Iglesia de San Anton (Church of Saint Anthony the Great), Bilbao

The Church of Saint Anthony the Great is a Catholic church in the Old Town district of Bilbao. The church is an example of the Gothic style of church architecture, favored in the 15th and 16th centuries. Despite reconstructions, it remains possible to observe some Gothic features.

At the time of its consecration in 1433, the Church of Saint Anthony the Great had a single nave with a vaulted roof. It was enlarged in 1478. The enlarged portion was in the Gothic style. The edifice went through floods and civil disturbances, especially during the Carlist Wars. In the 19th century, it was used for arms storage. Restorations were made in 1881.

The effect of all the restorations has produced an eclectic appearance. The facade is in the 16th-century Renaissance style, whereas most of the building is Gothic. The earliest Romanesque style features the round arches of the entrance. The nave ceiling, with its ribbed vaults, is Gothic. Corinthian columns flank the entry.

Figures of Saints Peter and Paul are in niches at the doorway. The present belfry tower was done by architect Gabriel de Capelastegui. It is a Baroque four-sided tower below the ornate belfry, topped by a dome and lantern.

The church has three chapels. The Chapel of Provost has two altarpieces dedicated to Sant Ana and the Virgin of Consolation. The Chapel of Piety is Gothic, with an arch and a ribbed vault. The smallest chapel is the Chapel of San Roque. It has a ribbed vault, a Gothic arch, and sculptures of San Roque, Saint Lucy, and Saint Sebastian.