! a view of viguera and la rioja spain europe - vistas de viguera en la rioja españa europa - panorama de viguera dans la rioja espagne europe

Spain situation in Europe

Rioja situation in Spain

	Stone bridge in Logroño ,the city of La Rioja province
	Entry of Calahorra,bimillennial town
	Tipicals caves in Arnedo,town of the shoe
	Najera ,capital of the furniture
	Santo domigo de la calzada where pilgrims stop.Outstanding cathedral with its famous cock and hen, its pilgrim hospital,the famous dessert (ahorcadidos)
	Clavijo castle famous for its battle.The landscape is wonderful.There is a beautiful ermitage -The Santiago ermitage
	Vignards from La Rioja.Economic,social and cultural richness source of La Rioja
	Tipical dish from La Rioja.Vegetable garden gastronomy.

Geography

There are two sectors: the Valley and the mountain range. The first forms part of the valley of the Ebro and it is subdivided in High Rioja and Low Rioja; the second is configured by the end northoccidental of the iberian system (mountain range of the Demand, Picks of Urbión, Cebollera mountain range).

The distribution of the population of La Rioja is quite unequal: so, while in the Valley they are arrived to the density of 95 hab/km², the mountain average is only 5 hab/km².

The wine, cultivated especially with regard in Haro and in the valley of the Najerilla, is the most representative cultivation of the region, and their wine production is one of the more well-known for their quality inside of and outside of the country. Cereales (barley, wheat), it is also cultivated fruits and vegetables.

In the cattle activity, there are sheeps in the Valley and the vaccine give up not so much in the Valley (intensive breeding) than in the mountain range (extensive). The industrial activity is centered in the elaboration of agrarian products (preserves in the Low Rioja: Calahorra, Logroño, Alfaro; wines in Haro), seconded by other branches like the metal (Logroño), chemistry and of the footwear.

History

The first stable inhabitants in La Rioja,date of neolitique and eneolitique, there are patterns of their presence, numerous structures of the culture megalitiques (dolmens and colectives tombs). After the celtics invasions , the territory of La Rioja was occuped by the berones, they established their capital in Varea (2km from Logroño).After the romanisation (s.II to. J.C.), in times of Augusto Iuliobriga, the current Logroño, the town received many denominations (Ruconia, Basconia). After the visigode dominance in the 714 the region was conquered for the Moslems that would maintain her denominated zone of The Low Rioja during three centuries in their power.

The reconquerest was slow because of the region was object of continuous disputes between the Castilian and Navarre sovereigns. In 1076, Alfonso the Wise incorporated Castilla and conceded the fuero of Logroño (1095) with the one which The Rioja knew a time of great richness. However one century later (1163) Sancho the Sage of Navarra snatched it to the crown of Castilla and occupied Logroño. After several years fighting, in 1179 the intervention of Enrique II from England,give the right to occupe Rioja to Castilla, defining their borders. Nevertheless the disputes would be prolonged until the XIV century. So taking advantage of the situation of disorder provoked by the civil war of Castilla (1367), in the one which they were faced Pedro I and Enrique Trastámara, Navarra occupied Logroño and other places that they had to return to Castilla after the peace of Briones. Overcome this period, The Rioja experienced a period of great political, economical and social prosperity, that with some downs and ups will extend until the XVIII century.

The principal markets of their textiles industries of wool and of their wine production was the Basque Country, Burgos and Navarra. The explusion of the moslem hand of work affected the production of the important agricultural fields of La Rioja. Converted in county of Logroño in 1833, their economical potential was seen relegated to a second term for the lacking in modern improvement of their textile industry and the bad commercialization of their wines. In this context of decadence, The Rioja was stage of an important carlist removal in 1836.

