San Vicente de la Sonsierra, the hidden treasure of the Rioja Alta
Saint Vincent of the Sonsierra It is one of those towns that you find almost by chance on the road and whose image invites you to browse. It is not the most renowned town in the High Rioja , nor the most populous but the one that can boast of settling in lands that illuminate the best wines of the region . because on this earth everyone has a cellar under their house , all the world produces its own wine It is part of their DNA and they are proud of it.
At first glance, the town emerges from lands that have been fed by the blessings of the river Ebro, natural border between the Basque Rioja and the rest of humanity thanks to a marvelous medieval bridge from the 12th century built in masonry and masonry. The Ebro arrogantly runs through this region and can be enjoyed thanks to the different hiking trails that have been traced. This year it is easier to make the most of this beautiful town in La Rioja through a system of self-guided tour through a mobile app.
The great bridge that reaches San Vicente de la Sonsierra
San Vicente is small but you have to walk it . In the thirteenth century It was the scene of the numerous battles that were fought around the Briones castle, one of the most beautiful villages in La Rioja A must visit if we walk around these parts. The routes are downloadable through the Tourist Office page and it is advisable to start from the center of the town to finish on the paths that border the town, cradle of great Rioja Alta wineries.
The Main Square It is governed by a beautiful fountain from which swans come out that seem to watch over the Town Hall and the Palace of the Gil Aguiriano , both from the 18th century and under whose arches we will have to pass to start the route. In San Vicente de la Sonsierra we can find several emblazoned houses or palaces s that demonstrate the importance of the repopulation in this area, carried out by different noble houses that settled in the town.
The streets of San Vicente de la Sonsierra are one of the great protagonists of Holy Week since it is the route they take the famous "picaos" . The route must be done following the limits of the walled enclosure , going up the famous Subida de los Disciplinantes after leaving behind two other stately homes. You have to go to the castle, or rather what is left of it, a 9th-century walled fortress marking the highest point in the town.
The Castle of San Vicente belonged to the kingdom of Navarra and it is said that it kept its distance from the Davalillo Castle, which belonged to Castile and stood opposite it on the other side of the river . In the upper enclosure we find two towers. On the one hand, the Clock Tower, dating from the 17th century and that owes its name to the installation of a huge clock with a bell that allowed communication with all the inhabitants. Secondly, the main tower , which was conceived as a watchtower and is currently one of the best viewpoints in the town.
The other priceless panorama is found in the Viewpoint of the Ebro , and for this you have to leave the walled area on the north side until you reach the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor . built in the century XVI in a late gothic style it has a baroque section from the 18th century. Without a doubt, it is a place that shakes, not only because of the impressive main altarpiece with three bodies that hypnotizes due to its detail, but also because of the mysticism that it gives off.
The castle of San Vicente de la Sonsierra
THE TRADITION OF THE PICAOS
One of the traditions that places San Vicente de la Sonsierra in the spotlight of public opinion during Holy Week is, without a doubt, the tradition of the Picaos . There is no television news worth its salt on these dates that does not broadcast images of the penances that are carried out in this town by the members of the Brotherhood, who appear walking the streets of the town with white robes self-flagellation bareback.
There is no exact date of the beginning of this tradition, but there is documentation of the existence of the Brotherhood of Santa Vera Cruz de San Vicente from the middle of the 16th century. It is currently the only brotherhood of discipliners that exists in Europe and its headquarters are located in the Hermitage of San Juan de la Cerca , a primitive Gothic temple that could point to the end of the 13th century.
Inside the hermitage, all the clothing used by the picaos during Holy Week is kept, from the tunics to the ropes used in self-flagellation by the members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Cross of San Vicente. This year there will be no Picaos due to the pandemic.
Church of Santa Maria la Mayor
EAT AND SLEEP
We are in the heart of Rioja Alta, in the middle of fields covered with vines and where the culture of wine is present in every house. This small piece of Rioja is a highly acclaimed destination for lovers of wine tourism, he tells us Mayang Sáez, a media professional who left everything to transform her husband's family home into a rural hotel . As an architect, the former 18th-century manor house that was once the home of the village apothecary has been transformed into an eclectic and charming hotel. The House of the Apothecary (Avda. LA Rioja, 1) is the place to spend the night, where you can have breakfast with views of the vineyards and where you can let yourself be intoxicated by the friendliness of Mayang.
"Here everything is very calm and travelers come to disconnect, to discover our wines and to enjoy nature," says Mayang, not without failing to notice that in the town there is a lot of movement and gastronomy is a pleasure . “Here we really like the skewer pot and in each place you find the best of each house”, she adds. We relate the pot pintxo with Euskadi but there is no more to get lost in the San Vicente taverns to realize that many locals feel almost more Basque than Rioja.
In Saint Vincent the friday pot skewer It is a delirium, but a delirium in the form of local wine with a pincho for a price below 2 euros. In the same Plaza Mayor is the Cubedo Gastrobar , where you have to go early if you want to enjoy a skewer on the terrace or a cheese board with wine jam. Another option that is well worth a stop is the Wine Bar the Third Station (El Remedio, 12), a meeting place for lovers of wine tasting and owned by the Cellars Counter . Croquettes, sausages, cheeses, suckling lamb... everything tastes delicious when paired with some of the best wines of our country.
The vineyards that surround San Vicente de la Sonsierra
PLUS...
San Vicente de la Sonsierra is home to renowned wineries such as Accountant or Carlos Moro . One of the most interesting activities is discovering how they make the Preacher , one of the flagships of Bodegas Contador. Wine tourism goes a little further in San Vicente de la Sonsierra.
There are several natural routes that are known as the Senderos del Vino . Entering nature among vineyards is quite an adventure when dolmens and huts appear along the way. There is a lot of history buried under its fields.
Tony House It is one of the gastronomic temples of San Vicente de la Sonsierra but it is currently closed. But ask the parishioners, maybe you get some surprises. And the cup, in the Armstrong…