Bilbao. Guide for Bilbao

Torre Iberdrola (Bilbao)

Designed by the architect Cesar Pelli and launched on March 19, 2007, the Torre Iberdrola in Bilbao is a skyscraper of 165 meters that will house offices, most of Iberdrola. Iberdrola thus move its headquarters, currently located in the street No. 8 Cardinal Gardoqui.

The building has a total of 41 plants, occupying an area of 50,000 square meters and 4,800 units using glass coating designed exclusively for the Torre Iberdrola in Bilbao. As anecdotal details, Torre Iberdrola has its own heliport and a Fire Service due to the size of the building.

The date of completion of construction of the Torre Iberdrola is estimated for August 2011.

Iberdrola Tower view from the Plaza Moyua

The Cathedral of Santiago's name comes from existing Jacobean culture predates the founding of Bilbao. As early settlement charter founding the town in 1300, records the existence of the shrine of Santiago, located in the Jacobean route of the Coast. The initial chapel, prior to the eleventh century, is the first religious building predates the founding of Bilbao.

The present church was built in the fourteenth century, but is cited as the reference year 1379 and since that date the data from the cathedral and are more accurate. It is in 1643 when the Holy See confirms the Church. In 1819 he was consecrated as a basilica and in 1950 attained the rank of Cathedral.

Although the Church was to be Gothic, slow in its construction made this Gothic style which was initially going to have French influences, finished with a blend of styles.

If we follow the outer perimeter can see three entries with different stylistic features, but framed in the florid Gothic:

- Front door: both the façade and the front door are of Gothic style and are oriented towards the Plaza de Santiago. On the sides of the door are figures of St. Peter and St. Paul and at the top of the usual rosette Gothic churches.

Cathedral of Santiago (Bilbao), Main Entrance

- Second door on the right of the main facade. This gate was built in the second half of XVI century Renaissance and trapezoidal parameters. Within the porch, the door has a multicolored coat of Bilbao. Inside the door, the eardrum has a size of the Immaculate Conception Francisco Arizmendi, dated 1873.

Cathedral of Santiago (Bilbao), lateral entry

Cathedral of Santiago (Bilbao), Bilbao Detail of shield

- Third door located on Calle E, known as Angel's door or door of the Pilgrims. The name comes from Jacobean symbol located on the door and greeted the pilgrims who came way to Compostela. The door, a Gothic structure, is decorated Plateresque-Elizabethan and ornamentation of the last Gothic period.

Cathedral of Santiago (Bilbao), Pilgrim Gate

Cathedral of Santiago (Bilbao), symbol of St. James

Indeed, the Angel door connects to the cloister, from the early sixteenth century Gothic cloister and only preserved in Vizcaya, together with the convent of San Francisco de Bermeo. In the cloister, 24 meters, you can see two altarpieces of early twentieth century and three tombs. It has two ports connected to the church: one bound to the north transept, which is home an image of Santiago, the work of Commander Perez and another near the entrance of the sacristy.

The Cathedral has a total of 15 chapels devoted, according to the custom of the times, to different saints or virgins, according to the preferences of the wealthy parishioners who financed with the goal of placing in them the family graves.

Map of the Cathedral of Santiago (Bilbao)

The choir also has its own characteristics, and that is not located in the central part, as is usual in Gothic churches. In the last restoration in 2002, was installed a new body of 2,260 classic Nordic tubes, named Jesus Guridi composer, who was the organist of the church of Santiago between 1918 and 1939.

The liturgical furnishings and original jewelry can be seen in the Museum of Sacred Art.

Noelia and Andres decided to spend his birthday in Bilbao and give us some photos they took during their visit.

Remember that you can also see your photos here, just send an email to webmaster@conocerbilbao.com

Bilbao - La Salve Bridge

Works of John Fuller of the early seventies with the aim of achieving a quick exit Begoña Bilbao to the side of Artxanda. Its functionality was completed with the opening of Artxanda tunnels, and its image improved when it was installed with the Museum Guggenheim , providing a shortcut.

