Deusto, also known as Deustu in
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
and formerly known as ''San Pedro de Deusto'', is one of the eight districts of
Bilbao
Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...
, Spain. It is located on the right side of the
Bilbao estuary, in the northwestern part of the city and bordering the estuary itself on the south and the southern hillside of
Mount Artxanda and Mount Bandera on the north. Deusto was originally an
elizate and also a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
until 1925 when it was completely annexed by Bilbao in order to expand the free land available to the city. Deusto is known as the university district of the city
as it is home to the
University of Deusto and the Faculty of Economics and Business of the
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country (, ''EHU''; , ''UPV''; officially EHU) is a Spanish public university of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community.
Heir of the University of Deusto, University of Bilbao, initial ...
.
History

Little is known about the history of Deusto, as much of the local archives were destroyed during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. The exact moment of its foundation is unknown, but this is a common trait shared with other
elizates across
Biscay
Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...
. It is known that the San Pedro de Deusto church was constructed some time around the 14th century and that until the 1700s the land was sparsely populated and the main economic activities were fishing and agricultural production, mostly wheat and vines.
The first town hall was erected in 1752, replaced by another building in 1888; this latter was demolished during the civil war. The town had the seat number 35 in the
General Councils of Biscay. Traditionally, the municipality was divided into two quarters: Erribera (''riverside'') located by the river, which concentrated the commercial and maritime activities of the village, and Goierri (''highland'') at the foothills of mount Artxanda, which included most of the farm land. At the end of the 19th century the town enjoyed relative commercial prosperity thanks to the opening the railway line between Bilbao and
Getxo
Getxo () (Spanish: ''Guecho'') is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, in Spain.
It is part of Greater Bilbao, and has 75,430 inhabitants (2023). Getxo ...
, which included a station in Deusto. Using the railway line, many of the agricultural products from Deusto were more easily sold in the
Ribera market of Bilbao.
A royal decree signed on 29 October 1924 established the annexation of Deusto to the city of Bilbao, effective on 1 January of the following year. Alongside Deusto, the elizates of
Begoña
Begoña is a historical municipality of Biscay (Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain) and is a neighbourhood and urban district of Bilbao.
''Begoña'', or more puristically but also more rarely spelled ''Begoina'', means ' ...
and
Lutxana were also annexed, although the latter would regain its autonomy in the early 1980s. In the following years a series of urban plans were developed, designed by architect
Ricardo Bastida, with the aim of establishing a first urban grid for the district, which at the time still consisted mostly of scattered farmhouses. The rapid industrial development of Bilbao caused a massive migration of workers coming from elsewhere in Spain, and in consequence the creation of decadent shanty towns on the hills of the mount Banderas. These were demolished and replaced by apartment building projects in the decade of 1950, completely depleting the available land in the district.
The
Deusto Bridge, a moveable bridge spanning the Bilbao estuary and connecting Deusto with
Abando was constructed between 1932 and 1936. During the
Francoist dictatorship
Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
it was renamed ''Bridge of the Generalissimo''. Its name was changed back to Deusto in the late 1970s. In 1968 a
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
was excavated connecting to the estuary on its northwestern side, with the aim of relieving the vessel traffic on the river. This canal became known as the Deusto Canal, and the newly created peninsula was named
Zorrotzaurre. This peninsula would later become an artificial island, following the completion of the Zorrotzaurre Master Plan designed by architect
Zaha Hadid. As part of the Plan, the canal was finished and officially opened on 8 October 2018, making the former peninsula become an island.
Geography
Deusto is located on the right bank of the
estuary of Bilbao, on a plain between the river and nearby mountains. It borders to the north with
Mount Artxanda, a natural border between the city of Bilbao and the neighbouring municipalities of
Erandio
Erandio is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, northern Spain.
History
In 1415, during the War of the Bands, the ...
and
Sondika. To the east it borders the district of
Uribarri,
Abando to the south and
Basurtu-Zorrotza to the west. Deusto has a total area of .
Subdivisions
Politically and administratively, the district of Deusto is subdivided into four quarters (Basque: ''auzo''), although it is common for locals to refer to even smaller subdivisions. The quarters are
Arangoiti,
Ibarrekolanda,
San Ignazio-Elorrieta and
Deustu Doneperiaga-Deustuibarra. While
Zorrotzaurre is administratively part of Deustu Doneperiaga-Deustuibarra, it is often considered as a separate entity due to its particular conditions.
