B.11 BEYOND PUNTA BEGOÑA. A LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE

The name “Punta Begoña” denotes a significant location in the shape of the coast. “Punta” means “headland”, i.e. an area that stands out on the natural coastline. When human beings began to use the area for arable and livestock farming and as an outlet to the sea, its strategic position made this the ideal spot for defensive fortifications to protect the approaches to Bilbao from the sea. Little by little, changes in society and the economy in the 19th and 20th centuries led to the area being adapted to cater for the industrial, social and economic needs that arose with the opening up of the area to international trade. The outcome of this process is the man-made landscape that can be seen today. This is evidence of how landscapes evolve as a result of the long-term effects of human beings on the environment.

To understand the Punta Begoña Galleries properly, it is necessary to look beyond them to the landscape in which they stand. To interpret what we see correctly we need to understand the context in which it is set. This is why as much attention has been paid to studying the surrounding landscape as to studying the galleries themselves. As well as conducting studies of rock formations, plant life, urban development, history and socio-economic factors, we have also talked to the people who understand the area best.

There are people in Getxo for whom this area evokes strong memories and who can provide us with helpful descriptions of the Punta Begoña site. Part of the task of bringing the site back into the life of the community involves open days, exhibitions, guided tours and surveys to engage with local people. Those events have given us an insight into how local people see the heritage sites located in Getxo and beyond. Their involvement in the process enables us to see Punta Begoña as more than just a structure: from this viewing balcony we can link the site to other places and heritage sites nearby and further away that reveal information about the history of Getxo, Bizkaia and the Basque Country as a whole.