In 1933, in Arnedo, the farmers and the force public had severe battles. The military garnish of Logroño was imposed in the rebellion of July of 1936. In 1982 the county of Logroño transformed in the autonomous community of La Rioja, in the new deal designed by the central Government. After their triumph in the elections of 1983, the PSOE constituted the first autonomous government of the region. Although in the elections of 1987 the PSOE was the majority party, it was constituted of a government of Popular Alliance, with the support of others minorities groups. The socialists occupied the government in 1989 again, under the presidency of José Ignacio Pérez Sáenz, ratified in the elections of 1991.Subsequently the year 1995 the responsibility of the regional government relapsed in the popular party under the presidency of Pedro Sanz.

Art

The oldest remainders are the ruins of the basílicas of Velilla (Agoncillo) and Santa María de Rute (Lagunilla), representative of the paleocristian art. This tendency marked the artistic way until further on of the I century (basilique of Santa María de los Arcos). The romanique churches (time of the reconquista) are very modest in general, with one two rooms (Santo Domingo, in Cervera, or San Millán de la Cogolla of Suso, this one was reconstructed and enlarged in the XI century, starting from a moslem church of the X century ); just a church of three ships is conserved, San Bartolomé de Logroño.There are many country temples of only one ship (San Félix in Ábalos, Santa María de la Piscina) in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. The most important patterns of romaniz sculpture is the monumental group of Santo Domingo de la Calzada,Santa María de Bañares and the sepulcher of san Millán. After a period of protogotic transition(XIII and XIV c.), with romanic and gotic buildings there was the gotic sculpture (cover of the San Bartolomé church of Logroño). There are few examples of romanic and gotic painting, in their majority wall painting (in the greater chapel of Santa María de los Arcos of Tricio).

In the XVI c. the hispanowallons influences dominated, blended with renacentistic forms. For examples the big abbeys and cathedral of the XVI c. (Santa María la Real of Nájera, San Millán de Yuso), the churches (Leiva, Bañares) and some palaces (Samano, Paternina).The sculpture ended up by imposing the manieristic forms (Guyot of Beogrant or Arnao of Bruselas), and in painting so much foreign teachers (Picardo Lion) as well as Rioja painters (Andrew of Melgar). In the XVIII c., the baroc rioja art had a great importance; architectural element of this time are in the church of Cuzcurrita, the palaces of Fuenmayor, Haro, Briones, or in the city hall of Haro. On the other hand, it was a bad time for the painting , until José Vejes, author of beautiful fresh and big canvases (cloister of Santa María de Palacio). The baroque sculpture had an evolution from the classical forms till the triumph of the rococó at the ends of the XVIII century (Lucas de Mena, Andres de monasterio, Manuel de Agreda).

In the XIX c. the architecture was dominated with neoclassical tendencies (theater of Breton de los herreros in Logroño), in the first half of the XX c. with the work of Luis Barrón, Quintín Bello and Fermín Álamo. After the civil war a period was begun monumentalistic, that was converted, in the years fifty, in racionalist (labor institute of Alfaro, of José Antonio Corrals).

The sculpture and painting of the XIX and XX centuries had a commemorative vocation , with the reign of the realistic line (sculptors like Pablo Gibert, Daniel González, Vicente Ochoa, or painters like Isidoro Lozano or Gerardo Sacristan). With Fernando Trevijano an avant-garde opening was begun that gave new the rules to the current artists (Dalmati Narvaiza, Reina rosales, Ariznavarreta, Soriano, García Moreda).

Towns in La Rioja

Economics

12.407 hab. In the Low Rioja near the Cidacos river. Wine,oil.The horticulture is well represented by peppers. The explotations of fruit trees completes their productive primary structure. There is an important industrie of footwear..

Art

Artistic monuments are: the castle and the medieval baileys, the churches of Santo Tomás and San Cosme and San Damián, the Hospital and the oratory of the Magdalena, located all of them in the urban nucleus.

It is in the Low Rioja ,near the Cidacos river. 18.582 hab. The agriculture is still a very important activity.cereals, fruits, and, above all, peppers. Cattle . The industry turns around the agricultural sector (flours, sugar and tins). Commercial center.

