Guardia
( Laguardia, Álava )Laguardia (Basque: Guardia) is a town and municipality located in the southern province of Álava, in the north of Spain; it belongs to the region of Rioja Alavesa, in the Basque Autonomous Community. It has a population of 1,500; but in the past it had 2,500.
The place lies over a hill and it is surrounded by a wall that King Sancho the Strong ordered to build. There are still preserved five different entries to access the city. Their names are: Mercadal, Carnicerías (Butchers), Páganos, San Juan and Santa Engracia. Additionally, the streets and surroundings of Laguardia still keep a medieval atmosphere that give the city an ancient touch.
Regarding the economy, its main strength is the wine industry. Indeed, the wine is elaborated and processed in numerous wineries.
Laguardia has a rich historical past. At a place called La Hoya, there is an important archaeological site. It is a pre-Roman settlement of Celtiberian of Berona ethnic and it covers an extensive period of more than a thousand years or so since the twelfth century BC to the second century BC.
Additionally, the town received certain privileges regarding jurisdiction during the reign of the king of Navarre Sancho VI "El Sabio" in 1164. The initial demarcation covered areas from "Las Conchas de Haro" to "Soto Inigo Galindez", in the current term of Viana. It was the beginning of the community of "Villa y Tierra". Eventually, new villas were created in the surroundings changing the focus of attention to other territories such as San Vicente, Labraza and Viana. In any case, it was the main square of the Sonsierra of Navarra during most part of the medieval period.
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