BISCAY

biscay, bay of (fr. _golfe de gascogne_; sp. _golfo de vizcaya_), an inlet of the atlantic ocean; bounded on the e. and n.e. by france, as far as the island of ushant, and on the s. by spain as far as cape ortegal. the bay of biscay is the _sinus aquitanicus_, _sinus cantabricus_ or _cantaber oceanus_ of the romans; hence it is sometimes known as the cantabrian sea. its modern english name is a corrupt form of the spanish _vizcaya_. the bay forms a fairly regular curve, broken on the french seaboard only by the estuaries of the loire, garonne, adour and other rivers. the rugged spanish coast is indented by many fjord-like inlets, especially in the west, where navigation is sometimes difficult and dangerous; but its rivers are comparatively unimportant. the exposed position of the bay, and the diversity of its currents, have rendered it notorious for its storms. bisceglie (perhaps anc. _natiolum_), a seaport and episcopal see of apulia, italy, on the e.s.e. coast, in the province of bari, from which it is distant 211/2 m. by rail. pop. (1901) 30,885. two towers, one some 90 ft. high, of a once strong norman castle still remain; the cathedral belongs to the same period. the church of s. margherita, founded in 1197, has fine canopied gothic tombs of the falcone family.