“Chronicle of a transformation (1900–1957). Holdings from the BBVA Collection and Historical Archive”

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Dates: 31 October 2025 – 6 April 2026
Venue: Historical Archive of Euskadi, María Díaz de Haro 3, 48013 Bilbao, Vizcaya
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 4:00–7:30pm; Saturdays, 10:00am–7:30pm; Sundays, public holidays, 24 and 31 December, 6 April, 10:00am–2:00pm (closed Mondays, 25 December 2025, 1 and 6 January 2026)
Guided tours: in Basque and Spanish, on Wednesdays at 6:00pm and Saturdays at 12:00pm. Information and advance booking: artxiboabisitak@gmail.com and +34 670 358 542

Exhibition organised in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Language Policy of the Basque Government.

Embracing the first half of the twentieth century, this exhibition is conceived as a continuation of “The economic history of Vizcaya from 1857 to 1905. An overview” held at the Historical Archive of Euskadi between 2023 and 2024.

Divided into four sections, it offers a journey from the opening years of the century up until 1957, the centenary of the founding of Banco de Bilbao. Through documents, photographs, objects and artworks from the BBVA Historical Archive—the first archive of a private bank ever created in Spain—and from the BBVA Collection, the exhibition highlights some of the key milestones in the country’s economic and social development.

During this period, the banks that would eventually go on to form BBVA (Banco de Bilbao and Banco de Vizcaya) expanded their national and international reach and financed major projects, both in the Basque Country—such as Altos Hornos de Vizcaya and Hidroeléctrica Ibérica—as well as the rest of Spain, contributing decisively to regional and national growth. In times of economic crisis, armed conflict and political instability, both institutions demonstrated their resilience and remained firmly committed to society, acting as pillars of stability and progress.
Commemorations such as the fiftieth and hundredth anniversaries only strengthened their twofold vocation for continuity, on the one hand, and adaptation and innovation on the other.
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