2017-04-10 Mon

An unused airmail envelope has a Cinderella stamp with a bilingual inscription in Basque and Spanish languages which translate to “Government of Basque Country” and “Airmail”. The symbol includes a Basque national flag, an aeroplane silhouette and a covered bridge over a creek.

The Spanish Republic was engaged in Civil War in the mid-1930s when they adopted a statute allowing home rule to Basque provinces in Spain. The envelope might have been distributed during this time. The law was cancelled in 1936 and the Basque army surrendered to Gen. Francisco Franco’s Falangist force in 1937.

German Luftwaffe Condor Legion bombed the Basque village of Guernica killing hundreds of civilians on 26th April. Pablo Picasso's most famous painting – Guernica is based on this cruel event.