The area was unaffected by the Roman and Moorish invasions (however some remains from the Roman era have been found under the Jentilbaratza castle in Ataun), and is believed to have been inhabited at that time by the "Várdulos" tribe.
Moving on to the Middle Ages, in the year 1200 Guipuzcoa became part of the Kingdom of Castille, and 56 years later, in 1256, Alfonso X (also known as Alfonso the Wise), King of Castille, founded the towns of Segura and Villafranca in order to defend his kingdom from the Navarrese. These were troublesome times in the area, so to counter the growing instability the towns united to defend themselves from attack.
The Feudal War between the Gamboinos and the Oñacinos broke out in the 15th century, and as a result of the incessant fighting, in 1457 King Enrique IV ordered all tower-houses to be partly, or totally demolished, among them Yarza Palace in Beasain and the tower-houses of Zerain and Lazkao. When the Kingdom of Navarre joined Castille, it meant that Goierri was no longer a border land. This, and the fact that the Royal Exchequer was in need of funds, resulted in towns which had previously been united now requesting independence and the charter of township (between 1615 and 1661 Felipe III and Felipe IV granted these charters to practically all towns).
During the War of Independence the whole district was under French control, and during the Carlist War General Zumalakarregi established his headquarters in Beasain. In the early 1900´s the ironwork owners joined forces and set up the first companies. When the Civil War broke out Goierri was occupied by rebel troops who opposed the Republic, and in 1937, at the beginning of the Franco dictatorship, the special economic agreements in force in Guipuzcoa were abolished.
