Index
* Viguera * |
 Viguera situation in La Rioja |
 View of the Rocks of Islallana from the observatory of Peņueco Viguera - La Rioja - Spain - Europe |
 medieval bridge of romanic style (Viguera-La Rioja) |
GEOGRAPHY
The town includs the villages of Panzares and Castaņares de las Cuevas.They form the municipality, located at the altitude of 690 meter on the level of the sea.Viguera,is organized with regard to the Iregua river, that penetrates through the narrow pass of Panzares.
It is enclosed by the summits of Cerroyera (1406 m), mount Saida (l378 m) and Serradero (l491 m), this one nailed in the Mancomunidad of Sorzano, Viguera and Nalda.
ECONOMICS
The weak economic structures of the municipalities of this area within their vicinity to the capital is causes of a continued descent of the inhabitants, that has reduced the human potential of Viguera during this century to a third part of the existent in 1900, being for then of 1350 hab. to 430 in 1997.The population is dedicated to the industry, because the agriculture occupy scarce surface. The cultivated earths (3'7% of the total) are by fruits trees, potatoes, and vegetables products for the own supply.
The cattle is also in backing up, with a scarce cattle.The industry of the municipality, formed by 2 bricks industries, a fishfactory and an industry of embutidos.
The thirth sector is represented by the commerces that they supply the necessities of the municipality and some restaurants.
HISTORY
In the oldest documents it appears with the name of "Vecharia "and "Vicaria" that it means "The Vicariato," for the one which is deduced that in this town lived the Vicar or governor of the country
In the year 755 and as the chronicles of Abjar Machmnua,Alfonso of Asturias reconquered La Rioja that was recovered in the 759 by Abderraman I, because the arabic columnists says that the emir, after taking the castle of Viguera, crossed all The Rioja and reached Alava.
Viguera was one of the fortifications that they had the Banu-Qasi family in order to defend the seven valleys of the riojans rivers that flushes the Ebro, of the advance of the Christians. Lubb from the Banu-Qasi family, son of Muzza II, rebuilt the castle of Viguera at his return from Cordoba where he was as an hostage.
The chronicle of Al Udri refer that the rebuilting the castle by Lubb produced fear from their brothers, that they gathered troops in order to attack it in his castle. Informed Fortun, older brother of Lubb and Wali; from Tudela, attacked him in their siblings in the moats of Viguera and, after conquering them distroying several of their castles. Little time after Lubb organized an expedition to Zaragoza where he caught many musulman prisonners who was conducted to Viguera and there he killed all of them the year 873.
The year 918 the allied armies from Ordoņo II of Leon and Sancho Garces I of Navarra undertook a raid to La Rioja in order to attack Banu-Qasi. They advanced together toward Najera, where they razed their crops, they occupied Viguera, Arnedo and Calahorra and they then plundered Tudela.
After these battles the Sancho king improved the castles of Arnedo and Viguera. But the definitively conquest would be in 923. After the Christian defeat in the battle of Valdejunquera (920), the victorious Abderraman III went the 31 of July to the castle of Viguera that Sancho had rebuilt,and found it abandonned and he destroyed it.
Sancho Garces gave great importance to the taking of Viguera in the 923 due to his strategic situation.It is written that "the people of Pamplona put site to this strength and combatted with so much impulse that Ababdella and those that were inside of had to surrender and they fell prisoners in hands of the Sancho king, who ordered to kill all of them.
the Navarra monarch decided after the conquest "construct a monastery in the place that infidel call in their language Albelda and that in latin is said Alba, and it is located next to the river Eyroca (Iregua).
The year 928 Garcia Sanchez I of Navarra occupied the throne who married two time. From Teresa, their secondary woman, were born Ramiro, Urraca and Jimeno. In order to satisfy the desires of Teresa,Sancho becomed king of Pamplona, and Ramiro created the kingdom of Viguera.
The small reign included the valleys of the Leza and the Iregua until Ajamil and Almarza of Cameros and it exists only during sixty years.The kings of Viguera were three, Ramiro (970- 991) and their Sancho children and Garcia to Ramirez of Viguera, that died before the 1030.Garcia IV of Najera delivers to Fortun Ochoiz Viguera, with both Cameros, Val of Arnedo and the others towns from cantabria. The children of Fortun received the castle of Viguera in holding, Autol, Arnedo Jubera, Ocon and Quel.
