El Club · Laguardia

The Laguardia Lagoon Complex is a protected wetland located in the vicinity of Laguardia, in the Rioja Alavesa (Alava), in a landscape of vineyards and gentle hills dominated to the north by the Sierra de Toloño. It is made up of several small wetlands, including Carralogroño, Carravalseca and Prao de la Paúl; the sources consulted describe it as a group of four wetlands, with partial areas of 7.6 ha, 8.3 ha and 26.5 ha for three of them, and a total area of 42.4 ha, plus a peripheral protection area of 160.2 ha. Their main interest is geological and hydrological: two of the lagoons are temporary and endorheic, i.e., without external drainage, settled on impermeable clays and with behavior linked to the scarcity of water and the strong continental climate. In dry periods a whitish saline crust appears, a very characteristic feature of the enclave. The fourth wetland, Prao de la Paúl, is a small reservoir created on an old waterlogged area. The site is of interest for the flora and fauna typical of inland wetlands, especially waterfowl and waders. The public use documentation recommends a visit between September and March, when bird watching increases, and highlights Prao de la Paúl as the most accessible wetland to walk around and observe with binoculars or a telescope. Its environmental relevance is high: it was declared a Protected Biotope by the Basque Government and later integrated into the network of protected areas as a special conservation area. It is also on the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance, which reinforces its value as a unique enclave in the southern plains of Alava and the Rioja Alavesa.

The Church of San Juan Bautista de Laguardia is a parish church located in the southern sector of the historic center of this town in Rioja Alavesa, in Alava, Basque Country. It is one of the main heritage resources of Laguardia and responds to the medieval church typology also linked to the defensive organization of the population. Its construction took place between the 12th and 14th centuries, with a Romanesque start and predominantly Gothic, although there were later additions and alterations. This mixture of construction phases explains its architectural interest, as it preserves elements of transition between Romanesque and Gothic, as well as defensive solutions typical of a walled town. Among the most outstanding documented elements are the Romanesque south portico, the Gothic tower and the Latin cross plan with three naves and three apses. Also mentioned are pieces and reliefs of great artistic value, as well as a remarkable sculptural decoration of Romanesque tradition on the exterior, considered one of the most unique of Alava's heritage. The church is recognized as an Asset of Cultural Interest / Historic-Artistic Monument of national character, which confirms its historical and patrimonial relevance within Laguardia. Its exact location, to the south of the historical enclosure, reinforces its role as a key part of the town's monumental ensemble.

The Church of Santa María de los Reyes is the parish church of Laguardia, in Álava, located at the northern end of the historic center, between Mayor, Páganos and Santa Engracia streets. The official tourist documentation identifies it as a Catholic temple of great patrimonial relevance and not as a hermitage. Its construction began in the late twelfth century in Romanesque style, but the work was completed in the fifteenth century, so the building has a combination of Gothic and Renaissance elements, with some later reforms of the Baroque period. The church preserves a rectangular floor plan with three naves, transept and apse, and was modified in the 16th century with the reconstruction of the chancel and the incorporation of a Renaissance sacristy. The most outstanding element of the complex is its polychrome portico, built in stone at the end of the 14th century and polychromed in the 17th century. This Gothic doorway, protected by the rear closure of the atrium, is one of the best known artistic jewels of Laguardia for its rich figurative and vegetal decoration. Also outstanding is the main altarpiece, the work of Juan de Bascardó, made in the 17th century with late Renaissance language and transition to Baroque. The building summarizes the artistic evolution of the medieval temple to the Renaissance in one of the most important religious monuments of the town.

The Torre Abacial is a defensive tower and part of the urban wall of Laguardia, located in front of the front of the church of Santa María, in the Plazuela de Santa María in the historic center of Laguardia (Álava). It is part of the medieval walled complex of the town and is integrated in one of the most representative heritage sites of the historic area. Its origin dates back to medieval times, with an initial construction attributed to the 12th century and, according to some tourist and heritage sources, with later phases between the 13th and 14th centuries. It is described as a work of Romanesque tradition, with possible additions or Gothic transformations, which explains the mixture of styles that some references show. The tower has a square floor plan and is built in ashlar and ashlar masonry. It has several floors, with the lower levels more closed and the upper ones more open by means of openings; in its interior there is a room covered with a ribbed vault and a spiral staircase that allows ascending to the upper terrace. Its function was defensive on the western flank of the town, although it has also been related to an ancient ecclesiastical or monastic use due to the presence of the image of San Benito and the tradition that links it to a possible fortified monastery. The Historic Center of Laguardia has been declared a Qualified Cultural Asset with the category of Monumental Complex, which protects this element within the protected heritage of the town.