Vitoria - Gazteiz
 Vitoria
– Gasteiz, the capital of the Basque Country, is surprisingly
different from either Bilbao or San Sebastian. Located inland
, its origins are marked by it being surrounded during centuries
by diverse kingdoms that met at the borders of the province,
Araba. Fortified until in the nineteenth century it steps literally
out of its walls descends over the hill and starts to spread
over the flat fields surrounding it. Nowadays, Vitoria is still
a steady growing city following the guide lines of the award
winning development plan and strategy that make of it a comfortable
pedestrian-friendly city to be enjoyed by locals and visitors
alike.
The Town of Vitoria was founded in 1181 by the King Sancho el
Sabio of Navarra perched on a hill at the centre of the Llanada
plain soon became a centre of great commercial interest and
a key point in communications between Spanish inland areas and
the borders with Navarra and France. The old quarter constitutes
a classical example of mediaeval town-planning, in other words,
narrow streets, gothic plot divisions and typical tall, narrow
houses (known locally as "saddlebag" houses). It is
still easy to make out the original mediaeval design as well
as the 18th century neo-classical extension. Walking today through
the streets of the oval-shaped old quarter takes us past countless
beautiful medieval and Renaissance buildings architecturally
intact and kept alive by means of their use for other purposes,
such as museums or exhibition centres. The Basque capital has
the best conserved medieval old quarter and was granted the
qualification of historical monument in 1997.
The area known as Los Arquillos is a series of terraced and
arcaded buildings that provide a clever solution to the problematic
difference in height between the old quarter and the newer part
of town, started in the Neo-classical style with the beautiful
Plaza de España, model for many others like in Madrid
or Salamanca and the more modern city centre, set around the
Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and the Calles Postas and Dato with
their sculptures, is a busy pedestrian and popular meeting place.
The central location of Vitoria - Gasteiz was ideal for setting
up markets and postas (staging posts). Inns and guesthouses
saw to the needs of the comings and goings of many people. The
transport of goods kept the local larders well stocked with
what was then considered exotic foodstuffs: fish fresh from
the coast, as it was on the route that wine of Rioja followed,
and a variety of produce from the fertile Ebro valley to the
South. A long tradition of hospitality therefore awaits the
visitors who wish to enjoy a well-rounded cuisine that has been
praised by travellers of all types. Today one of the city’s
most emblematic restaurants, “El Portalon” is a
reminiscent of the old stage coaches. In the area of Plaza de
la Virgen Blanca Square, visitors will also find a great concentration
of interesting establishments to explore the local cuisine and
specially the local desserts and sweets, tradition born in the
many nunneries of the city and now part of the local tradition
that celebrates each festivity with a different and characteristic
dessert.
For art lovers there is much to discover in Vitoria, from the
most interesting contemporary works in the new Artium museum
to the hidden treasures of the Cathedral of Santa Maria, that
has recently won the Europa Nostra award for its restoration
project; Vitoria-Gasteiz has an interesting cultural programme
(cinema, jazz, video, music, organ, the theatre, dancing, etc.)
throughout the year. Especially noteworthy are its International
jazz Festival and International Theatre Festival which take
place in the months of July and October respectively. There
are also other major culture centres such as the University,
the city's Historic Archives, The Institute of Iconographic
Studies, Its Image Centre, Music School, Dance School and its
Art, Archaeology, Gastronomy, Ceramics and Card Museums. This
cultural vitality is strengthened by an intense festive activity,
which comes to the fore especially during the Fiestas of la
Blanca, Día de San Prudencio and Día de Santiago
(local and regional patron saints days). During this time the
streets of Vitoria come to life with people having fun and watching
exhibitions of traditional Basque sports |
