Bilbao

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Bilbao has undergone something of a facelift in recent years as it has sought to substitute a reputation as an industrial fortress for more of a tourism and services based economy. A series of innovative structures and ideas have swept across the 700 year old city as a result to try to draw the tourists in. There is no greater an example of this than the avant-garde and rather elaborate Guggenheim Museum. There are also sights such as the Zubizuri Bridge, the Euskalduna Congress Centre and the new Airport which only serve to enhance the changing face of Spain’s ninth largest city.

Bilbao is in fact the Basque Country’s largest city and takes up a role as capital of the province of Biscay. The city is to be found on the Nervion River and is hemmed in by mountains and coasts, beaches and forests earning it the name El Boxto, or ‘the hole’. It has more than 350,000 inhabitants, approximately seven per cent of whom are immigrants, while the population of the Greater Bilbao area tops one million making it Spain’s sixth largest urban area. The river’s banks are home to many businesses and factories and it is this mixture that personifies Bilbao’s former heart of industrial and financial glory.

In addition to the recent architectural extravagances there is also a new metro system and a new tram line which aid travel around the city no end. The city has much more than just new features however; the Old Town area, known as ‘Seven Streets’, is picturesque with various taverns, shops and monuments lining its narrow streets. Some of the older structures include the Santiago Cathedral and the Basilica de Begoña, while there are also museums such as the Maritime Museum and the Basque Museum in the city. The area’s climate is oceanic and so Bilbao is generally mild with few extreme temperatures.

The city’s roots go back to 1300 when Don Diego Lopez de Haro V, Lord of Biscay, declared the formation of the village of Bilbao which was to receive certain rights and privileges. It initially centred around three streets, the Santiago Church and the surrounding wall. There was already a settlement to the other side of the river as well as other areas of housing in the nearby vicinity. The newly formed Bilbao experienced slow but steady growth to begin with and further developments were made within its boundaries. Bilbao

By the 15th century wars between several noble families caused a bout of disruption in the area which only got worse when there were three floods and a fire adding to the misery. By this time Bilbao’s population had reached 3,000 and continued on its steady incline despite the troubles. By the early 16th century Bilbao became the main export port in the north as it saw Merino wool transported from its shores to the likes of Antwerp in northern Europe. In 1602 Bilbao was made the capital of Biscay and found increasing wealth in resources such as iron, the source of which was found nearby. It was this iron that helped the area avert the major economic crisis that hit Spain towards the end of the 17th century.

The next century saw further growth while by the time the 19th century was reached the industrial revolution helped with the development of the mining, ship-building and steel industries. Bilbao’s military showed its own brand of steel and determination as it managed to hold off a number sieges during the Carlist Wars in the middle of the century. In the early 20th century Bilbao became the wealthiest city in the country as banks and insurance companies sprung up along its river banks. This happened just a few years after a city expansion project which saw it increase in size twofold.

Unlike during the Carlist Wars Bilbao did succumb to defeat by the time General Franco marched through the country after the city initially sided with the Republican government. However, after Franco died and a liberal constitution was enforced the city was able to flourish further and focus its attentions on its urban renewal projects and its shift in focus.