University of Deusto, Private Catholic university in Abandoibarra district, Bilbao, Spain
The University of Deusto is a private Catholic university in Bilbao, with its main campus running along the Nervión River in the Abandoibarra district. The main building stands opposite the Guggenheim Museum and the Euskalduna Conference and Music Centre, shaping the riverfront with its facade.
The Society of Jesus founded the institution in 1886 as Spain's first private university, moving its school of higher studies from Laguardia to Bilbao. The commercial section, opened in 1916, was the country's only business school for nearly five decades.
The Literary University building was constructed around two cloisters and houses a Gothic chapel along with the Paraninfo Room, which hosts ceremonies and lectures. These spaces remain the academic heart of the institution and connect teaching with the Jesuit heritage of the site.
The campus can be reached via the Padre Arrupe footbridge or the Deusto Bridge and sits close to tram and bus stops. A walk along the riverfront takes just a few minutes to the city center and offers a view of the surroundings.
The institution was the first private university in Spain at a time when all others were run by the state. It also remained the country's only training center for business studies until the 1960s.
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