Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque: Gasteiz; IPA: [ɡas̺teis̻]; Spanish: Vitoria, IPA: [biˈtoɾja]; officially Vitoria-Gasteiz) is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city. The dwellers of the city are called Vitorianos or Gasteiztarras, while traditionally they are dubbed Babazorros (Basque for 'bean eaters').
Vitoria-Gasteiz will be the European Green Capital in 2012.
In the year 581 the Visigoth king Liuvigild founded the city of Victoriacum, trying to emulate the Roman foundations, as a celebration of the victory against the Vascones near what is assumed to be the hill occupied by the primitive village of Gasteiz. This however is not sufficiently proven, and some historians and experts believe that Victoriacum was located not on the site of present-day Vitoria-Gasteiz but nearby, maybe at Iruña-Veleia (cf. J.M. Lacarra) or at the foot of Mount Gorbea where there is a village called Vitoriano.