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El Pobal Forge
The El Pobal Forge stands in the municipal area of the town of Muskiz. In this water-driven facility, iron ore was wrought into all types of tools and utensils. It was built at the beginning of the sixteenth century by the Salazars, the family that ruled over the area from the Muñatones Castle, and it continued operating until 1965. Its period of maximum splendour came at the end of the seventeenth century, when the workshop and was extended and the hydraulic facilities were rebuilt. However, much of the buildings and machinery we can see today date from the end of the nineteenth century, when the last iron workers were struggling to survive in a technologically more advanced world. A whole manufacturing complex grew up around the forge, including the ironworkers houses, the flour mill, the bread ovens, the vegetable gardens and the hills that supplied the forge with timber and charcoal. Open to the public since 2004, El Pobal is a living museum dedicated to two of the most important preindustrial activities of the province: iron manufacture and milling. Visitors to this beautiful spot on the banks of the Barbadun river can see the two water wheels in action. El Pobal Forge
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Museum of Holy Week Floats (Pa...
The Museum of Holy Week ‘Pasos’ (religious sculptures) contains one of the most important exhibitions of carved pieces in Bilbao. Holy Week is a popular religious expression of immense cultural, artistic and historical value. Each "paso" represents a scene in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The larger-than-life depictions of the Last Supper, the Seizing of Christ, the Flogging and the Crucifixion form a visual display of the most important moments in the Christian faith. Also on display are some of the floats on which the images are carried, which are themselves true works of art. The carvings date from the eighteenth and twentieth centuries , combining in thirteen processional ensembles, many catalogued as excellent examples of this form of art. The museum also contains some valuable examples of embroidery and gold and silverwork, historical photographs of Holy Week in the city, a beautiful exhibition of dioramas on the public life of Jesus and the vestments of the brotherhoods of Bilbao, giving visitors a chance to share the city s Easter commemorations. Museum of Holy Week Floats (Pasos)
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Balmaseda Museum
The museum opened in 2003. It contains a collection of works of art, books, documents and objects related to the history of Balmaseda. It is situated in the former church of San Juan del Moral, founded by Don Juan López del Puente in the fifteenth century, which is in the old quarter of the town, on the banks of the Kadagua river. The exhibition is structured into six sections dealing with: History of the town. Founded in 1199 by Don Lope Sánchez de Mena, Balmaseda was the first chartered town in Biscay. Leading figures in the history of Balmaseda Cultural events. Easter. Medieval Market. Burning of the town by Napoleonic troops during the Peninsular War. Historical and artistic heritage . Balmaseda contains important examples of religious and civil architecture and its well-preserved old quarter retains the typical structure of a chartered town. Industries and traditions . Carpentry, copper-beating, beret manufacture, gastronomy (putxeras and txakoli). The Jose Ignacio Llaguno Leniz room where visitors can admire original bedchamber furniture and household items, typical of a well-to-do nineteenth century family. Balmaseda Museum
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Muñatones Castle
The Muñatones Castle was built over a long period of time extending throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, against the backdrop of the devastating factional wars that wracked the Basque Country at the time. For its exceptional historical value and the quality of the remains preserved, the casel has been declared a listed monument. The system of external walls make this tower the only true castle in Bizkaia. It has strong ties with the powerful Lope García de Salazar, man of arms and letters, who wrote the celebrated Bienandanzas e Fortunas. The fortress is also closely associated with the forge at El Pobal, built at the beginning of the sixteenth century by Ochoa de Salazar (grandson of the chronicler Lope García), which remained in the family for nearly 200 years. A visit to the two monuments –castle and forge– offers a good illustration of different but complementary aspects of the history of Bizkaia. Together, the yield a wealth of information on the way of life of the rural nobility and the sources of wealth on which their power was based. THE MUÑATONES CASTLE
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Valentín Berriotxoa Museum...
This museum contains a unique collection of objects and documents associated with the life and times of St Valentine of Berriotxoa. Originally housed in the house where the saint was born, in 1966 it moved to the Santa Ana convent in Elorrio. The current premises were opened in 2003 and show the saint’s early years with his family in Elorrio and his education at the Seminar in Logroño. This is followed by a section on his travels to the Philippines and his missionary work in Tonkin (Vietnam) until his martyrdom in 1862 and the return of his relics to Bizkaia. The visit concludes with some panels on the process of beatification and canonisation. The visit is illustrated with documents, photographs, maps, autographical texts, paintings, pieces of gold and silverware and textiles as well as a number of items directly associated with the life and work of St Valentine of Berriotxoa, co-patron of Bizkaia. Valentín Berriotxoa Museum
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Loizaga Tower. Museum of Old a...
The Loizaga Tower Antique Motor Car is situated in the reconstructed Concejuelo Castle in the municipal area of Galdames. The museum is home to one of the finest antique cars collections in the world containing exclusive models FROM illustrious firms such as Hispano-Suiza, Ford, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Cadillac, all perfectly preserved. However, the star of the show is the world’s most complete collection of Rolls-Royces. The collection includes every model ever made by Rolls-Royce up to 1998, when the marque was taken over by BMW, all in a perfect state of preservation. Loizaga Tower. Museum of Old and Classic Motor Cars info@torreloizaga.com Móvil: +34 649412001
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Manufacture-musée La Encartada...
The La Encartada museum is located in a former woolen factory which operated from 1892 to 1992. It is a unique example of the industrial history of Bizkaia. As well as showcasing the province’s under-represented wool industry – a driving force in introducing technical advances during the manufacturing era– the factory has remained almost unchanged since it was built. The surroundings, the workers homes, the water-powered drive system and the machinery combine to create an atmosphere that is highly evocative of the beginning of the industrial revolution. Over the last decade, the factory has gradually been restored as a museum of the Basque textile industry. The factory was originally constructed at the behest of an émigré from the town, Marcos Arena Bermejillo, who built the industrial complex that has remained largely unchanged to this day. Until it was closed in 1992, it took charge of all stages in the manufacturing process, buying raw wool, spinning it and then making berets (the principal product), blankets, cloths, scarves, socks, spools of yarn and ski masks. Manufacture-musée La Encartada
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RIALIA- Museum of Industry
Any history, even the history of an area or an industry, is really the story of the men and women who made it what it was. Iron was an essential ingredient for Bizkaia’s industrial revolution, but no less important was the Nervion river estuary. These are the three central themes of the permanent collection at the RIALIA Museum of Industry: MAN, IRON and RIVER, viewed from a historical, ethnographic and artistic perspective. The Rialia Museum of Industry offers the general public first-class cultural facilities and acts as a venue for culture, art, history and the future. Rialia wants to be a place where people can enjoy themselves and learn more about the past; a place that pays homage to the working class and a showcase for the latest artistic trends. The museum houses pieces from the historical and art collections of the State Company for Industrial Participations, particularly a large pictorial work loaned to Portugalete Town Council for 25 years. Other works acquired by the council or donated to the museum include pieces by Nicolás Martínez Ortiz de Zarate, García Ergüin, Nicolás Esparza, Luna y Novicio and Ricardo Gómez Gimeno and the Rialia collection. RIALIA- Museum of Industry
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Museum of Athletic Club
In May 2014, the museum plan and the master plan for the museum were drafted, i.e. the definition of what kind of museum should be erected, for what reason and for whom. The intention was for the new museum to meet the expectations of Athletic fans and, at the same time, arouse the interest of foreign visitors to find out more about our special sporting philosophy.
