Hernani, Spain

Hernani is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The town sits on the left bank of the Urumea river.It is located at a distance of 9.2 km from San Sebastian. The municipality of Hernani occupies an area of approximately 40 square kilometres and is bordered by San Sebastián, Astigarraga, Arano, Elduayen, Errenteria, Lasarte-Oria and Urnieta.From the town centre, at the foot of Mount Santa Barbara, it is possible to see a large area of the valley of Urumea. Its festivities, held between 23 and 27 June in honour of John the Baptist; and between his celebrations the popular "azeri dantza" (also celebrated in celebrations of Carnival) should be emphasized.The title character of Victor Hugo's play Hernani is named after the town.HistoryDuring the Middle Ages, the territory that would form the province of Gipuzkoa was divided in valleys and Hernani was one of them. The valley of Hernani formerly extended through all the space surrounding the lower courses of the rivers Urumea and Oria.