Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

VITORIA

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 149 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

VITORIA , an episcopal See also:

city of See also:northern See also:Spain, and See also:capital of the See also:province of See also:Alava; on the See also:Miranda de See also:Ebro-Alsasua See also:section of the Northern See also:railways, among the See also:southern outliers of the Cantabrian mountains, and on the See also:left See also:bank of the See also:river Zadorra, a left-See also:hand tributary of the Ebro. Pop. (1900) 30,7o1. The city is built on a See also:hill 1750 ft. high, and overlooks the See also:plain VITORIA of Alava. Its See also:oldest See also:part, the See also:Campillo or See also:Villa-See also:Suso, occupies the See also:top of the hill; some of the walls and towers by which it was formerly defended still remain. Below it is Vitoria See also:Antigua, with narrow tortuous lanes; on the still See also:lower level ground is the See also:modern See also:town, with wide streets, an arcaded See also:market-See also:place and shady promenades. The See also:cathedral of See also:Santa Maria in the Campillo See also:dates from 1181, but has been considerably spoiled by See also:late additions: the See also:church of See also:San See also:Miguel also dates from the 12th See also:century; it has an exceptionally beautiful See also:altar, carved in See also:wood by J. See also:Velazquez and G. Hernandez, in the 16th century. The town See also:hall and the See also:palace of the provincial See also:assembly contain some See also:fine paintings and interesting See also:relics connected with the See also:history of Alava. Vitoria, from its favourable position on the See also:main lines from See also:Madrid to See also:France and to the See also:port of San See also:Sebastian, is an important centre of See also:trade in See also:wine, See also:wool, horses, mules and hardware; other See also:industries are See also:paper-making, See also:carriage-See also:building, See also:cabinet-making, tanning and the manufacture of earthenware. There is a See also:branch railway from Vitoria to See also:Villarreal.

The city is lighted by See also:

electricity; its trade and See also:population have largely increased since 1875. Vitoria was founded in 581 by See also:Leovigild, See also:king of the Visigoths; but its importance dates from the loth century. In 1181 Sancho the See also:Wise of See also:Navarre granted it a See also:charter and fortified it. See also:Battle of Vitoria: For the operations which preceded the battle of Vitoria see See also:PENINSULAR See also:WAR. On See also:June 2ISt, 1813, the See also:French See also:army in Spain (about 65,000 men with 150 guns), under King See also:Joseph See also:Bonaparte, held an extended position in the See also:basin of Vitoria, See also:south (with the exception of the extreme right) of the river Zadorra. The left rested on the heights of See also:Puebla, See also:north of the Puebla Pass, and Puebla de Arganzon, through which ran the Miranda-Vitoria-See also:Bayonne road, Joseph's See also:line of communication with France. Thence the line stretched to the See also:ridge of See also:Margarita, the troops so fa' being under See also:General Gazan, with a second supporting line under D'Erlon between Arinez and See also:Hermandad and a reserve behind Arinez. The right under Reille guarded the See also:Bilbao-Vitoria road, occupying heights on the north bank of the Zadorra, and also the villages and See also:bridges of Abechuco and Gamarra See also:Mayor, as well as a ridge near Ariaga on the south bank. There were no troops between Hermandad and Ariaga, except a See also:mass of See also:cavalry near Mi. The Zadorra, fordable in certain spots only, was spanned by bridges at Puebla de Arganzon, Nanclares, Villodas, Tres Puentes, See also:Mendoza, Abechuco and Gamarra Mayor, which French guns commanded; but, for some See also:reason, none of these had been destroyed. The faults of the French position and their occupation of it were its See also:extension; that it was in prolongation of and (on the right especially) very See also:close to their line of See also:retreat, so that if the right were driven back this line could be at once seized; that the centre was not strongly held; and that all bridges were left intact. The See also:Allies (nearly 8o,000, with 90 guns), under See also:Wellington, had moved from the river Bayas at daylight to attack Joseph, in four columns, .the right being under Hill (20,000, including Morillos's Spaniards), the right centre and left centre under Wellington (30,000) and the left under See also:Graham (20,000, including Longa's Spaniards).

As the columns marched across the intersected See also:

country between the Bayas and Zadorra, extending from near Puebla de Arganzon to the Bilbao-Vitoria road, they kept See also:touch with each other; and as they neared the Zadorra the battle opened all along the line soon after ro a.m. Welling-ton's instructions to Graham were to undertake no manoeuvre which would See also:separate his See also:column from those on the right; but, with this proviso, to seize the Vitoria-Bayonne road if the enemy appeared decidedly in retreat. Hill after a See also:sharp contest gained the Puebla heights, too weakly held; and pushing through the pass carried the See also:village of Subijana de Alava. The right centre column having reached Villodas, was waiting for Hill to gain further ground, when the See also:bridge at Tres Puentes was observed to, be unguarded, probably because it was commanded from the south bank; and, the French See also:attention being now turned towards their flanks, it was surprised and rushed by Wellington with the See also:Light See also:division, supported quickly by cavalry and other troops, who maintained themselves on the south bank. Joseph's centre was partially forced, while his left was hard pressed by Hill; and, fearing that Gazan and D'Erlon might be cut off from Reille, he ordered them to withdraw to a ridge farther back, which they did, holding Arinez in front. Here there was no hard fighting; but, as Wellington had now passed three divisions, many guns and the cavalry (which, however, from the nature of the ground could be but little used) across the Zadorra, Margarita, Hermandad and Arinez soon See also:fell to the Allies. On the left, Graham, having turned the heights north of Zadorra with Longa's Spaniards, seized Gamarra Menor close to the Bayonne road. He also with heavy loss carried Gamarra Mayor and Abechuco, but the bridges south of these villages, though more than once taken, were always recaptured by Reille. At length, when a See also:brigade from the Allied centre had been pushed up from Hermandad against Reille's flank, he withdrew from the obstinately defended bridges, and before this Gazan and D'Erlon had also fallen back, fighting, to a third position on a ridge between Armentia and See also:Ali See also:west of Vitoria. Here, at about 6 p.m., they made a last stand, being compelled in the end to yield; and as Graham having now crossed the bridges was close to the Bayonne road, the main See also:body of Joseph's army fled by a See also:bad See also:cross road towards Pampeluna, abandoning See also:artillery, vehicles and baggage (of which an enormous quantity was parked near Vitoria), Reille afterwards joining it through Betonia. The Allies then occupied Vitoria and pursued the French until nightfall. All Joseph's equipages, See also:ammunition and stores, 143 guns, a million See also:sterling in mcney, and various trophies fell into Wellington's hands, the French loss in men being nearly 7000, that of the Allies over 5000, of whom 1600 were Portuguese and Spaniards.

This decisive victory practically freed Spain from French domination. (C. W.

End of Article: VITORIA

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
VITOR
[next]
VITRE