Zazpikaleak
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Image:Bilbao1575.JPG Las Siete Calles or El Casco Viejo in Spanish or, Zazpikaleak or Alde Zarra in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao. The names mean Seven Streets or Old District respectively and it used to be the walled part of the town until the end of the 19th century.
[edit] The Seven Streets
The name Zazpikaleak or Las Siete Calles (The Seven Streets) come from the oldest part of the neighbourhood which included exactly 7 streets and some much more narrow alleys connecting them, called cantons (kantoi, cantón). The historical seven streets of Bilbao are:
- Somera
- Artekale
- Tendería
- Belostikale
- Carnicería Vieja
- Barrenkale
- Barrenkale Barrena
The "8th" street is Ronda, which used to be the patrol street outside the walls. Later the town expanded northwards with the construction of the Plaza Berria (new square) and the streets Santa María, Bidebarrieta, Correo and Askao. Nowadays the neighbourhood also includes the Ribera street, the Arenal Park and Esperanza street as well.
Casco viejo, Portal de Zamudio |
The market Mercado de la Ribera |
La Ribera |
[edit] Tourism
The area is probably the most colorful part of Bilbao, including many shops and taverns, several historical churches (San Antón, Santos Juanes, the Cathedral, San Nicolás), the largest food retail market of Europe (Mercado de la Ribera), the public Arriaga Theatre, the seat of the Academy of the Basque Language (Euskaltzaindia), a ball court, a public library. It is connected to the rest of the city and conurbation by the subway, tramway and buses. Three public elevators also connect Casco Viejo to the neighbourhoods of Begoña and Solokoetxe, which otherwise demand a rather intense uphill walk.
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