The last step in the integration of the bridge with the museum came in October 2007 with the project by Daniel Buren, winner of artistic intervention in the La Salve Bridge, convened to mark the tenth anniversary of the Guggenheim. The French work of Daniel Buren, entitled Arcos Rojos, covered with a bright red coating the pillars of hanging straps that hold the bridge, forming an arc. The play wins more striking at night, thanks to dynamic lighting systems.

Bilbao - La Salve Bridge at night

The name of the bridge comes from the Place de la Salve, located on the right bank. The square got its name because it was the point whose height, the sailors of the ships that went through the estuary, except when praying one could see the Basilica of Begoña.

Mercado de la Ribera - Bilbao

Visible from the bridge of San Antón and installed in a building from 1930, designed by Peter Ispizua, is the Mercado de la Ribera. Like other buildings of the architecture of Bilbao ( Guggenheim , Euskalduna Palace, ...) the building simulates a boat stranded in the estuary. Under a colorful stained glass, survivors of several restorations, highlights the main entrance.

Installed on the old square was the place where fishermen and farmers set up their stalls. The current market is the largest in Europe, being also the most animated.

From the market we can skirt the river down the street until the Arenal Bank. In front of the Mercado de la Ribera is situated a long porch with arches leading from the street to Somera Old Butchery. In the vaults of the frames you can see some contemporary paintings made at the end of last century.

On the street we access Mazarredo Albia gardens . Albia's name comes from a small hill located at the top of Larraskitu. There, in a small square shaded by beech trees, was celebrated on Sunday a pilgrimage to the mountaineers of Abando. Albia, as it seems, means "on the side." When the procession moved to Abandoibarra, youth Albia Bilbao started calling the place of pilgrimage, the current location of the park.

Jardines de Albia

In the gardens there are 3 statues. The Mazarredo located closer to correspond to the writer Antonio Trueba (1819-1889), known as "Anton the of Songs." The statue was made ​​in 1985 by Mariano Benlliure using bronze, while the pedestal of marble, was made ​​by Severiano Achúcarro. The figure represents the official chronicler of the city (natural size), sitting and holding hands in a notebook and a pencil. As a curious story, the statue was originally oriented Galdames, where he was Antonio Trueba. It was then by a municipal decision, which was redirected to the gardens.

Statue of Antonio Trueba in Jardines de Albia

In the center of the gardens is a pond, whose mouth is a source jar holding a female figure. Located since 2003 in the vicinity of the Palace of Justice, a statue of the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party, Sabino Arana.

The pond located in Jardines de Albia

Doña Casilda Park Iturrizar constitutes an area of 115,200 m2, a larger green areas from downtown Bilbao, with a beauty and tranquility that provides rest and relaxation to those who walk by him.

Doña Casilda Park

Designed by Ricardo Bastida and Juan de Egiraun in 1920, the Doña Casilda Park stretches from the Place of the Sacred Heart to the Museum of Fine Arts, with spacious lawns and lush trees along which walks, paths and ponds as well as monuments such as the popular clown effigy Tonetti.

Doña Casilda Park has more than 1500 plant species, from among which 486 specimens of exotic trees from five continents. However, no shortage of poplar trees, bananas and limes.

In the closest to Euskalduna, is a fountain dedicated to the painter Adolfo Guiard, flanked by two blocks with carvings depicting Death and Glory.

The center of the park is the memorial to Doña Casilda de Iturriza, formed by a bust on a pedestal that breaks down his life dedicated to the patronage and charity. The monument of Doña Casilda, designed by Agustin Querol, was located in the Moyúa Square from 1906 until 1946, when it changed its location by the current. Iturrizar and Doña Casilda de Urquijo (1826-1900) was the widow of Thomas Epalza, one of the founders of the Banco de Bilbao. He spent the last years of his life to sponsor the arts and care work, funding schools Tivoli, the House of Mercy and Basurto Hospital.

Doña Casilda Park - dedicated to Doña Casilda Bust Iturrizar

In the central, lower, lies the popular duck pond (and swans) that makes the Doña Casilda Park is known as "park ducks."

Doña Casilda Park - Duck Pond

At the edges of the pond can be a dovecote and the gardener's house. Since 2006, a black marble monolith next to the gardener's house, remembers the victims of terrorism.

Doña Casilda Park - Remembering the Victims of Terrorism

In the lower zone, near the Museum of Fine Arts, is a work of Néstor Basterretxea, also opened in 2006 and dedicated to the victims of Francoism.

