National
Hanging Bridge of Vizcaya declared World Heritage Site
By m.p.
Jul 13, 2006 - 6:49 PM

The Hanging Bridge of Vizcaya - the Puente Colgante in Bilbao - has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, one of ten added to the list on 13th July.

Designed by Basque architect Alberto de Palacio, and completed in1898, the Vizcaya Bridge is described by the World Heritage Committee as a perfect combination of functionality and aesthetic beauty, in ‘an exceptional expression of technical creativity.’

It was the world’s first bridge to carry both people and traffic on a suspended gondola, and is the only one of its type still in use today.

It now also has the distinction of the first UNESCO site in Spain in the Industrial Heritage category.