Hernani

Hernani is a town and municipality in the Basque Country of northern Spain, located in the province of Gipuzkoa. It lies inland from the Bay of Biscay, about 10 kilometers southeast of San Sebastián, and is part of the Donostialdea (San Sebastián) comarca. The area combines rural landscapes with urban neighborhoods, and Basque and Spanish are commonly spoken.

The history of Hernani goes back to the medieval period; the town developed around its church and markets and has preserved traditional Basque architecture, including stone houses and a central square. The local economy has historically included agriculture and milling, with later diversification into manufacturing and services. The municipality is known for cultural events, including Basque music and festivals, and for its proximity to the regional capital.

In literature and the arts, Hernani is best known as the title of a Romantic drama by Victor Hugo, first performed in 1830 in Paris. The play is associated with the so-called Battle of Hernani, a public controversy over Romanticism in theater that helped spark the French movement.

The drama inspired the Italian opera Ernani by Giuseppe Verdi, conceived as an adaptation of Hugo's work; the opera premiered in 1844. Verdi’s Ernani preserves the central plot and character names while translating them into a distinct musical idiom. The name Hernani remains most closely linked to the place in Spain and to Hugo’s renowned drama.