Discover Ventosa: San Saturnino, Pilgrimage History and Festival Tradition

On a hill above Ventosa stands the parish church of San Saturnino. Its 16th-century Gothic portal is decorated with animals and plants from the surrounding area; the high altar also dates from the 16th century. For visitors who explore a place through visible details, architectural form, dating and local context come together here directly. You can discover Ventosa through individual buildings and routes just as much as through festivals, market activity and tastings.

Culture

The Mercado del Trato is an ethnographic market based on the former trading activities of the inhabitants of Ventosa as trajineros and tratantes. The Mercado del Trato includes various stalls offering handcrafted products and tastings. 1 Kilómetro de Arte is an open-air museum. Those who enjoy comparing cultural impressions across different formats can mentally place market activity, handicrafts and an open-air museum side by side. The transition between a building, a market and an open-air museum thus opens up different cultural approaches.

History and Routes

The Roman road Vía de Italia a Hispania runs through Ventosa. Before the Camino de Santiago was officially designated, pilgrims used it on their way to Santiago de Compostela. A pilgrims’ hospital believed to date from 1162 was located at Calle Mayor 5; the arcades there still preserve a restored cross on an old column today.

Ventosa is located almost immediately beside the N-120 national road and can also be reached via the A-12 motorway and Regional Road 341. The RIOJACAR bus travels from Logroño via Ventosa and back to Logroño.

When choosing between San Saturnino, the Vía de Italia a Hispania, the Mercado del Trato and the Virgen Blanca in Ventosa, you can focus on architectural history, routes, trade or festival tradition. The regional tastings complement this selection with a culinary accent and add a distinct focus alongside the historical topics.

Other town pages in this selection: Ausejo, Huércanos, Villamediana de Iregua, Muro De Aguas, Villarejo, Nalda, Panzares and Peciña.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Ventosa, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can be viewed side by side on the respective offer page. San Saturnino, pilgrimage routes, festival tradition and regional tastings are available as thematic reference points for the town; they help you define the desired focus of your trip.

Festivals and Regional Cuisine

The dance tradition in honour of the Virgen Blanca has been celebrated in Ventosa year after year for centuries. During the Virgen Blanca festival, dancers and bagpipers travel together from the square in Ventosa to San Saturnino Church. The Virgen Blanca festival was moved to the first Saturday in July. The season, route and music, together with the tastings, provide different points of comparison; you can read the information according to your focus on festival culture, the history of the routes or regional cuisine. In the “Santa Eulalia” wine-cellar district, there is a tasting of “Bacalao a la Riojana” with bread and wine.

To the overarching travel overview: La Rioja.