History and Art

It is one of the oldest cities of the peninsule. Probably it was found by the iberians with the name of« Calauria». The Roman converted it in one of their colonies,naming it "Calagurris Julia". The cathedral, reformed in the XV century, has a beautiful tower and an outstanding main baroque frontage. Churches of Santiago (c. 1625) and of San Francisco. It was the native villa of Quintiliano and Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

High Rioja and near the Ebro river; 8.669 hab. Outstanding center of the industry of wine (elaboration of wines with Rioja origin denomination), There is industries of the wine, as well as another like the chemistry, textile, of textile machinery. Central hydroelectric . The city conserves part of their fortifications: baileys and castle of the Velasco. Church of Santo Tomás (XVI c.).There is also an outstanding civil architecture: city council (work of Juan of Villanueva, 1780),palaces (house of Paternina).

121.911 [hab]. Near the Ebro and Iregua rivers, Logroño is an important knot of communications. The economical activity is the transformation and commercialization of products of the field ,vegetables,fruits,cereals,tobacco,sweets, preserves and wines (with own origin denomination);they are important other old branches, like the packing. Other industrial sectors, located in modern areas (El Campillo, Cascajos), is the chemical, metallurgist, pharmacist, synthetic textile, furniture, rubber, footwear and mechanic constructions. As the political center of the region it has an important administrative activity.

History

In times of Augusto it was denominated Iuliobriga. In the current district of Varea sat down the berones of Varia.It was occupied in 574 by Leovigildo and latter passed to hands of the Christians in 755. Alfonso VI gave a "fuero" (special laws) to the population in 1095, that was subsequently ratified by Alfonso VIII (1168). For their strategic situation --in the way of Santiago-- it was due of disputes between Castilla and Navarra during the Middle Age: the navarre people, allies with the aragoneses people,occupied two times (1336, 1460), being reconquered finally by Castilla by Enrique IV. In the war of the Independence against France it suffered the occupation of the troops of the general Clausel. The Carlist wars and the protection of Espartero played a primordial paper in the industrialization of the city: industries,tins (1840), candies (Solano, 1850), wine (cellars of the marqués de Murrieta, 1870) and tobacco (1890).During the third carlist war it was bombarded in several times (1872-1876).

Art

Preserve some remainders of their walled medieval enclosure. The church of San Bartolomé (XIII-XIV centuries), with arabic tower, it is the older monument. The cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda (XV-XVI century) presents a baroque facade (1742-1760) and keeps in their interior the "retablo" of San Ildefonso (renaissance), the chairs of the choir (XVI c.) and the chapel from Los Angeles (rococo, 1762).

Near the Najerilla river; 6.907 hab. Cultivations of unirrigated land (cereals, wine) and (vegetables, beet, fruits).Furniture industry.Ceramic.

History

According to certain authors, it is the Tricio of the Roman. Reconquered in the VIII century by the kings of Pamplona, Castilla annexed it the year 1076, it was a battlefield two times (1360, 1367), the fights between Enrique of Trastámara and Pedro I.

Art

The monastery of Santa María la Real, built in 1032 by García III of Navarra, has an outstanding gotic church(XV c.),romanic sepulcher in stone (XII c.) of Blanca de Navarra and D. López de Haro and his wife (s. XIII); chairs of the choir (1495).

In the High Rioja and in the valley of the Cárdenas; 299 hab. Cultivations of vineyards. There is the monastery of Suso, built by san Millán. Originally it was a group of natural caves.There is an arabe church in one of its chapels, dug in the rock. The sepulcher of san Millán (XII c.). Next to the town is the monastery of Yuso (or of San Millán de Yuso), with a great architectural group of the s. XVI: church of renaissance style (works of T. Rodi, J. Pérez Solarte and J. Pérez Orieta, 1504-1540).Both monasteries,Suso and Yuso, are humanity heritage because of the very first words in spanish and basque were written here in a book named glosas emilianenses.

history

The town was founded by santo Domingo de la Calzada in 1044. It is in th way of Santiago with a hospital and inns for the pilgrims.

Art

It preserve parts of the old walled medieval enclosure. The cathedral, built in 1158, has three chapels.