Infrastructure
Education
The district of Deusto is popularly known as the university district of Bilbao.
Located in Deusto is the main campus of the
University of Deusto, a private university owned by the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
, a religious order of the Catholic church. The university was founded in 1886 after the Jesuits moved their School of Higher Studies from
Laguardia to its current location in Deusto. Since its foundation the university has played a prominent role in the industrial development of Bilbao and
its metropolitan area. The main campus building was designed by Spanish architect
Francisco de Cubas and it was the largest building of the city when it first opened.
Also in Deusto it is located the Faculty of Economics and Business of the
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country (, ''EHU''; , ''UPV''; officially EHU) is a Spanish public university of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community.
Heir of the University of Deusto, University of Bilbao, initial ...
, located next to the Sarriko park in the Ibarrekolanda quarter. The faculty was founded in 1955 as the Faculty of Economic Sciences and it adopted its current name in 2015. The European campus of the
DigiPen Institute of Technology is located in the Zorrotzaurre island.
In Deusto is also located the Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga
music conservatory
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger i ...
, the main music academy of the city. The district also houses the municipal
Official School of Languages and the
British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...
. Private religious schools such as the
Salesians and
La Salle are also located in the district.
Healthcare
There are two public
district health centers in the district, part of the
Osakidetza network. They are located in the Deustu Doneperiaga and San Ignazio-Elorrieta quarters. Located in the Deustuibarra quarter is the main hospital of ''Igualatorio Médico Quirúrgico'' (IMQ), a private healthcare provider.
Sports
The district has two municipal sport facilities, one in Deustu Doneperiaga-Deustuibarra and the other in San Ignazio-Elorrieta. The Deusto Sports Center (''Polideportivo de Deusto'') is located by the
Euskalduna Bridge and the Bilbao estuary and was opened in 1987. Women's amateur football club
San Ignacio KE and men's club
SD Deusto (with a history going back to 1913) are based there.
Parks and gardens
The park of Sarriko, in the Ibarrekolanda quarter, is the largest of the district. Deusto has plazas and small parks scattered around its quarters, such as the Deustu Park by the Bidarte Palace, the San Pedro Plaza by the old church and the Hermano Gárate gardens by the university. The riverside includes more than three kilometres of walkways alongside the river, starting in Botikazar street by the university and continuing alongside the estuary up until Elorrieta. Many of these areas have been recently refurbished and renewed as part of the Zorrotzaurre Master Plan urban intervention.
Transport

The district is serviced by the
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
system
Metro Bilbao lines 1 and 2, with three stations:
Deustu,
Sarriko and
San Ignazio. This underground system was opened in 1995 replacing the regional railway system ''Bilbao-Las Arenas railway'', which started operations in the late 19th century. This narrow-gaude railway service had four stations across the district, ''Universidad'' (by the University of Deusto), ''Deusto'', ''Ibarrekolanda'' and ''San Ignacio''; after the opening of the metro system this overground track was shut down, although service was maintained between ''Deusto'' and the
Casco Viejo station operated by
Euskotren. The service was finally suspended in 2010 and the remaining ''Deusto'' and ''Universidad'' stations closed down.
The district is served by numerous local
Bilbobus lines connecting to elsewhere in the city and particularly to Abando and the city centre. The regional buses
Bizkaibus serve several stops across the district, connecting to the main
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country (, ''EHU''; , ''UPV''; officially EHU) is a Spanish public university of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community.
Heir of the University of Deusto, University of Bilbao, initial ...
campus in
Leioa and other cities on the right bank of the estuary. According to the Zorrotzaurre Master Plan, an extension of the
Bilbao tram
The Bilbao tram (, ) is a tram system in Bilbao, Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. Operated by Euskotren under the brand Euskotren Tranbia (which also manages the tram system Vitoria-Gasteiz tram, in Vitoria-Gasteiz), ...
is expected to traverse the new
Zorrotzaurre island, with four stations planned.
