During a trip to any country, travelers are interested in local attractions and memorable places. Spain is an amazing country, each region of which is interesting for tourists in its own way. Seasoned travelers must have heard of the Basque Country. This is one of the autonomous provinces of Spain, which has its own cultural and linguistic differences.
History of the region
In the north of the country is an amazing Basque Country. Vitoria is not only its capital, but also the center of the province of Alava. The city also has a second name - Vitoria-Gasteiz. Currently, its population is 200,000 inhabitants. And this despite the fact that 300 thousand people live in the entire province of Alava.
For six centuries, the lands on which Vitoria (Spain) and the Basque Country are located (Alava is a part of it) were subordinate to the Roman Empire. But in the 11-15 centuries the region fell under the rule of Castile and Navarra. It was at this time that the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) was founded. This memorable event took place in 1181, thanks to King Sancho VI, who was nicknamed the Wise. However, after 19 years, the city fell under the rule of the Kingdom of Castile.
All its further existence, the Basque Country and Vitoria-Gasteiz are fighting for independence. By the way, the struggle has not been stopped to this day. For the first time in documents, reference to the country's independence dates back to 1425. But the region lost its status very quickly, becoming part of the Spanish state. Independence was restored only in 1931. A parliament and a government even appeared in the country. In this status, the Basque Country did not exist for very long - until 1939. Over the next forty years, the region continued its struggle.
Nowadays...
And only in 1979, he received the status of an autonomous community, which included the provinces of Alava, Bizkaia and Ibarra. And to this day, the country is actively fighting for its independent existence. On its territory two languages are used, it has its own emblem, flag and its national holidays.
And Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) since 1980 became the capital of the Basque Country. All the most important political institutions are concentrated in the city.
Temple of San Miguel
The city of Vitoria in Spain is very small and very calm. Very often, tourists completely unfairly deprive him of attention. Meanwhile, on its territory and in the immediate vicinity there are many attractions.
One of them is the temple of the Archangel Michael, built in the fourteenth century. The church was built in an eclectic style, which is characterized by the use of Renaissance and Gothic architectural elements. The temple building is located in the historic quarters of Vitoria (Spain), on the southern slope of the hill, where once there was an ancient city with fortifications. At one time, the church was built on the site of an older structure. The main facade of the temple faces Mateo Moraz. The building has a rectangular shape and is equipped with two chapels. In its walls, a machete knife, which was considered a symbol of the supreme power of Vitoria, was previously stored. Each mayor, upon assuming office, certainly swore allegiance to his beloved city on this weapon.
Monastery of the Holy Cross
The sights of Vitoria (Spain) include the oldest monastery in the city, which was consecrated in honor of the Holy Cross. The temple is valid to this day. Dominican sisters now live in the convent. The monastery consists of a small temple and a building where nuns live. This place is famous for the fact that two elements of the Crucifixion of Christ are stored on its territory.
The monastery was founded in 1511. After eleven years, the land on which the monastery was located fell into the ownership of the Temple of Santa Domingo, which at that time was outside the fortifications. None of its parts has survived to our time, since it was demolished in the twentieth century.
In 1522 a small temple was consecrated. A little later, in 1530, influential patrons appeared at the monastery (the married couple Aguirre), who turned part of it into their residence, which left its mark on the complex. The architecture of the monastery complex to this day is of genuine interest to tourists.
Museum of maps
One of the interesting places in Vitoria (Spain) is the Museum of Maps. His collection originates from a private collection of ordinary playing cards, which were collected by Felix Alfaro Fournier since 1916. He was the grandson of a famous Spanish card maker. The government of Alava in 1984 bought the collection, declaring it a cultural heritage. And ten years later, the meeting was located in the palace of Bendanya Palace, not far from the Archaeological Museum. The museum building was built in the Renaissance style at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Despite the fact that the construction took place during the Renaissance, there are many elements of the Late Gothic style in the architecture of the palace.
Felix Alfaro began collecting his collection in 1916 after he inherited a family business founded in 1868. Initially, the collection was exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts. But gradually the collection increased significantly, and it had to be moved to a new building. Currently, the museum is one of the few institutions in the world whose exposition is dedicated to playing cards. The collection has twenty thousand decks collected from around the world. The guests of the establishment can learn a lot of interesting things about the history of the development of cards dating back to the fifteenth century.
