{"id":144002,"date":"2025-02-19T17:22:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T16:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turismovasco.com\/gorostiaga-hat-shop\/"},"modified":"2025-03-10T17:43:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T16:43:42","slug":"gorostiaga-hat-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turismovasco.com\/en\/bizkaia\/what-to-see-in-bizkaia\/gorostiaga-hat-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"Gorostiaga Hat Shop."},"content":{"rendered":"

Gorostiaga and Pirla, two surnames at the service of the txapela.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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The beret or txapela, has always been present in the streets of the Basque Country. An accessory, which at one time was indispensable in the head of every Basque, and today, to a lesser extent, remains a beloved accessory throughout Euskal Herria. We went to the Sombrerer\u00eda Gorostiaga <\/strong>in Bilbao in search of a good txapela and we left this Bilbao store and workshop with a good txapela, a good conversation and a lot of knowledge. Do you want to know everything that Emilio Pirla told us?<\/strong> <\/p>\n

\"Euskal<\/a>

Euskal Herria Txapela<\/p><\/div>\n

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Gorostiaga Hat Shop<\/strong>, <\/strong>the house of the txapela.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Although Sombrerer\u00eda Gorostiaga specializes in all kinds of hats, from TurismoVasco.com we wanted to emphasize the history of our beloved txapela (beret).<\/p>\n

\"Txapela<\/a>

Txapela Size<\/p><\/div>\n

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History of hat shops.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What at the beginning of the 20th century was one of the most demanded sectors, went into crisis in the 40’s and 50’s due to the little use that was made of hats. And you will ask yourselves, why? Simple. The hat was an element that marked a clear differentiation of classes, an element that pointed directly to the wealthy and the poor alike, a recognition that at that time was of no interest. Nowadays, the local hat shops survive facing international markets and department stores, fighting against all odds. <\/p>\n

\"Box<\/a>

Box of Txapelas model Superlujo<\/p><\/div>\n

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The History of the Gorostiaga and Pirla families.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Gorostiaga and Pirla families are the main pillars of the hat shop that concerns us, Gorostiaga at the beginning and Pirla at present. The history of Sombrerer\u00eda Gorostiaga dates back to 1857, the year in which Fructuoso Gorostiaga opened the first store in Bidebarrieta Street in Bilbao. With the passage of time, Benjamin Gorostiaga, the next generation, changed the location of the hat shop taking it to Correo Street and providing it with an establishment that responded perfectly to the needs of that time. Alejandro Gorostiaga, the next and last Gorostiaga to take the reins of this emblematic hat shop in Bilbao, asked a craftsman from Leon, Isidoro Pirla, to send one of his sons to Bilbao to take charge of Gorostiaga. That was the story that brought Antonio Pirla to Bilbao, a person who after working as a master milliner’s assistant, became the owner of the business in the 1920s, having up to 6 employees under his command in 1930. Today, after Luis Pirla passed through Gorostiaga, I\u00f1aki and Emilio Pirla run the hat shop. Brothers and partners, who dream that Arantxa and Ander Pirla continue with the family business, keeping this Bilbao shop alive and in the hands of the family. <\/p>\n

\"Luis<\/a>

Luis Pirla, Gorostiaga Hat Factory<\/p><\/div>\n

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Generations of Gorostiaga and Pirla of the Gorostiaga Hat Shop:<\/strong><\/p>\n