Lehendakari Aguirre Avenue, named after the first
Basque president José Antonio Aguirre, is the main avenue traversing the district, connecting the
Deusto Bridge area all the way to Elorrieta across Ibarrekolanda and San Ignazio. The regional road BI-604 starts at Deusto, connecting with the Asua valley across mount Artxanda, whereas from Saint Pius X square there are connections to the BI-625 regional road towards east Bilbao and the Artxanda-Ugasco tunnels towards the
Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport is a minor international airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in Biscay. It is the largest airport in the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 6,336,441 passengers in 2023. It is famous for its new ...
.
Deusto Canal
The Deusto Canal is the district's main waterway after the estuary itself, separating the Erribera quarter into two sections; the riverside proper and the Zorrotzaurre island. It is an artificial
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
whose construction began in 1950, although the original project dates the early 20th century. The canal was intended to relieve maritime traffic in the estuary by serving as docks for the industrial activities that then were common in the Deusto riverside. The canal served its original purpose until 2006, when the construction of the new outer
Port of Bilbao was completed. The last ship to depart from the Deusto docks was the vessel ''Fri River'', carrying laminated steel.
The original project intended the canal to connect directly Elorrieta with the Euskalduna shipyards, transforming Zorrotzaurre into an artificial island, however the construction was stopped before completion, leaving Zorrotzaurre as a peninsula instead. Following the Zorrotzaurre Master Plan designed by architect
Zaha Hadid, a key element in the configuration of Zorrotzaurre and the Deusto riverside as new residential areas, works to finally complete the canal resumed in 2014 and was completed in 2018.
Bridges

There are four bridges in the district, three crossing the estuary and one crossing the canal. The Deusto Bridge is the oldest, built in 1936 as a result of the necessity of directly connecting
Abando with the districts annexed to Bilbao a decade earlier. It is a
bascule bridge
A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...
designed by architect
Ricardo Bastida and inspired in the moveable bridges of
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It was blown up less than a year after being finished, during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
and reconstructed again in 1937.
The Euskalduna Bridge was the second bridge to cross the estuary in Deusto, opened in 1997 and designed by civil engineer
Javier Manterola. It is a viaduct connecting the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús square with the Deusto riverside, using the land formerly occupied by
Euskalduna
Euskalduna de Construcción y Reparación de Buques de Bilbao (shortened to Euskalduna) was a Basques, Basque engineering company specialising in ship construction, firearms, locomotives, and automobiles. The company was based in Bilbao, Spain and ...
shipyards, hence the name. The third bridge constructed is the pedestrian Pedro Arrupe walkway, named after
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
priest
Pedro Arrupe and connects the modern
Abandoibarra area of
Abando directly to the University of Deusto campus.
The fourth bridge to be constructed in Deusto is the
Frank Gehry Bridge, crossing the Deusto Canal and connecting the Deusto riverside to
Zorrotzaurre. It was opened in 2015 and named after architect
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry ( ; ; born February 28, 1929) is a Canadian-American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become attractions.
Gehry rose to prominence in th ...
, who designed the
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Currently under construction is the San Ignazio-Zorrotzaurre bridge, the second bridge spanning the Deusto Canal and connecting the San Ignazio quarter with the island. It is expected to be finished and open to traffic in 2020 and will be named after a relevant female figure.
Notable people
*
Yolanda González (1961-1980), murdered communist student
Sights
File:Universidad de Deusto.jpg, University of Deusto
File:Bilbao - Puente de Deusto 02.jpg, Deusto Bridge
File:Bilbao - San Pedro de Deusto 01.JPG, San Pedro de Deusto Church
File:Bilbao - Plaza de Ibarrekolanda, Conservatorio de Música Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga 9.jpg, Music Conservatory Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga
File:Euskalduna zubia airetik.jpg, Euskalduna Bridge
File:Bidarte.jpg, Bidarte Park
File:Bilbao - Zorrotzaurre (Deusto), Iglesia de San Pablo 4.JPG, San Pablo Church
File:Puente Pedro Arrupe.jpg, Pedro Arrupe walkway
References
{{Coord, 43, 16, 20, N, 2, 56, 45, W, source:euwiki_region:ES-BI_type:landmark, display=title
Districts of Bilbao
Estuary of Bilbao