The Igartubeiti farmhouse is the finest surviving example of what can be thought of as the golden age of Basque farmhouses. At the height of its splendour in around 1630, the farmhouse was extended and converted to adapt it to changes in the way in which people lived and worked. Fortunately, the work done had little effect on the original structure, and indeed the different construction methods used in different periods and the different uses to which each area has been put can still be seen.
The excellently preserved original wooden structure and the cider press in its interior make this one of the most interesting farmhouses in the Basque Country, and a key heritage object. It gives a clear picture of the cultural, historical, anthropological, architectural and symbolic values of its time.
It gives a clear picture of the cultural, historical, anthropological, architectural and symbolic values of its time.
Structural Details
The following original structural details are particularly noteworthy:
- the one-piece posts running from floor to roof
- the twin central posts and supports for the beam of the cider press;
- the impressive structure of the press itself, with its beam, screw, nut, stone, trough and joists.
- the wooden cladding on the walls
- the rafters (one-piece rafters from the 16th century and shorter ones from the 17th)
- the floors.