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Ochánduri

Sharing with Cuzcurrita the basin of the River Tirón, Ochánduri is a neighbouring municipality, located only about 5 km away, which you can visit especially if you are a lover of art and natural scenery. In this area, which borders to the north with the Obarenes Mountains, there is a great concentration of Romanesque temples and art.

We suggest three special places in Ochánduri, a quiet municipality with approximately 80 inhabitants. To reach this town, just take the LR-201 road from the Barrio de Bodegas de Cuzcurrita.

The first documented mentions of Ochánduri date back to the beginning of the 12th century and refer to a donation by Doña Sancha Vélez, who in memory of her husband and son gave her possessions in Herramélluri and “Oggaduri” to the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla.

The first landmark of historical and artistic interest that you will see on your itinerary is the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Legarda, a Romanesque hermitage with a remarkable belfry, a rarity in La Rioja, as it is not very common in the Romanesque art of the region, unlike many hermitages in Castilla y León or Cantabria. As early as 1160 there is a documentary mention of King Sancho VI of Navarre, making a donation of the Church of San Miguel de “Ilagardia” in Ochánduri (most probably the spot where this hermitage stands today), to the Church of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. It is known that this hermitage was the church of a medieval settlement that has since disappeared, as happened at the same time to the Hermitage of Sorejana in Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón.

Entorno

Located in the highest part of the town, the church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción is probably the best example of Romanesque architecture in the whole area. It dates from the end of the 12th or beginning of the 12th century and belongs to the transitional period known as late Romanesque or late Romanesque. It is built in ashlar stone and consists of a single nave which was originally covered with wood and since the 16th century has been covered with a ribbed vault. Its apse is semicircular and has a single window. This temple is a magnificent example of sculpture and stone carving with a very high representative and symbolic value. The southern doorway is particularly noteworthy, with its fine stone carving and carving. But also very important are the main altarpiece and the cup-shaped baptismal font, dating from the end of the 12th century and made in the same stonemasonry workshop as the font in Leiva, Foncea and Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón.

On the façade there are several capitals depicting the fight between knights and Adam and Eve tempted by the serpent in Paradise. Inside the apse there is a very curious capital with an erotic theme, as well as others depicting symbolic and iconographic scenes (man drowning birds, dancers, harpies, bird-sirens, zoomorphic figures and fantastic beings from mythology). There are also numerous vegetal and geometric decorations and ornaments.

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción

On the façade there are several capitals depicting the fight between knights and Adam and Eve tempted by the serpent in Paradise. Inside the apse there is a very curious capital with an erotic theme, as well as others depicting symbolic and iconographic scenes (man drowning birds, dancers, harpies, bird-sirens, zoomorphic figures and fantastic beings from mythology). There are also numerous vegetal and geometric decorations and ornaments.
If you are interested in the subject, at the end of the text you will find a bibliography and links to articles for further information.

To visit the inside of these temples, you can contact the Town Hall. Telephone: +34 941 327713
At the end of the walk through Ochánduri, we suggest you go and enjoy the surroundings of the Barrio de Bodegas and the banks of the river in the lower part of the municipality, where you can spend some time resting and contemplating nature in silence.

If you come with a bottle of Rioja Alta wine and lunch, the pleasure will be double. And if you prefer, you can have a snack in the local bar or eat something seated at a good table, in Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón we’ll be waiting for you on your return.
Enjoy it!

If you want to know more about the Romanesque in the area, please consult:

 

Bibliography

– Centro del Románico en Treviana https://www.riojaromanica.com/
– López de Silanes Valgañón, J.I: Rutas Románicas en La Rioja, Guías, Ediciones Encuentro, Madrid, 2000
– De las Heras y Núñez, M.A.: “El Arte románico en La Rioja” https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/554227.pdf
– García Turza, J. : “La Rioja en el contexto del arte románico” https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2716604
– Saénz Rodríguez, M.: “Ochánduri” https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=8373677&orden=0&info=link
– Saénz Rodríguez, M.: “El Arte Románico en la comarca comprendida entre los Montes Obarenes y el Río Tirón” https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4081444.pdf
– Saénz Rodríguez, M.: La simbología del arte románico riojano a través de su escultura monumental https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2716606