19th century: Industrialisation

The nineteenth century was a time of great political, economic and social revolutions. One of the great revolutions was the introduction of steam to sea and land transport. In Gipuzkoa, although the railway network began relatively late, half a century behind England, it ended up being very dense, covering every valley despite the orographic difficulties. It was clear that the first main line should link Madrid and Paris, passing through Bayonne; but there was much controversy among various border-crossing projects. Finally, the crossing was made in Gipuzkoa, at the Irun-Hendaya intersection to be precise.

Infrastructure development meant a boost for the budding Gipuzkoan industry, renowned for its geographic and sectoral diversity (textile, iron and steel, food, porcelain) and for its small centres with small workforces. The leading activity, for its economic importance and concentration in the region of Tolosa, was paper production.