Following the civil war in Spain (1936-1939), Franco’s victory provoked the exile of the Basques and their government, presided over by José Antonio de AGUIRRE.
Father José Luis RODRIGUEZ followed them to Paris and became part of the PNV (Partido Nacionalista Vasco). This priest was born in Bilbao on 16th October 1904. He was in charge of catholic publications and was very attached to the Basque culture. The Caudillo, who forbade the use of the Basque language, Euskara, and, in keeping with his practice of punishing people of the cloth who opposed his regime, banished him.
After the Second World War, his sister Higinia and he came more and more often to Bidart, where they rented a small house on the Corniche belonging to the Etchayde family. Artists faithful to the Basque tradition, they created a ceramic workshop “Kaïoa” (the seagull), above the Erretegia cliffs that, being rich in clay and shale, provided them with the greater part of their raw materials. In summer, their friend, Miss Leroux, would sell some of the articles they produced in her local souvenir shop “Fandango” that used to be where the bodega is now.
Pichet Kaioa (photo Martine Castel-Dargassies)
They were thus able to live from the sale of what they produced, supplying customers with a varied range of useful objects (jugs, plates, dishes, cups, etc.) or religious items, such as Madonna and child statues. The brother and sister used varied colours but green and dark red are more often than not featured along with geometric patterns and decorations inspired by nature.
In 1958 Father José Luis Rodriguez designed the coat of arms that is displayed on the façade of Bidart town hall and which reminds us of the whale fishing history of the port, with the ship, harpoon and Koskenia lighthouse.
The older members of Bidart describe the Priest as being a highly original, intelligent and cultivated man with kind eyes that shone beneath his traditional Basque beret. He said the daily mass in our church and went to La Roseraie on Sundays for the children of workers in the mining company, the Charbonnages de France, who had been sent on holiday to the Basque Coast. He also opened his workshop to the children of Bidart where they were able to learn about the art of ceramics; one of these children is now currently working in the renowned porcelain factories in Sèvres.
The cross on his grave where he lies in the cemetery of the parish church is decorated with the head of Christ that he himself made and placed in front of this is a white marble plaque with an engraving “with gratitude from the children of La Roseraie”.
As an illustration of his humour and kindness, M. J. Garat, a Bidart resident, tells this anecdote: “a couple of holiday makers had been in raptures over a beautiful vase and couldn’t decide whether they could buy it or whether they should put it back on the shelf. He asked “Do you like it?” and as they eagerly told him that they did indeed like the vase, he said “Well then you can take it! You can send me a cheque when you can….” Flabbergasted, they couldn’t believe their ears, but the Priest insisted and the lucky couple left with their precious pottery… “You should always trust people”, he said, “and anyway, if they don’t pay, it doesn’t matter….!”
From Martine Castell-Dargassies, with the particular help of Christiane Sarrasola and Jacques Garat.
100 years of Bidart heritage.