Plaza Miguel Unamuno (Miguel Unamuno Square), Bilbao

Miguel de Unamuno, born in Bilbao in 1864, was a philosopher and writer who won many awards for poetry, essays, novels and plays. Bilbao celebrated him in 1934, naming him a "favorite son." There was even a street named after him. As the Civil War broke out in 1936, he came out for the Nationalist side, and these honors were withdrawn.

The square was originally Cross Square (Plazuela de la Cruz), named for its proximity to the 16th-century convent of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. In 1925 the place was called Auxiliaries Square (Plaza de los Auxilliares,) for the liberal forces in the Carlist War of 1873. In 1937, it was named for Franco's Navarra Brigades. In 1980 it was named for Miguel de Unamuno.

There are structures of note around the square, such as the Basque Archeological, Ethnographic and Historical Museum; the Archeological Museum of Bizkaia; Museum of the Holy Week Steps; the Calzadas de Mallona stairs of 1745, connecting Old Town (Casco Viejo) to the Basilica of Begona; and the Monument of Miguel de Unamuno. Nearby is the Bilbao New Square (Plaza Nueva de Bilbao).