Basílica de Santa María (Portugalete) Monument · Portugalete, Bilbo Handia / Gran Bilbao, Bizkaia Church whose construction began in 1492; its tower was rebuilt after 1874, following damage suffered during the Carlist sieges. 1492 (inicio de la construcción); posterior a 1874 (reconstrucción de la torre) Photo: Luidger (Wikimedia Commons) (CC BY-SA 3.0) What to see and do in Portugalete