Cathedral of Virgin Mary
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary in Vitoria (Spain) is one of the largest in the whole country. At the time the construction of the temple began, the city already had a temple with a very similar name. In order to distinguish between them, a newer structure was called New.
A magnificent neo-Gothic temple was built across from the Florida park in the modern part of the city. The local bishop insisted on its construction, since the old cathedral no longer contained the whole flock. Under the place of construction of the building, a plot was allocated on the territory of the old temple. The first stone in the construction was laid in 1907. Architects from all over Spain were invited to build the cathedral. The best building materials from distant regions were brought here. After the allocated funds were over, construction stopped for as long as forty years. They returned to him only in 1946. And by 1973 the building was completed.
Fortress walls
Another interesting place worth seeing is the medieval defensive structure of Vitoria (Spain). The photo allows you to assess the full power of the fortifications that have reached us, which today are a tourist attraction. The walls were erected at the end of the eleventh century, one hundred years before the foundation of the city itself. In that distant era, a small village was located on this site, which was the former outpost of the kingdom of Navarre. Vitoria has always been on the way from the Castile Plateau to the northern regions of Europe. In the thirteenth century, annual fairs were held here, which attracted guests from the Iberian Peninsula.
For the last centuries, the city walls were hidden among the buildings of the old center. And only in 2001 during archaeological excavations near the Cathedral of Santa Maria were found fragments of medieval defensive walls. After careful research, it was found that they belong to the very first fortification, which was built before the foundation of the city. Experts believe that the wall in length reached 900 meters. It was built 22 guard towers. Up to now, no more than half of them have survived. In 2010, a wall reconstruction project was implemented. You can see the fortifications of Vitoria during the tour.
Weapons museum
The Weapons Museum in Vitoria was created thanks to Felix Alfaro Fournier, who donated his amazing collection of weapons to the government. The institution was opened in 1966 in a restored building of the sixteenth century, located in the historic center of the town. Currently, museum guests have the opportunity to get acquainted with the exposition, which presents weapons samples from all lands of Alava of different centuries. Most of the items are weapons, from the prehistoric era to the beginning of the twentieth century.
The first hall of the museum provides visitors with the opportunity to see tools of the Stone Age, whose age exceeds three thousand years. Also here you can see objects of the Iron Age, made of iron and bronze. No less impressive are the weapons of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. From the Middle Ages, crossbows, swords, chain mail dating from the twelfth century reached us.
The whole museum hall is dedicated to firearms. Also on display is a collection of objects from Africa, Arab and Eastern countries - sabers, swords, spears, Malay daggers, muskets, swords and more. The highlight of the entire exposition are two samurai costumes dated to the sixteenth century.
Museum of Religious Art
In the fourteenth century, the Old Cathedral was built, made in the Gothic style. However, it was not completed in full immediately. Its tower was built only after three centuries. The cathedral building is stunningly beautiful and literally filled with the spirit of the time. Inside, it is decorated with Flemish and Gothic images of Rubens and Van Dyke. The cathedral contains many secrets. Until now, excavations are being carried out in it, during which they always find something interesting and new. Within its walls is the Museum of Religious Art. A new temple was erected at the beginning of the twentieth century. Its construction lasted for seventy years.
Weather in Vitoria
If you plan to visit Vitoria, then it does not hurt to get acquainted with the local climate. It is worth noting that throughout the year in the region there is a high level of humidity. Even in the warmest months, there is a lot of rainfall. The city is characterized by moderate temperatures.
Therefore, nothing will stop you from seeing amazing sights. Going on a trip, it is worthwhile to take an interest in the weather in Vitoria (Spain) for 10 days to verify the favorable conditions and a small amount of forecasted precipitation. The best time to visit the city is from April to October.
Reviews for Vitoria (Spain)
Travelers note that Vitoria can be called the best city of the Basque Country. For some reason, the attention of tourists is always more focused on other cities in the Alava region. Meanwhile, Vitoria can offer a lot of interesting things. Travelers recommend visiting not only the sights of the city, but also visiting the surroundings. A very interesting place is the salt valley called Solinas de Anyana. The visitors are impressed by the ancient structures that served to transport salt water to the sites where they later received salt.
Tourists recommend visiting a cafe in Vitoria, because the Basque Country is known for its gastronomic delights, which are certainly worth trying. Enthusiastic gourmet reviews are the best feature. Walking around the city, you can visit the sports complex of Mendisorrosa, on the territory of which, in the absence of events, there is a market where you can buy famous cheeses and other delicacies.