Haro, La Rioja
Encyclopedia
Haro is a town and municipality in the northwest of La Rioja province in northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. It is known for its fine red wine and every year the Haro Wine Festival
Haro Wine Festival
Haro Wine Festival is a festival in the town of Haro in the La Rioja region of northern Spain. It is held every year in the summer and involves wine drinking competitions and contests and a Batalla de Vino where wines are poured at each other from buckets.The celebration takes place on June 29,...

 is held where locals hold a wine battle.

It has an important architectural heritage, including the main entrance of the Santo Tomás Church, the work of Felipe Vigarny, numerous palaces, and the old town, which was declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1975.

Apart from its role as home to many of the great bodega
Bodega
Bodega is a Spanish word that may refer to:* a winery, wine cellar or wine bar* a convenience store specializing in Hispanic groceriesPlaces:* Bodega, California, town in Sonoma County, California...

s in La Rioja, one of Haro's other claims to fame is that it was the first town in Spain to have electric street lighting.

History

There are several theories about the founding of Haro, though the most realistic theory is that of Domingo Hergueta, who argued that before the town, there was a lighthouse near the village of Cerro de la Mota which illuminated the mouth of the Ebro river. The town received the name of the lighthouse, and in Castilian Spanish evolved into the name 'Haro'.

During the Roman rule of Hispania, a fort called Castrum Bibilium was built in the cliffs of Bibilio.

The first mention of Haro dates back to the year 1040, in a document of the King of Navarre, García Sánchez III de Navarra "el de Nájera".

The villa was donated by Alfonso VI of Castile to Diego López de Haro I.

Symbols

Heraldry and Vexillology

The shield of Haro is made in the center of a castle with battlements on gules, Mazon and doors and windows. On both sides of it, large lions rampant. The shield is covered on top by a ducal crown and the bottom with the hem of the Golden Fleece

The flag consists of the shield of the city in the center, and a red burgundy background typical of the regions of Castile.

External links

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