Habsburg and Bourbon Spain

Bilbao

Today: Spain

Years: 1492–1833
Role: Capital of Vizcaya and port of the Consulado

On 21 June 1511 Queen Juana I approved the ordinances of the Consulado of Bilbao, the most influential institution of the town for several centuries, and thanks to it its port became one of the main ones in Spain. In 1602 it was named capital of Vizcaya, a title Bermeo had held until then, and in 1631 an agreement between the lordship and the towns fixed the capital there. On 16 August 1808 the French took the town by force and sacked it.

What to see today

Iglesia de San Antón: Church, 1478 to 1775
Catedral de Santiago de Bilbao (Iglesia de Santiago): Cathedral, 1580 to 1686

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