When Alfonso I the Batallador invades La Rioja, in 1116, he sustituyed the two tenentes of the villas and castles by confidence people.
In 1369 the king Castilian Enrique II gave to the gentleman navarro Juan Ramizez of Arellano, Viguera, for the services lent during the war that he maintained the Cruel of Castilla against Pedro I,brother in law of the Trastamara. From then the town was given to chiefs of Cameros and figure in the Catastro of 1751.
In the census of the Crown of Castilla of the XVI century appear with 250 families, around 1250 inhabitants, and in the census of 1840 with 280 families, around 1320 inhabitants. The population has diminished notably along the present century.
IMPORTANTS PEOPLE OF VIGUERA
The illustrious born personages in this villa are numerous. as followed: Mr. Martin Ibarra, writer and professor of literature to commencements of the XVI.The Beato Gregorio Escribano, jesuit, dead in martyrdom July 15 of 1570 in waters canarias. There is a picture of beato in the parochial church.
Diego Squire, in times of Carlos V, person in charge of the compilation of the Laws of the Reign.
Brother Antonio Saenz of Alzaga, who occuped the Episcopal seat of Caracas.
Brother Baltasar Saenz of Vitoria, abbot of Valvanera between 1717 1721.
Juan Manuel Saenz of graduated Vitoria in laws,
The gentlemen of the Order of Santiago, Diego Perez of Baņoos and Pedro of Grove and Urrechua.
Manuel Rodriguez Saenz of Pedroso, viscount of the home of Pedroso, count of San Bartolome de sala, chief commandander of the regiment of the Commerce from Mexico City, consul and prior of their Royal Tribunal of the Consulado who give money for the building of the greater retablo of the church.
Jose Lopez of Urive and Osma,who reach the charge of the Faculty of Letters of the university from Madrid in the XIX century.
general Rafael Albarellos of Engineers.
Diego Ochagavia lawyer celebrates.
MONUMENTS And INTERESTING PLACES
The parochial church of the Asuncion was built in the XVI century,it consist of a ship and a tower finished off in capitel octogonal. This located in the greater square of Viguera.
The hermitage of San Esteban meets to the height of the medieval bridge, although one must ascend some 50 m more than altitude on foot.Their paintings are found in very wrong state and are difficultly perceptible.
The hermitage dedicated at the virgin of the Rosary,it is not far away from the town near a old laundry.It is the reformation of the XVIII century on a previous hermitage of the XVI.
The hermitage of San Marcos is the thirth and last hermitage of Viguera. It is a little bit far away from the town and their access is through a road connected with the the national highway
The greater attraction that invites to visit Viguera it is their vantage point of Peņueco
There are two interresting bridges. The first is a medieval building and the other is a Roman building. The medieval bridge is of romanic style with their typical form in roof of house.Their conservation is good.
The Roman bridge is deteriorated being necessary attack some small works of restoration.
The devil pot is a rocky that look like a pot,it is in the high zone of the town
The castle is a high zone in the one which formerly was built a castle
The pit of the revilla is formed by a natural basin produced by the river iregua in which the calm waters permit the bath and the aquatic games under the ombraje of the majestic trees that encloses it.
FESTIVITIES
The parties patronales is in April 25 in honor to San Marcos,
with procesion to the hermitage of their name.
The day of "Caught Fruits" is the day of San Miguel the 29 of September.
SERVICES
There is a little cottage with 4 rooms (casa rural el refugio tf:34-941442057)
There are several restaurants and bars with a typical gastronomy of the zone.
There is also a jai-alai.
NOWADAYS
The greater attraction that invites to visit Viguera it is their vantage point of Peņueco that is supposed will be improve its look in a short term.
The weekends as well as during the summer season the population is incremented by the generations more youth that they come to enjoy of their free time.
GRATEFULNESS:
I want to thank the neighboors of Viguera that direct or indirectly have facilitated me and are facilitating me this information through notes, photocopies and so. I don't want to name somebody for fear to forget someone. Who wants to contribute with more datas and information could make it sending an e-mail to:JECORI@GEOCITIES.COM