Church of the Sacred Heart (Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón)

In the middle of Bilbao’s modern downtown stands this large Neo-Gothic monument, fortified with brick and stone and topped with a five-foot-tall bronze statue of Jesus. The structure—Church of the Sacred Heart (Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón)—was built as the new home of the Jesuits, who constructed the residence along with a church in the early 19th century. The building was designed by architect José María Basterra in his own modernist style. The two original pinnacle towers of the church were dismantled in the 20th century, but this monument’s facade was restored.

The bright colors and intricate decoration of the interior were unique to the architectural style at the time it was built. With a combination of traditional elements such as stained glass and a main altar dedicated to the Sacred Heart, and a distinct modernist style, the monument stands as a decorative representation of Bilbao’s past and present.