It is dedicated to the apostle James the Great, by virtue of being a point of transit for the pilgrims that followed the Northern Way of the Camino de Santiago.

[1] The temple was originally built between the 14th and 15th centuries as the city's main parish church, and as such, it is one the oldest extant buildings in Bilbao.

It was built on the site of a previous temple with its origins probably date to well before the foundation of the city in 1300, when Bilbao was little more than a small enclave of fishermen.

The tower with spire and west portico, designed by local architect Severino de Achúcarro, were concluded in 1887.

[3] Architecturally, the present building is a mixture of styles: from the 15th century Gothic of the cloister and the main vault, where of special interest are the cloister and the beautiful portal that gives access Correo street (Puerta del Angel), to the ostentatious Gothic Revival façade and bell tower.