Doña Casilda Park - remember the victims of Francoism

Doña Casilda Park - Detail of the inscription (victims of Franco)

Location of Doña Casilda Park:

Doña Casilda Park Map

When referring to the Basilica of Our Lady of Begoña, explained the different ways to reach by public transport. Despite these pathways, the most famous are the Mallona stairs rising from the old town to the Basilica of Begoña.

Origin of Begoña-Mallona stairs to the Plaza Unamuno (Bilbao)

The stairs have their origin in the corner of the Plaza de Unamuno Ascao street. In his rise up to Begoña we find the entrance to the cemetery Mallon. And it is the entrance to the cemetery is what little remains of this ancient cemetery in Bilbao because, like the rest of cemeteries, was dismantled with the construction of Derio cemetery. But Mallona cemetery remains an important place in Bilbao memory because there were buried auxiliary soldiers who defended the city during the siege of 1874. Therefore, all the Liberals May 2 society "Site" makes a wreath at the front of the cemetery.

Mallona Cemetery - Bilbao

El Arenal is near the Siete Calles the heart of Bilbao. In fact, the Arenal is considered the best access point to the Casco Viejo of Bilbao, especially if coming from the Plaza Circular through the Arenal bridge, allowing us to observe some of the most emblematic buildings in Bilbao.

Origins of Arenal (Bilbao)

Arenal name from the place where once the river deposited sands, forming an ancient beach which stretched from the right bank of the river to where now stands the Archaeological Museum. It was a very old used by fishermen to beach their boats Bilbao. With the passage of time and the progressive gain of the tidal terrreno made ​​in the fifteenth century, Arenal was already the center of Bilbao. It was also the venue of political events and holidays. In addition, permitted in 1483 appeared the first extension of Bilbao, through the suburbs of fomración Ascao and St. Nicholas, and centuries later the existing streets and Bidebarrieta Mail.

The Arenal is the third bridge that crossed the bed (the first was the bridge of San Antón and the second suspension bridge of San Francisco). The Arenal bridge was built in 1847 and was initially named Isabel II bridge. The Arenal bridge project was very important for the time he was done, and that allowed Bilbao to communicate the old with the new area Abando.

Like many other buildings in Bilbao, suffered the consequences of war and was destroyed twice. Crossing the Arenal bridge you can see the Teatro Arriaga , Feve station and the "Skyscraper of Bilbao".

Photo of Arenal and Arenal Bridge (Bilbao)

The Plaza Circular in Bilbao is the link between the Old Town and Eixample, or new Bilbao. That is why in the area there are numerous shops, offices, department stores and public transportation stations. Circular Square is dominated by the statue of Don Diego López de Haro, Lord of Biscay, which holds in hand the charter of the town (also known as the Town Charter).

Statue of Don Diego Lopez de Haro in Bilbao Circular Square

The statue of Don Diego López de Haro was held in Rome on 1889 of the hands of the Valencian sculptor Mariano Benlliure. The statue, 4 feet high, had to be moved by the piece. Once mounted on the pedestal and marble, the statue is 12 meters. This pedestal has four bronze shields Bilbao and two recorded episodes of the military life of Don Diego López de Haro. As with other sculptures of Bilbao, the Don Diego has not always been in the Plaza Circular. Initially it was installed in 1890 in the Plaza Nueva. Later, in 1895, was removed to build a music quisoco for concerts on Sunday and was placed in the Plaza Circular. There would only be 25, and in 1919 was moved to the Plaza de los Santos Juanes to, in 1938, finally returning to the Plaza Circular.

Surrounding the Plaza Circular, together with other editions, you can find the skyscrapers of BBVA (formerly Banco de Vizcaya). Also next to the metro we have another statue, this time by Eduardo Chillida: "In Praise of Iron III". We can find the Café La Granja, one of the few old cafes of the village still survive.

Arises from the Plaza Circular Buenos Aires street, towards the bridge of the City, the street Navarra, bound in Arenal and where we can find the Bilbao Stock Exchange , and Hurtado de Amezaga street leading up to the square Zabálburu and where the station is located Abando.

Plaza Circular in Bilbao