Antoña

the small village of Antoña It is a medieval jewel located about thirty-three kilometers from the city of Vitoria. It belongs to the municipality of Campezo which is located to the southeast of the Alava province and is completed by Bujanda, Orviso, Oteo and Santa Cruz.

Precisely, its strategic location made it important and highly contested in the Middle Ages between Navarrese and Castilians. In fact, Sancho the Wise, monarch of the first, ordered it to be walled at the end of the XNUMXth century. There are still remains of these walls and many other beautiful monuments that we are going to show you below in this article about Antoñana.

The walls and urban layout

Precisely, the walls have been integrated as part of the town's homes. Independently, only the south gate and a cube to the west. But its height was variable, ranging between five and twelve meters, and it was approximately one meter thirty thick.

One of the buildings that took advantage of the wall is that of the old jail, built in the XNUMXth century. Today it is used as an exhibition hall and also houses the Beekeeping Center. Precisely, next to the wall is the monument to the bee and also the recreational park, where there are tables and grills. As you can see, the world of honey is very important in the town.

On the other hand, Antoñana only has three main streets that extend from north to south and that communicate through stone streets, passageways covered by wood and corners. La Mayor, which runs through the town, separates its two neighborhoods: the one above and the one below. Likewise, there you can see some of the main stately homes in the town. We will talk to you about them later. But first we must point out that Antoñana is considered National Monument of Euskadi and tell you about its religious monuments.

The church of San Vicente Mártir and other times in Antoñana

Of San Vicente Mártir It is the parish church and was built in the XNUMXth century on the remains of a previous fortress-type building. It has a Latin cross plan with an octagonal or chamfered apse and ten pilasters decorated with garlands. Likewise, its four sections are covered by vaults. It also has a portico with five semicircular arches made of ashlar stone that is integrated, precisely, into the wall itself. Likewise, it has another doorway to the south.

In general, this temple responds to the canons of the neoclassical. The bell tower, slender and square in plan, is also included in this. The bells are housed in four recesses adorned with Tuscan columns, while the dome is ovoid and has a cylindrical lantern.

But, if the exterior of the temple is beautiful, its interior is even more so. It has a beautiful Rococo style main altarpiece sculptor's work Manuel de Moraza. As it could not be otherwise, it is presided over by an image of Saint Vincent the Martyr, accompanied by Saints Peter and Saint Paul. It also has side altars among which stands out that of the Virgin of the Rosary, whose image is considered one of the most beautiful in the entire province of Álava. Finally, two baroque paintings attributed to Cornelius Schut, member of the Sevillian school and friend of Velázquez.

The other prominent religious monument of Antoñana is the Hermitage of Our Lady of the Country. It was rebuilt in 1951 on the remains of a primitive one from the XNUMXth century and romantic style. There are still remains of it inside. This is the case of the apse and the presbytery arch. Also, keep a renaissance altarpiece which, however, includes an image of the Virgin of the Field with the Child, also dated to the XNUMXth century. This remains in the hermitage from May until September when it is taken down to the church of San Vicente Mártir.

Civil architecture

As we have told you before, in the streets of the town there are several stately homes that you should also see. Among them, stands out the Hurtado tower in Mendoza, counts of Orgaz, who exercised lordship of the town. It is a medieval construction dated to the XNUMXth century. It is also very spectacular Elorza palace house, with its imposing tower, which was built in the XNUMXth century.

On the other hand, you also have to contemplate the several bridges that cross the Berrón and Sabando rivers. Among them, that of Salzinal, built in the XNUMXth century; Laya's, from the XNUMXth century, and the one at the Parador.

The surroundings of Antoñana

If the town center of Antoñana is beautiful, its surroundings are no less beautiful. Not in vain, this area is included within the Izki Natural Park. It is an area of ​​almost ten thousand hectares framed by the Montes de Vitoria, the Berrón River, a part of the Cantabria mountain range and the county of Treviño, belonging to the Burgos province. Its maximum height is Mount Kapildui, which reaches approximately one thousand two hundred meters.

Therefore, as you can deduce, there are many hiking trails What you can do from Antoñana. Among them stands out the call Agin path or the Yew, so called because it passes next to several trees of this species that have a large wingspan. It reaches the top of Mount Soila, although it offers you different alternatives. For example, you can start it in the town of Corres. In any case, it has some difficulty because, although it is not very long (about three kilometers), it passes through steep places and ascends several hundred meters.

The previous route intersects with the Antoñana path, where you have a spectacular viewpoint from which to contemplate the Izki park. But you can also choose many other routes among those that pass through the municipality of Campezo. For example, the one that goes from Orbiso to the spectacular Istora ravine; the one that runs from Antoñana itself to the small waterfalls of Salto de Aguaqué passing through the Otea mill; that of Ioar, which crests the mountains, or the one that takes advantage of the long-distance path GR-1 to go from Antoñana itself to Campezo.

You can also rent Mountain bikes to do some of the routes and even practice climbing in places like the rock of the Piérola Convent. The vehicles are rented at the Basque-Navarre Railway Interpretation Center, which we will tell you about later.

Because we have not yet finished explaining to you the activities that you can do in the surroundings of the Alava town. If you like the ornithology, you can see several species in the Izki park such as the griffon vulture, the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon or the common Egyptian vulture. But you can also observe other animals such as wild boar, roe deer or wild cats. Well, you even have a Hipico center on the outskirts of the town. This is the Pottoka Club and it offers you beautiful horseback riding.

Basque-Navarre Railway Interpretation Center

Shares headquarters with tourist office from Antoñana and you will find it in the old station. But the expository part is in three cars of this railway. It was a narrow gauge line that was inaugurated in 1889 and was in operation until 1967. It linked the towns of Vergara in Guipúzcoa and Estella in Navarre. Therefore, it was one hundred and forty-three kilometers long and passed through places as beautiful as the Alavesa Mountain, the Llanada and the Alto Deva.

It was also known as "el trenico" and "el anglo" and you can discover its entire history and vicissitudes in the exhibition offered in its Interpretation Center. But in this they also explain everything you need to know about the past, the places of interest, the sports activities and even the gastronomy of the Montaña Alavesa.

In addition, the old "train" route has been used in the area to create a green path which passes through old tunnels like the Atauri one. It is very long, as it is sixty-two kilometers long and includes places such as the stretch from Campezo to Arquijas, where the first tests of the train were carried out. Talgo.

Antoñana Festivals

To finish our visit to the town in Alava, we will tell you about its festivities. The patron saint festivities are held in honor of San Mateo. Therefore, they take place around September 21. More curious is the Burning of Judas, which takes place on December 31. In April the climb to Agin and in June a concentration of 911 porches. But more important is the honey dayWell, we have already talked to you about the importance and tradition that it has in Antoñana. Finally, in July there is a cultural week and in spring and autumn there are several horse rides.

In conclusion, we have shown you what to see and what to do in the beautiful town of Antoña. We can only advise you that, if you travel to the province of Alava, you take the opportunity to visit other towns just as beautiful as Laguardia, labastida o salvatierra. All this, of course, without forgetting Vitoria, the beautiful capital. Come and visit this wonderful area of ​​northeast Spain.