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Guernica or Guernica y Luno ( Basque Gernika-Lumo, pronounced in SAMPA [ger"nika]) is a small city in the Spanish Basque Country that was the meeting place of the Biscayne assembly under an oak tree, the Gernikako Arbola, which was a symbol of traditional freedoms of the Basque people. Later a hermitage was built besides the tree to double as an assembly place.

The Lords of Biscay, upon receiving their title, would come to Guernica to swear that they would respect the Biscayne freedoms. Later the lordship became attached to the title of King of Castile.

Outside the Basque lands the city is best known as the scene of an early instance of aerial bombing by the German Luftwaffe ( Condor Legion) on April 26April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). There are 249 days remaining. Events 1478 The Pazzi attack Lorenzo de' Medici and kill his brother Giuliano during High Mass in the Florence Cathedral. 1607 English col, 1937Events January January 1 Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua January 11 The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States. January 19 Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours,, during the Spanish Civil WarTeruel, east of Madrid. For an article about the 1820-1823 civil war in Spain, see: Spanish Civil War, 1820-1823 The Spanish Civil War ( 1936 1939) was the result of complex political differences between the Republicans — supporters of the government of t (see Bombing of GuernicaThe bombing of Guernica was an aerial attack on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War by the German squadron known as the Condor Legion against the Basque city of Guernica. It was the first aerial bombardment in history in which a civilian populati). The Germans were attacking to support the efforts of Francisco FrancoFrancisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teodulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade ( December 4, 1892 November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalisimo Francisco Franco was dictator of Spain from 1939 until his to overturn the Spanish RepublicThe Second Spanish Republic ( 1931 1939) was the second period in Spanish history in which the election of both the positions of Head of State and Head of government were in the hands of the people. The First Spanish Republic was from 1873 1874. The Seconan government. The town was devastated, though the Biscayne assembly and the Gernikako Arbola miraculously survived. Pablo Picasso painted his famous "Guernica" painting to commemorate the horrors of the bombing. Because of its symbolic value, the current Autonomy Act of the Basque CountryEuskal Autonomia Erkidegoa Comunidad Autonoma del Pais Vasco Capital Vitoria-Gasteiz Official languages Basque and Spanish Area total % of Spain Ranked 14th 7 234 km² 1,4% Population Total (2003) % of Spain Density Ranked 7th 2 108 281 5,0% 291,44/km² Dem was approved in Guernica and every Lehendakari takes his oath there.

The Guernica estuary or Urdaibai is a Biosphere Reserve.

It is also home to the Gernika Jai Alai , one of the main courts for the jai alai sport.