DZ CHARLIE

Spanish Civil War 1936–1939

Durango bombing – Santa María de Uribarri

Memorial

GuideSpanish Civil War 1936–1939
AreaThe North
TypeMemorial
When31 Mar 1937
Time to allow1 h
LocationExact spot known
GPS43.16812, -2.63142
Open the free field guideDirections (Google Maps)

The story

On 31 March 1937, the first day of General Mola's offensive against Biscay, Italian Savoia-Marchetti S.81 bombers with German and Italian escorts attacked Durango, a road and rail junction behind the front. The first wave struck at about 8 a.m., during morning Mass. The Jesuit church and the Santa Susana convent were hit and priests, nuns and worshippers were killed; Santa María de Uribarri was also damaged. Further raids followed that day. Durango was bombed almost four weeks before Gernika and is often called its forgotten precursor. The town's bombing route links the damaged churches and memorial plaques.

What you can see today

The Uribarri basilica with its large wooden porch, plus plaques and panels on the town's bombing route (Bonbardaketaren ibilbidea) marking the sites hit.

Plan your visit

Pick up the bombing-route leaflet at the Durango tourist office; the centre is compact and easy to walk in about an hour.

Booking
Durango tourist office offers the 'Aztarnak' bombing leaflet (downloadable) and an audioguide route; reservations via the office

Checked September 2026 from official sources: turismodurango.net, turismodurango.net. Things change, so check before you travel.

Where sources disagree: Deaths are given as about 250 in most accounts; Spanish-language studies give a range of 248–336.

Sources

Nearby sites

All 158 sites in Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 →

The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939

A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The battlefields, trenches, ruined villages, shelters, museums and memorials of the Spanish Civil War across the whole of Spain, told fairly from both sides.

Open the guide