User:OI-13-gormazabal/sandbox

The square of the Virgen Blanca (Andre Maria Zuria plaza in basque language) was fisrt denominated in the year 1901 and the monument of the battle of Vitoria inaugurated in 1917. The traditional estetic image of the square lasted 90 years and it was only a regular place with any type of cobblestone and a tiny fountain in the middle. (photo1)

At the begining of the XX. century, the surface was repaired introducing some trees in which nowadays forms a path that is actually the Prado street. (photo2)

In 1917 the monument of the battle of  Vitoria-Gasteiz was stablished by the Valencian sculptor  Gabriel Borrás Abellá that commemorates the victory of the troops anglo-spanish on the french napoleonic, on 21 June 1813, adding some more trees with a style of french gardens. The habitants of the city gather there each 4th of August to give beginning to the prepared in honor of their Patron Saint, accompanying with their songs and jumps-down from the tower of a typical doll that represents them all, Celedón. (photo of Celedón)

In the year 2006 the mayor of the town Alfonso Alonso  proposed to change the image of the square removing the monument and the gardens but according to the opinion of the citizens, they accepted to remove ónly the garden. The project that they presented include many things: to maintain the monument of the battle, add more bicycle roads, use more public transports... with a maximun cost of 2.500.000 euros. The construction finally began on september of 2007 and they proposed to put some lighting fountains by the eliminaton of the gardens but it went out to tender with a budget of 2.7 million euros and a period of 6 months for carrying out the works. In april 23rd of 2008 the construction was finished and that same morning was opened to the people. The modern lighting fountains have a 140 watts of lights with many types of colours and a green neon light. In fact the square has not anymore bins or places to sit.