Vitoria-Gasteiz (; ; also historically spelled Vittoria in English) is the seat of government and the capital city of the Basque Country and of the province of Álava in northern Spain. It holds the autonomous community's House of Parliament, the headquarters of the Government, and the Lehendakari's official residency.
The municipality—which comprises not only the city but also the mainly agricultural lands of 63 villages around—is the largest in the Basque Country, with a total area of . With a population of 260,402 as of 2025, it is also the 2nd most populous city in the Basque Country, as well as the 17th-largest in Spain. The inhabitants of Vitoria-Gasteiz are called vitorianos or gasteiztarrak, while traditionally they are dubbed babazorros (Basque for 'bean sacks').
Vitoria-Gasteiz is a city that specialises in health-care, aeronautics, the automotive industry, and viticulture. It is the first Spanish municipality to be awarded the title of European Green Capital (in 2012) and it has been also recognized by the UN with the Global Green City Award (in 2019). The old town has preserved medieval streets and plazas in the region and it is one of very few cities with two cathedrals. The city also holds well known festivals such as the Azkena rock festival, FesTVal, Vitoria-Gasteiz jazz festival, and the Virgen Blanca Festivities. The city is often ranked as one with the highest standard of living among all cities in Spain, and first as to green areas and cultural places per capita.
Vitoria-Gasteiz's vicinity is home to acclaimed wineries such as Ysios, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, and Marqués de Riscal, by Frank Gehry. Relevant heritage sites including the Neolithic remains of Aizkomendi, Sorginetxe and La chabola de la Hechicera; Iron Age remains such as the settlements of Lastra and Buradón; antique remains such as the settlement of La Hoya and the salt valley of Añana; and several medieval fortresses including the Tower of Mendoza and the Tower of Varona.
Ludwig van Beethoven dedicated his Opus 91, often called the "Battle of Vitoria" or "Wellington's Victory", to one of the most famous events of the Napoleonic Wars: the Battle of Vitoria, in which a Spanish, Portuguese and British army under the command of General the Duke of Wellington broke the French army and nearly captured the puppet king Joseph Bonaparte. It was a pivotal point in the Peninsular War, and a precursor to the expulsion of the French army from Spain. A memorial statue can be seen today in Virgen Blanca Square.
Name The official name of Vitoria-Gasteiz is a compound name of its traditional names in and , respectively. By inhabitants, it is still generally referred to as either Vitoria or Gasteiz, depending on the language spoken. More rarely, it may be referred to by Basque speakers as Vitorixe, a Basque form of the Spanish name.
History
In 581 AD, the Visigoth king Liuvigild founded the city of Victoriacum, trying to emulate the Roman foundations, as a celebration of the victory against the Vascones near what is assumed to be the hill occupied by the primitive village of Gasteiz. This however is not sufficiently proven, and some historians and experts believe that Victoriacum was located not on the site of present-day Vitoria-Gasteiz but nearby. Several possible locations have been proposed, the foremost of which is the late Roman military camp of Iruña-Veleia (cf. J. M. Lacarra). Veleia is located some 11 km north of modern Vitoria, on the banks of the same river. However, modern archeological studies of the site suggest that Veleia was last inhabited , and archeologists are still to find a 6th-century Visigothic resettlement in the site. Another theory has suggested that Victoriacum was located at the foot of Mount Gorbea where there is a village called Vitoriano. The town of Armentia, nowadays in the outskirts of Vitoria, has also been proposed as a possible location of Victoriacum. In either case, Victoriacum vanishes from history shortly after its foundation.
In 1181, Sancho the Wise, King of Navarre, founded the town of Nova Victoria as a defensive outpost on top of a hill at the site of the previous settlement of Gasteiz. The existence of Gastehiz, apparently inhabited by Vasconic people,S. Villimer: Vitoria, historia de una ciudad, p. 160 (Vitoria 1977). can be traced back to the Middle Ages; it is certain that by the 11th century, prior to the foundation of Nova Victoria, the settlement was already walled. It is assumed that Sancho the Wise gave the new city its name in memory of the old settlement of Victoriacum, which must had long since been abandoned. In 1199, the town was besieged for nine months and eventually captured by the troops of Alfonso VIII of Castile, who annexed the town to the Kingdom of Castile. The town was progressively enlarged and in 1431 it was granted a city charter by King Juan II of Castile. In 1463, it was one of the five founding villas of the Brotherhood of Álava alongside Sajazarra, Miranda de Ebro, Pancorbo and Salvatierra/Agurain.
The Battle of Vitoria of the Peninsular War occurred near Vitoria-Gasteiz along the river Zadorra on 21 June 1813. An allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under General the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan. The victory assured the eventual end of French control in Spain. There is a monument commemorating this battle in the main square of the city known as the Monument to Independence.
When news came to Vienna in late July of that year, Johann Nepomuk Mälzel commissioned Ludwig van Beethoven to compose a symphony, the op. 91 Wellingtons Sieg oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria (Wellington's Victory, or the Battle of Vitoria) or Siegessymphonie.
Work began on the Institute for Middle Education in 1843, with classes beginning during the 1853–54 academic year. It is now current headquarters of the Basque Parliament and formerly the convent of Santa Clara. The Free University opened in the wake of the revolution of 1868. The university operated from 1869, to just prior to the 1873–1874 term, largely because of the second Carlist War. Some of its most notable academics were Ricardo Becerro de Bengoa, Julián Apraiz and Federico Baraibar. The latter was also among the first teachers of Basque in Vitoria-Gasteiz as an off-syllabus subject.
