17 August 2004

Vizcaya Bridge over the Nervión estuary between Getxo and Portugalete, Bizkaia (Spain)

The Vizcaya Bridge can be seen as a culmination of iron working practices in the Basque area. The local iron seams were mined in Roman times; from 13th -16th century iron was exported to France and the Low Countries from as many as 300 Basque ironworks. And by the 18th century Basque iron was being used as agricultural implements for colonising new lands in South America. At the end of the 19th century, the ironworks were at the peak of their output with the adoption of new production methods disseminated by the industrial revolution.


Vizcaya Bridge
described as UNESCO World Heritage Site