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The Saltoko Euskaldunen Taldea organized a tribute to Pascual Harriague that included the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Gernika, and the launch of the 10th Hall of Wines with performances by the Ibaiko Izarra Basque Club dancers from Concordia, and a conference on the presence of Basques in the wine sector in Latin America. In this context the Basque club also announced that it is managing an area to build the “Gernika Space.” 

Salto, Uruguay.   The Basque community in Salto has been behind the recovery project of the Harriague Winery for years, not just the physical space but also that of this emblematic Basque who marked the history and the development of the city.  That is why it has again organized a series of activities, open to the public, in hopes of introducing the history of Harriague, along with history and culture of the Basque Country.

Last week, on April 26th the anniversary of the Bombing of Gernika, there was an activity at the club to pay tribute to the victims of the bombing.  During the gathering, club president, Luis Zaldua, spoke to those present which was followed by showing the documentary The Gernika Story.

On Friday, April 28th, as part of the Uribarri Project (launched in February 2016 jointly by the Basque club and the Unesco chair at EHU/UPV, it is called “Harriague Winery 0 kilometers from Tannat,” and managed by the club, the city’s directorate of culture, and the Association of Winegrowers in Salto), tribute was paid to Basque pioneer Pascual Harriague at the 10th Hall of Wines along with the Rotary Club from Northwest Salto.  The inauguration of the Hall was attended by authorities and included a performance by the Gazte Lurra dancers from the Ibaiko Izarra Basque Club in Concordia.   

On May 2nd the lecture “Basques and Wine in Latin America,” by Dr. Luis Vicente Elias Pastor took place.  After the lecture there was a wine tasting of products from local wineries, along with pintxos made by the local Basque club.

Project for the future

The huge task of recuperating the winery has encouraged the locals to take it further.  In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Bombing of Gernika, the Saltoko Euskaldunak Basque club in Salto presented a request to the city to build a public area named “Gernika Space,” as a tribute to the victims of the bombing, Zaldua explained.  “The space is also called to be a place where all tributes having to do with the Basque Country and our heritage would take place.  We would like to become Gernika’s sister-city, we would also plant a sapling of the holy oak,” the club’s president told EuskalKultura.com.