The Beti Jai is a unique fronton in its class worldwide and is listed as cultural interest in the monument category.  It was built in 1893 and is located on Marques de Riscal Street 7, and occupies an area of 10,800 square meters.  The stands could hold up to 4,000 people over four floors, with wrought iron balconies.  Different styles can be perceived in its construction like eclecticism or Neo-Mudejar as well as iron architecture in the interior.  The restoration work is very advanced, but it is yet to be decided what it will be finally used for once completed.

The program also included visits to the “Piety and Terror in Picasso.  The Road to Gernika,” exhibit at the Reina Sofia Museum, as well as a visit to the Senate.