History and Strategy

The Museo Marítimo Ría de Bilbao maritime museum was made possible by the efforts of the not-for-profit private foundation of the same name set up in 1996. The Foundation was set up by a group of people with close links to the sea and particularly to the Bilbao river estuary. With the incorporation of the Foundation and the future museum, they sought to promote research into and the conservation and dissemination of the cultural heritage represented by maritime activities throughout history on the River estuary, in the port of Bilbao and elsewhere in the province of Bizkaia.

The Governing Board was set up in 1997, comprising representatives of leading areas of public and private life in Bilbao. The museum’s sponsorship and patronage programme was introduced in 1999, along lines already used by the businesses and institutions that belonged to the Governing Board of the Foundation.

The museum has a surface area of around 27,000m². It features both indoor and outdoor exhibition areas. The large, exterior dock area is home to a significant part of its collection, in the form of actual vessels. The indoor exhibition area is divided into three main topics: the river estuary itself, the development of trade in and around Bilbao and the development of shipbuilding on the river. It also has plenty of room to organise temporary exhibitions as a complement to its permanent collection.

Vision

The vision of the museum is to be acknowledged as a benchmark for maritime culture in the Bay of Biscay.

Mission

We protect the maritime heritage of Bilbao and Bizkaia, through its research and conservation, we spread maritime culture and transmit it to the following generations.

“Culture” here is understood as an ensemble of knowledge, ideas, traditions and customs that characterise a people, and “Maritime” refers to our own specific area of action. The link between the Basques and the sea via the Bay of Biscay dates back to our very origins, and in Bizkaia the Bilbao river estuary has always been our gateway to the rest of the world. Our heritage boasts numerous tangible and intangible vestiges of our maritime past that deserve to be recognised and highlighted.

Values

OPEN: with a close, inclusive attitude that seeks to be accessible to all people, proactive in collaboration with other agents and in generating community.

EXCELLENT: we give the best of each one, especially in the personalized and unique treatment with each person with whom we interact.

INNOVATIVE: which leads us to seek new paths in all areas of management, fueled by our permanent concern to grow and advance.

SOCIAL: we actively work to generate a favorable social, economic and environmental impact with special emphasis on gender equality, accessibility, inclusion and sustainability.

Itsasmuseum is open to culture and knowledge in the scope of the history of the Maritime heritage of Bilbao and Bizkaia.

Strategic lines

To protect and disseminate the maritime culture of Bizkaia.

To form part of the project to make Bilbao a city of values, culture and knowledge and help to consolidate it.

To provide a forum for participation that acts responsibly in regard to the surrounding area and the community of which it is a part.

To work to attain excellence in our area of action and promote active listening.