Armentia brings together the Church of the Assumption of Mary and a history in which historic routes play an important role. Notable features of the church building include the rectangular apse, the simple pentagonal tower, and the different arch forms. The routes can also be distinguished in concrete terms: one historic route connected the Bordeaux–Astorga road with the Campezo Valley, while another crossed the Puerto de Herrera into Rioja Alavesa. If you are planning a stay, this can help you decide whether church architecture and the history of the routes suit your travel interests.
Church and Architectural Features
The church in Armentia is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Its apse is rectangular, with large buttresses at the corners and in the middle of the building. These projecting sections of wall divide the wall surfaces. The church tower is simple and pentagonal, with five openings and two bells. The apse and tower thus set two different basic shapes side by side: a rectangular ground plan in one case, and a pentagonal tower shape in the other.
The portal has a round arch. It is set beneath an enclosed, vaulted porch, which has now collapsed and features a large, shallow segmental arch made of ashlar. This distinguishes two types of arch: the round arch belongs to the portal, while the flatter, shallow arch belongs to the porch. Ashlar refers to dressed stone blocks of regular shape. The church also has a Neoclassical main altar. This stylistic classification complements the exterior’s visible forms with an art-historical description of the altar.
Local History and Routes
The name Armentia first appears in 1025 in the cartulary of the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. The parish registers of Armentia begin in 1550. These are distinct points in time: the early mention of the name and the beginning of the parish registers represent different chapters in the local history. Ventas de Armentia is also part of the historical picture; during the Carlist War, the settlement was of great importance.
Armentia lies on a rise beside the road that crosses the Condado de Treviño from south to north and leads from La Rioja to Vitoria via the Puerto de Herrera. Armentia is also near the Camino Real, a road that crosses the county from west to east. The directions therefore differ: one route runs from south to north, while the Camino Real runs from west to east.
The Camino Real is also connected with the development of Ventas de Armentia. Some residents moved their houses closer to the road, giving rise to the settlement of Ventas de Armentia. In the past, two major routes also crossed at the Ayuda River, where the present-day center of Ventas de Armentia is located. Both the development of the settlement and the historic crossing point by the river are therefore important to the local history.
One of the historic routes connected the Bordeaux–Astorga road with the Campezo Valley and followed the course of the river. The other led from the Puerto de Vitoria, over the Puerto de Herrera, to Rioja Alavesa. The comparison highlights different points of reference: the first route is described by its connection to the Bordeaux–Astorga road, the Campezo Valley, and the river course; the second by its starting point at the Puerto de Vitoria, its passage over the Puerto de Herrera, and its destination in Rioja Alavesa.
The “Condado de Treviño” route also includes specific places: Armentia appears in its sequence of stops. The route leaves Ventas de Armentia and then reaches Saraso. This links the sequence of stops to two named places without treating Armentia and Ventas de Armentia as the same place.
Discover more destinations: Villanueva de Argaño, Quisicedo, Busto De Bureba, Castildelgado, Cadiñanos, Nava De Ordunte, VillamartĂn De Villadiego, Royuela De RĂo Franco.
For the broader travel overview: Burgos.
