Albelda de Iregua – Scriptorium, River Paths and Holiday Apartments

In Albelda de Iregua, the Scriptorium de San Martín has been developed as an early medieval eremitic site. It was prepared as a visitor attraction with improved access and paths, as well as protective and signage elements; the visit is structured and designed to be educational.

Culture and History

On 5 January 924, King Sancho founded the Benedictine monastery of San Martín de Albelda, which was to become the cultural centre of La Rioja in the 10th century. In the Bodegas district of Albelda de Iregua, there is a group of caves known as the “scriptorium rupestre”. According to a theory by historian Antonino González Blanco, there may have been a school of scribes there, from which the monastery of San Martín’s scriptorium is said to have emerged in the 10th century.

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Bueyo preserves a semicircular Romanesque apse from the 12th century. It is located in an irrigated valley and agricultural landscape with fruit trees and streams and can be reached via a good path followed by a tree-lined walkway. The Ermita de Santa Isabel is a rectangular chapel in the centre of Albelda de Iregua with a semicircular-arched entrance; it was rebuilt in 1911. Following its reconstruction in 2003, religious services were held there again from the end of that same year.

The mural “Mural de la Antigua Iglesia Colegial de San Martín de Albelda” can be viewed at Calle La Carrera 15 in Albelda de Iregua. Bodegas Vinícola Real 200 Monges in Albelda de Iregua is listed as a winery open to visitors. In addition, three local folk dances are preserved in Albelda de Iregua: “El Árbol”, “El Rápido” and “La Danza de Albelda”.

Nature and Trails

The Mirador de San Martín is located on the former site of the San Martín church and offers views over the entire town. Benches and a spacious seating area invite visitors to enjoy the views of the valley. The Mirador de la Peña can be reached via an improved footpath to the summit, where it offers views of the Iregua Valley.

The Paseo del Iregua comprises walking paths along both banks of the river and connects with the Vía Verde. This 77.2-kilometre-long route, which can be travelled on foot or by bicycle along its entire length, runs through the whole Iregua Valley from Logroño to Puerto de Piqueras and is suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. The different types of paths and the clearly indicated route length provide various scales for personal planning.

In Albelda, an information board on the Vía Romana del Iregua provides information about the municipality’s cultural heritage.

Other Places

You can also consider the following places: Huércanos, Aguilar Del Río Alhama, Enciso, Villarejo, Briones, Navarrete, Arrúbal, Almarza De Cameros.

Traditional Customs

The celebration of Los Quintos in Albelda lasts three days, from 5 to 7 February. In February, the Quintos and Quintas walk through the town and visit the houses, where they offer the neighbours biscuits and liqueur.

The traditional San Marcos custom included the distribution of chocolate in front of the Ermita de San Marcos. Since around 1620, the traditional San Marcos procession has taken place on 25 April from the church of San Martín de Albelda to the Ermita de Santa Fe de Palazuelos, where a mass was celebrated.

For the overarching travel overview: La Rioja.