Diocese of Bilbao


The Diocese of Bilbao is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Bilbao and Province of Biscay in Northern Spain. It is part of the ecclesiastical province of Burgos.
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History

Territory

The Diocese of Bilbao covers all the territory of Biscay, except the exclave of Orduña, and including the tiny enclave of Valle de Villaverde.
The diocese is divided in seven territorial vicarages:
  1. Encartaciones Bajas
  2. Encartaciones Altas
  3. Bilbao-Abando
  4. Durango-Arratia
  5. Gernikaldea
  6. Bilbao-Begoña

Bishops of Bilbao

Special churches

Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora

History

The church was consecrated in Lekeitio in 1287, and was recorded as under construction in 1374. A century later, in 1487, it was all but ready for use. The neo-Gothic retrochoir by architect Casto de Zavala was added between 1881 and 1884, thanks to benefactor Pascual Abaroa

Building

The church consist of three staggered naves in four sections and a polygonal chevet at the centre, the latter surrounded by a lower retro-choir. On the main wall there is a narrow gallery, in the form of windows with sills decorated with blind tracery. The church has one of the finest triforia in all Basque Gothic Architecture. The archivolted west door is set into a façade blooming with tiny original sculptured decorations. The tower consists of an ancient shaft that rises to roof level and a more modern belfry above.

Furniture

The church is presided by a superb polychrome wood retable. The retable recounts the life of the Virgin in narrative and symbolic references.