08 October 1928,
The poet Bitoriano Gandiaga was born in Mendata. Fervent Euskaltzale, fraile entered Arantzazu in 1940, under Franco, where he spent his days as a priest and professor. From a very young age, he started writing poems, on topics like Euskera, nature and existentialism, and won several local awards. He published his papers in journals, rather than books. He retained much of his poetry in the bookshelf, which have subsequently been published in broad anthologies, such as the book Poesia kaierak of the twentieth century.
Source:
Maider Arrangi, Bitoriano Gandiaga: poet bearing Euskera, existentialism and nature in blood (Goiena, 21 February 2021).