Spanish Civil War At the start of the Spanish Civil War Álava and Vitoria were easily captured by the rebel Nationalists led by General Angel García Benítez, assisted by Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega. Vitoria was captured on 19 July 1936. In November 1936 an attempt by Republicans to retake Vitoria was thwarted after being spotted by Nationalist reconnaissance aircraft.Beevor (2006) p.251 The 1937 Nationalist campaign in Vizcaya was supported by 80 German aircraft based at Vitoria,Thomas (2012) p.596 where the Condor Legion fighter wing was concentrated.Beevor (2006) p.253
Transition to democracy During the Spanish transition to democracy, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi was the scene of a police shooting on March 3, 1976 during a peaceful labour assembly. Under the orders of Interior Minister Manuel Fraga, the police shot tear-gas into the church where 5,000 demonstrators and others had met, firing on them as they struggled their way out of the building. It resulted in five dead and over one hundred wounded by gunshot.
On 20 May 1980, by decision of the Basque Parliament, Vitoria-Gasteiz became the place of the common institutions of the Basque Autonomous Community.
Judizmendi
Historically, there once was a Jewish community living in Vitoria, before the expulsion of the Jews. In 1492, the year of the expulsion, the town council agreed to maintain and respect the Jewish cemetery, which became known as Judimendi, or "mountain of the Jews" in Basque. Over time, linguistically, "Judimendi" became "Judizmendi." Unique to anywhere else in Spain, the town maintained this agreement from 1492-1952, when the town undertook plans to convert Judizmendi to a public garden. The Jewish community in Bayonne heard about these plans, and convinced the city government of Vitoria-Gasteiz to commemorate the memory of the cemetery. In 2004, Israeli artist Yaël Artsi created the monument "Coexistence" to be displayed at Judizmendi.
In 2017, the monument was vandalized with anti-semitic graffiti twice: once in April, and once in May.
In 2019, the Basque Jewish community held a ceremony to pay tribute to the city for honoring its promise to the Jews.
Climate Vitoria-Gasteiz has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb). Winters are much cooler than in lowland coastal areas, whilst summers are similar in terms of high temperatures, with cool nights due to the elevation. Summers show a significant influence of mediterranean precipitation patterns, but enough precipitation usually occurs to remain marine in nature. Sunshine levels are low by Spanish standards and the climate is humid year-round.
Demographics
As of 2025, the population is 260,402, of whom 48.7% are male and 51.3% are female. People under 16 years old make up 14.3% of the population, and people over 65 years old make up 22.9%.
Immigration As of 2025, the foreign-born population is 47,206, making up 18.1% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign countries of origin are Colombia (9,503), Morocco (5,759), Algeria (2,785), Venezuela (2,450) and Peru (2,044).
+Foreign population by country of birth (2025)CountryPopulation9,5035,7592,7852,4502,0441,8351,8301,5031,4321,3831,335954838820813
Subdivisions Councils
The municipality of Vitoria has subsumed a number of rural villages, which are preserved as concejos, retaining a certain degree of administrative autonomy.Junta Electoral del territorio histórico de Álava. Boletín Oficial del Territorio Histórico de Álava. 10 de diciembre de 2013. Consultado el 26 de abril de 2016.
Abetxuko Aberásturi Amarita Andollu Antezana/Andetxa Aranbizkarra Arangiz Arkauti - Arcaute Arkaia Aretxabaleta Argandoña Aríñez - Ariñiz Armentia Arriaga Askartza Asteguieta Berrostegieta Betoño Bolibar Castillo - Gaztelu Ehari-Ali Elorriaga Eskibel Estarrona Foronda Gamarra Mayor - Gamarra Nagusia Gamarra Menor - Gamarra Gutxia Gamiz Gardelegi Gobeo Gometxa Guereña Hueto Abajo - Otobarren Hueto Arriba - Otogoien Ilarratza Jungitu Krispiña - Crispijana Lasarte Legarda Lermanda Lopidana Lubiano Margarita Martioda Matauko Mendiguren Mendiola Mendoza Miñano Mayor - Miñao Miñano Menor - Miñao Gutxia Monasterioguren Oreitia Otazu Retana Subijana de Álava - Subillana-Gasteiz Ullíbarri Arrazua Ullibarri de los Olleros - Uribarri Nagusia Ullibarri-Viña - Uribarri-Dibiña Villafranca Yurre-Ihurre Zerio Zuazo de Vitoria - Zuhatzu Zumeltzu
Politics In 2023, Maider Etxebarria (PSE-EE PSOE) was elected to a four-year term as Mayor in coalition with EAJ-PNV and support from PP. The current municipal composition is as follows:
EH Bildu - 7 PSE-EE PSOE - 6 People's Party - 6 EAJ-PNV - 6 Elkarrekin Podemos - 2
Attractions
Cathedral of Santa Maria (Old Cathedral), a 14th-century Gothic building with a 17th-century tower. Under the pórtico are three open doorways decorated with statues and reliefs. In the interior, chapels containing Gothic, Flemish and Italian Renaissance images including paintings by Rubens and van Dyck. The cathedral is undergoing restoration and has been studied by experts from around the world for its architectural curiosities, including those deformations which it has suffered due to previous restorations. Cathedral of María Inmaculada of Vitoria (New Cathedral), built and consecrated in the 20th century, in Gothic Revival style.