Royal Arms Factory of Orbaiceta

A jewel of peninsular industrial archaeology remains in ruins in the Aezekoa valley, five kilometres from the border with France: the Royal Arms and Munitions Factory of Orbaizeta.

With a short existence of barely a century, it was built on the site of the old ironworks on Mount Aezekoa. The presence of iron mines, the wealth of timber and the site's water courses led to its settlement.

The ruins were declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2007. Although they are under a blanket of plant moss and covered with vegetation, they await restoration work as an important example of 18th century industrial archaeology.

Visitors are also advised to take great care when visiting the site, due to the ruinous state of the buildings that still remain.

A bit of history

Its location so close to border areas made the factory the object of constant looting and fires, until it was finally suppressed in the 19th century. In its day it was the main industrial centre in the north of Spain, hidden in the Irati Forest.

After the forests of the Eugi arms factory were exhausted, Charles III decided to build a new one to provide armaments and ammunition for the wars in which the Crown was involved.

Erected in 1784, it produced ammunition and cannon for several decades. By the mid-19th century it began to produce iron. In 1869 it suffered a fire and ended up closing in 1884 due to the rise of the Altos Hornos.

In its heyday, more than 150 workers and their families lived in this factory, where some 3,600 pumps were manufactured every year. It was built under the influence of French Encyclopaedism, with a modern vision in which the health and daily life of the workers took centre stage.

The factory

Although the useful life of the factory did not last long, its military importance is reflected in the list of the protagonists who lived there. This is the case of Generals Morillo and Reille, Espoz y Mina and Zumalacárregui.

Later, it was attended by illustrious visitors such as Valle Inclán, Hemingway and the photographers Echagüe and Sta M. del Villar.

The factory complex had three levels. These included the factory itself, the village, the church and the dwellings. It also had an ingenious system of aerial platforms connecting the coal bunkers and mineral stores with the furnaces.

The factors that influenced the closure of this impressive factory complex were, in principle, the constant looting. But also its isolation, which made the raw materials necessary for subsistence more expensive, was a factor that worked against it.

The ruins

Years of neglect allowed the buildings to succumb to the ruins that can be seen today. The ovens and the imposing channelling of the Lagartza river can still be seen, but a major restoration is required, and a project is underway.