Page 168 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

166  NOR THERN SP AIN REGION B Y REGION

h Anguiano and Mansilla de la Sierra has a town, Nájera had earlier
Sierra de la 16th-century stone bridge and played host to diverse cultures
Demanda is located next to the Embalse and commu nities, from ancient
de Mansilla, a reservoir that Basque tribes to the Moors.
La Rioja. Road Map A5–6, G3. * 550. is popular for watersports. Cut by the Najerilla river, the
@ n Rioja tourism; 941 29 12 60. The Sierra has examples of town has many historic monu-
_ Santa María Magdalena (22–24 Jul). Romanesque architecture, such ments. The most important is
as in Jaramillo de la Fuente. the Monasterio de Santa
With its stone bridge (Puente María la Real, estab lished in
de la Madre de Dios) that spans the 11th century on the spot
the 30-m (98-ft) wide valley of where, according to legend, a
the Najerilla river, Anguiano is statue of the Virgin was found
famous for the Danza de los in a cave. The present buildings
Zancos that occurs here during date from 1422–53, with later
the feast of St Mary Magdalene elements added until the 16th
(and on the last weekend in century. The Gothic aisled
September). The dancers, church is fortress-like in
balanced on stilts, have to appearance. At the high altar
negotiate the steep, cobbled is a Romanesque sculpture
street of Cuesta de los of the Virgin and Child. The
Danzadores in time to the beautiful late-Gothic choir is
music. The dance commemo- one of the finest examples of
rates a rite of passage that this style in Spain. At the back
young men had to undergo of this is a Renaissance royal
in the past. pantheon holding the tombs
The Sierra de la Demanda of 12 former rulers of the
is an ancient mountain range kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona.
that also extends into the Worth seeing too, are the
province of Burgos. The forested Monasterio de Santa María la Real Knights’ Cloister (Claustro
hillsides (inhabited by wild in Nájera de los Caballeros), which
animals) contain many post- combines several different
glacial formations – moraines, j Nájera architectural styles including
cirques and lagoons; San La Rioja. Road Map A5, G3. * 8,500. ornate filigree Gothic and
Lorenzo (2,272 m/7,454 ft @ n Plaza de San Miguel 10; 941 36 Plateresque elements, and the
above sea level) is the highest 00 41. ( Thu. _ San Prudencio (28 Tapa del Sepulcro de Blanca
peak. The mountain chain also Apr), San Juan and San Pedro (24–29 de Navarra, a 12th-century
conceals archaeological Jun), San Juan Mártir and Santa María Romanesque tomb lid.
treasures such as medieval La Real (16–19 Sep). 8 ∑ najera.es
hermitages and necropolises. R Monasterio de Santa
In Cuyacabras, there are 166 At the beginning of the 11th María la Real
anthropomorphic tombs and century, when Sancho III of Tel 941 36 10 83. Open 10am–1pm &
the remnants of a church. Navarra managed for a time to 4–7pm (until 5:30pm in winter) Tue–
unite the lands of the Iberian Sat, 10am–12:30pm & 4–6pm (until
Peninsula, Nájera was capital of 5:30pm in winter) Sun & hols. &
this vast empire. A pre-Roman ∑ santamarialareal.net
Mountain Villages in the
Sierra de la Demanda
Preserved in the Sierra de la Demanda are
villages with typical highland homesteads,
as well as important historic monuments.
Romanesque churches can be seen in Vizcaínos
and Jaramillos de la Frontera. The beautiful
village of Canales de la Sierra is entirely made
up of unchanged, centuries-old stone houses,
including grand 16th-century buildings and
the 12th-century Santa Catalina hermitage.
At the Gothic church in the Valvanera mon-
astery, people worship the patron saint of
La Rioja – the Virgen de la Valvanera.

Typical scenery in the Sierra de Virgen de la Valvanera, patron saint of La Rioja
la Demanda
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–7 and pp221–2

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