{"id":6414,"date":"2022-04-13T07:34:58","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T05:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gernikainfo.eus\/what-to-see\/arbol-de-gernika-y-casa-de-juntas\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T18:52:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T17:52:07","slug":"the-casa-de-juntas-assembly-house","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gernikainfo.eus\/en\/what-to-see\/the-casa-de-juntas-assembly-house\/","title":{"rendered":"The Casa de Juntas (Assembly House)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Tree of Gernika and the Casa de Juntas (Assembly House)<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An exquisitely beautiful neoclassical building imbued with the living history of the Basque People<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For centuries, Gernika has been a meeting place for the people of Vizcaya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Documents attest to meetings taking place<\/strong> under the now famous tree as far back as the 14th century<\/strong>. Their purpose was to draw up a set of laws based on a system of citizen representation.  A visit to the Casa de Juntas and the Tree of Gernika is therefore an absolute must, given that they are living symbols of the history of the Basque People<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Assembly House stands next to the so-called \u2018foral<\/em>\u2019 (charter) oak tree, a meeting point for all the territories of Euskal Herria<\/em>, united in a single cultural and ethnographic tradition that transcends any manner of political division. Today it is the venue for such important ceremonies as the swearing-in of the Lehendakari or the Governor of the Regional Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The history of the Tree of Gernika<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the early years of the Lordship<\/strong>, the inhabitants of Bizkaia used to gather in assemblies held in the shade of various oaks located in different places in the region. However, over time, they adopted the practice of meeting in one unique place and under a single tree: the Tree of Gernika.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What will I see inside the Assembly House?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Guernica Assembly House is in fact a Church and a Parliament<\/strong>. Although the building\u2019s ecclesiastical facet takes second place to its political facet today, it retains both the altar and the holy water fonts as silent witnesses to days gone by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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La Sala de Juntas (The Assembly Room)<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A series of canvases grace the inner walls of the Plenary Hall: <\/p>\n\n\n\n