Albaola, maritime culture factory
With the building of historical boats as its main activity, Albaola The Sea Factory of the Basques in Pasaia San Pedro (Pasaia, Gipuzkoa) , is an innovative environment where nautical craftsmanship and technology is recovered and showcased. The Factory is open to the public and is characterized by its dynamism, the diversity of its activities, and its international outreach.
Shipbuilding, the international boatbuilding school, the ship modeling workshop, the club of the young sailors, the “Theatre of the Sea” program of performing arts, and the Auzolan volunteer group make up this creative universe that aims at making Basque Country’s maritime past known to the general public.
The Factory is the place where incredible journeys are undertaken and carried out. We seek knowledge through the experimentation that has been part of the Basque Maritime Heritage
Come to The Factory, sail through history, and live the Basque maritime adventure.
UNESCO’s patronage
In 2015 the quality of the construction of the replica received a very special reward: the support of the UNESCO for the San Juan. This recognition puts the replica of the Basque whaleship in the highest quality ranking in the field of maritime heritage.
In the year 2001 UNESCO created the Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. The member states of the Convention gather every year to analyze the situation of underwater cultural heritage and to make relevent decisions. Albaola has been there to show the members the San Juan project and also to apply for the patronage of UNESCO. Later on, a letter from Ms. Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, let us know the good news: our application had been accepted.
Information source: Albaola website
