Vigo

Vigo

Vigo, port city and naval station, Pontevedra provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Galicia, northwestern Spain. Vigo is one of the largest and most important fishing ports in all of Europe and is known for its freezing and canning industry. Vigo lies along the southeastern shore of the Vigo Inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Pontevedra city. It was attacked by the English admiral Sir Francis Drake in 1585 and 1589. In 1702 a British-Dutch fleet under Sir George Rooke and James Butler, Duke of Ormonde, destroyed a Franco-Spanish fleet in the bay.

The city’s architecture gives a modern impression, though a few old buildings still remain. These include the medieval chapel of the Casa de Caridad; the neoclassical Collegiate Church of Santo Cristo de la Victoria, built to commemorate the defeat of the French in the Peninsular War (1808–14); and the 17th-century Castillo del Castro.

The fishing industry has been the mainstay of Vigo’s economy for centuries; however, oil spills in the early 21st century polluted the waters and killed some of the marine life. Vigo’s manufactures include leather, lumber, flour, paper, sugar, brandy, and machinery. Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 294,772.