Discover Tricio: Roman history, festivals and holiday apartments

Tricio can be explored through a basilica whose history extends from a Roman mausoleum to Christian use. The Basílica de Santa María de los Arcos was built as a 3rd-century Roman mausoleum and was converted into a Christian basilica in the 5th century.

Culture and architectural history

Its longitudinal layout comprises three naves. The side aisles are separated by arcades resting on Corinthian columns made from fragments of 1st-century Roman columns. The present-day Basílica de Santa María de los Arcos also contains large reused columns from a monumental temple built around the 2nd century.

Beneath the floor of the basilica are early Christian graves from the 5th and 6th centuries, reused Roman sarcophagi, medieval burials, and Roman and early Christian funerary steles. The original Virgen de Arcos is a pre-Romanesque Black Madonna from the 11th century and is located in the parish church of Tricio. The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Arcos in Tricio was classified as a national historical-artistic monument by Royal Decree 788/1978.

History and archaeology

The Iglesia parroquial de San Miguel also preserves a specific historical testimony: it houses the mausoleum of Celedón Pardo y Agüero, the personal physician of Philip IV. At the same time, it is a late Gothic parish church from the 15th century in Tricio. A tile with a snail motif above its clock is regarded as a symbol of the municipality of Tricio.

The Roman predecessor settlement of Tritium Magallum was a pottery centre that distributed terra sigillata vessels throughout the Roman Empire. In the Roman pottery workshops of Tricio, red ceramics were produced that were stamped on the bottom with the potter’s name and were therefore called terra sigillata. Excavations in the built-up area of Tricio and on the Arcos site have documented pre-Romanesque remains beneath the hill of Tricio. Archaeological discoveries in Tricio are considered part of the identity of the town.

Nature

The Álamo de la Fuente is a protected white poplar (Populus alba) in Tricio that has been classified as particularly noteworthy. Its age is estimated at around 105 years; its size and aesthetic value are among the reasons for this special classification.

Visits

Visits to the Basílica de Santa María de los Arcos must be arranged in advance by telephone. The Basílica de Santa María de los Arcos is open at weekends.

Other town pages on this portal lead to Azofra, Treviana, Villalobar De Rioja, Sojuela, Briones, San Román De Cameros, Haro and San Asensio.

Festivals and local traditions

Local celebrations in Tricio include a traditional donkey race. The San Bartolomé celebrations on 24 August also feature the Festival del Caracol, with tastings and snail races.

Regional products

Conservas San Bartolomé produces preserved peppers and fritada under the protected geographical indication for Riojan peppers. Since 1985, the company has been a small artisanal family business that aims to use peppers from the vegetable gardens of Tricio.

For the higher-level travel overview: La Rioja.