The Church of San Antón is a Catholic church located in the Old Town neighbourhood of Bilbao, Spain. It is dedicated to Anthony the Great, known as San Antón in Spanish. It is featured, along with the San Antón Bridge, in the city's coat of arms. The estuary of Bilbao flows next to it. Introduction Saint Anthony's church is an example of the Gothic style of church architecture, popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. Despite reconstruction it remains possible to observe some Gothic features as the rib vaults and the pointed arches. History The church was built at the end of the 15th century on a plot where there had been a warehouse for three hundred years. It is considered an asset of cultural interest since 17 July 1984, in the category "National Historic-Artistic Monument". In 1300 Diego López de Haro gave the municipal charter. The river and the plot were incorporated to the new village called Bilbao. Some claim that in 1334 Alfonso XI of Castile ordered to build a fortress and wall that were used like a dike against the flood. A wall was discovered in 2002 by an archaeological excavation but the claim is still inconclusive. Some time later this two buildings were replaced by one church dedicated to Saint Anthony the Great. The church was consecrated in 1433, at that point the church had only the single nave with a rectangular floor and a vaulted roof. Now. the old foundations of that church can be seen near the old wall of Bilbao. In 1478, a new construction project began to enlarge the church, as the congregation was growing. This enlargement, in Gothic style, was finished in the first part of the 16th century. Throughout history this church has suffered damage and was closed twice. The main source of damage was flooding from the Nervión river. The last flood was in 1983 and resulted in furniture, drag doors and railings inside the church being destroyed. The church has also suffered damage through bombing and fire during war, especially during the Carlist war. During this war, the church was forced to close as it was used for military logistics. The church was forced to close for a second time in 1881, owing to the tumbledown state of the church. Restoration work undertaken by Sabino Goikoetxea changed much of the original design of the church. Gothic art in