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Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the province of Biscay and in the Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city in northern Spain and the tenth largest city in Spain.
Research by historians and archaeologists concludes that the banks of the river estuary in Bilbao were already populated before its foundation as a Villa or chartered town in 1300. These settlements were located partly in what we know today as Bilbao la Vieja (La Merced and Marzana quays and San Francisco street) as well as on the right bank of the estuary, where there was a sea port with a clearly commercial character, which would be the embryo of the present Old Quarter. At this point, we can today visit San Antón church, where remains of Bilbao’s medieval wall can be seen, and the bridge of the same name, a symbol of these two banks that forged the city.
This "Original Bilbao" benefitted from its location, at the end of the Ibaizabal-Nervión estuary, on a flat area close to sea level with a natural inlet for mooring vessels. In addition, it was beside the iron mines of Mirivilla, was a communication link to nearby regions and the central Spanish plateau and a junction on the coastal Bay of Biscay routes of the Way of St. James.
On that original village, Diego López de Haro founded the Villa de Bilbao on 15 June 1300. A decade later, María Díaz de Haro, niece of Don Diego and new Lady of Biscay, granted a new town charter that further extended the trade privileges of the Villa, making it the obligatory passage for all trade from Castile towards the sea. It also established that the road from Orduña to Bermeo passed over San Antón bridge, thereby giving goods direct access to the sea.
In 1372 Juan I of Castile allows free exit and entry of goods from and to the town, concentrating on the transport of iron.
Taking these circumstances into account, historians and chroniclers agree that the economic, social and urban development of Bilbao was fast and was based on trade, on the port, on the weekly market and on the iron from Mirivilla (Miravilla).
Bilbao consolidated its commercial position throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, becoming the most important economic centre in the Seignory of Biscay. Exchanges with other European ports were strengthened during this period and trade was established with the American colonies, a migratory adventure in which thousands of Basques enlisted.
The urban development history of Bilbao during the 16th and the 18th century, starts after three natural disasters (two floods and a fire) that devastate the city in less than forty years and virtually reduce its medieval structure to rubble. This is when an extensive urban renewal project begins.
Wars set the tone of the first decades of the 19th century. During the Peninsular War (1808-1813), the French occupied several Basque towns, but not Bilbao, which remained a centre of resistance. On 6 August 1808, there was an uprising against Napoleon Bonaparte and Bilbao was seized on 16 August. The city would change hands several times during that year. On the other hand, the Basque Country was the main theatre for the Carlist Wars that blighted Spain during the 19th century.
Despite all those upheavals, Bilbao continued to develop. On 1 March 1862, the railway reached Bilbao, to the Abando station where you can now see “the Izarra”, one of the first six locomotives to run on the train tracks that would consolidate the importance of Bilbao as a financial and economic centre. From 1875 onwards, there was an unprecedented era of development, based on the nearby mines, trade and port activity. At the same time, Bilbao became known for its important iron and steel and ship building industries that became a key driver of the economic growth.
The 19th century witnessed some of the city's major projects and many of its iconic buildings date back to that time and in the early 20th century, Bilbao was the economic powerhouse of the Basque Country and one of the most important in Spain. The spectacular growth of Bilbao was accompanied by a significant cultural development, which would be disrupted by the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
With the war over and after a hard post-war period, the city would propose and would become a beacon for many immigrants that came to work in Bilbao's booming industry.However, after an economic boom, the iron and steel industry was hit by a deep crisis at the end of the 20th century that forced the city to rethink the basis of its economic development.
Towards the end of the 20th century, as a result of industrial restructuring, Bilbao has to make a radical change to its economy. After years of economic uncertainty, the city recovers its dynamic nature and becomes a service city, totally committed to environmental and urban regeneration.
For more information please visit:
The official Tourism Bilbao Office website
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