San Sebastian Town Hall: Cannonball Scars in the Old Part of Donostia

The 1813 siege of San Sebastián by Anglo-Portuguese forces left the Old Part of Donostia (Alde Zaharra) scarred. Most buildings were destroyed, but the Santa Clara church and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro survived. The area’s original medieval walls, built to defend against invaders, were demolished in 1863 to expand the city. Today, only remnants near the port hint at their former presence. Among the ruins, the Casino building - once a hub of 19th-century social life - bears bullet scars and cannonball damage from the 1813 conflict. Its façade, pocked with holes from cannon fire, stands as a silent witness to the violence that reshaped the district.

The 1813 siege was part of the Peninsular War, a brutal campaign that saw San Sebastián suffer repeated assaults. Anglo-Portuguese troops burned the district, leaving only isolated structures intact. The Foru Aldundiaren jauregia (seat of the Foral Assembly), built between 1844 and 1854, served as Gipuzkoan autonomy’s administrative center. Its neoclassical façade, now a cultural landmark, was reinforced during the Carlist Wars, when it sheltered soldiers and civilians. The Casino building, though not named in sources, was likely one of the few structures that survived the 1813 destruction. Its foundation, now beneath modern streets, once housed travelers during the city’s turbulent history.

By the late 19th century, Alde Zaharra had become a symbol of resilience. The narrow streets, once lined with merchant houses, now house historic cafés and shops. The Casino building retains its 19th-century grandeur, its walls etched with the marks of war. Visitors can trace the path of cannonballs that once shattered stone, now visible as faint indentations in the cobblestones. The area’s historic core, preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site, continues to draw visitors eager to glimpse the scars of war.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Parte Zaharra - Wikipedia, Tolosako Alde Zaharra eta gordetzen duen historia guztia, Old Part of Donostia - BASQUE COUNTRY GUIDE, Explore the Charms of Alde Zaharra: A Historical Gem, Explore the Charm of Alde Zaharra: A Historical Gem in Hondarribia