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 Town history |
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The early occupants of La Union, from over two thousand years ago, were drawn to this area because of the mines that surrounded it. In fact, large magnitudes of silver, lead, copper ores and other mines have kept this town alive for several centuries. The Phoenicians, Romans, Goths, Arabs and a succession of Christian rulers have all benefited from this natural treasure. As an indication of how massive the mining industry used to be, get this: The Phoenicians (also known as Carthaginians) traded tons of silver to finance their attack on Rome which was piloted by Hannibal Barca in the company of his elephants, way back in the year 221 B.C.
For numerous eras, the mines kept the area prominent among several European countries. Just decades ago, many other mining industries from other parts of the world have sprung up, and led to the slow decline of the trading bustle in La Union. Not only that, the machines that kept the industry going were way too dated and no longer provided their full purpose. At some point, the aged equipments were just left on the hills to grow moldy. Surely, these items are among the things to see in the Mining Museum of La Union.
The Flamenco Dance is very much equated with La Union and the mining industry. Legend has it that the Flamenco dance steps originated from the early mining activities. The story says that the Gypsies were just one of the several groups that were enslaved underground during the dark ages. They were all prohibited to talk as they labored deep underneath the earth. Hence, they would communicate by tapping out messages with the rhythms of their hammers and mining tools. To make the long story short, the steps and the beats evolved from there, and became an assortment of Flamenco dance movements. This makes La Union an authority when it comes to Flamenco. The Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas is commemorated every year throughout the first week of August, and has become a much sought event among Flamenco enthusiasts from all parts of the world.
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