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Salinas of Añana:
Heritage and Landscape
Salinas de Añana is a village with more than a thousand years of history, famous for its salt flats, which have been a source of wealth since ancient times. These salt flats, unique in the world, have been exploited in a traditional way since Roman times, and today you can visit this incredible salt landscape.
Palace of the Zambrana Herran family
The main house of the Zambrana-Herrán Palace is located in the centre of Salinas de Añana (Álava), at number 18 Calle de la Carrera. In 2008 it was classified as a Cultural Asset, with the category of Monument.
It is a majestic 17th century Baroque palace whose design stands out for its compositional quality.
Construction began in 1695 on the initiative of Pedro de Zambrana, appointed by the Crown as Administrator of the Royal Salinas de Añana. The construction of the palace is the materialisation of the power held by the family as a symbol of their political, economic and social relevance. This power was inevitably linked to the management of the salt exploitation, which experienced its period of splendour throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 1792, the Zambrana family joined the Herrán family, another powerful lineage, when María Matea Zambrana, the only heir to the palace, married Gregorio Urbano Felipe Herrán y Hurtado de Corcuera.
Following a scientific restoration project, some of the rooms have been open to visitors since 2024.
As you walk through its rooms, the palace's voice, you will hear stories of rise, splendour, decadence and resurrection, which will take you back to the different eras it has lived through.
You can make an appointment for a visit on the following website.
Contact: info@palaciozambranaherran.es
https://palaciozambranaherran.es/
Walls of Salinas de Añana
Although the disappearance of the original charter of Salinas de Añana has caused various chronological problems, it is traditionally accepted that the town was founded by the Aragonese monarch Alfonso I ‘El Batallador’ at the beginning of the 12th century. Its early emergence was a tool for the administrative control of a population that had hitherto been scattered in small villages, although the monarch's main interest was in exercising direct control over the important revenues generated by salt exploitation. The enclave selected for the founding of the new town was the hill overlooking the salt valley from the north, as it had the best orographic and defensive conditions for controlling the salt flats and defending the population.
The first documentary reference that expressly mentions the town wall dates back to 1293, although the data provided by the most recent research allows us to date its construction back to at least the 12th century, coinciding with the founding of the town. The fortified enclosure crowned the hill with a walled perimeter of some 500 linear metres marked by semicircular towers approximately 2.5 metres in diameter and separated from each other at regular intervals of about 11.5 metres.The current state of research allows us to propose the existence of three access gates to the town: two of them on the southeast side of the wall, the Market Gate and another one located behind the current Town Hall, and one further north, the so-called Caño Gate.
After the Middle Ages and as a result of the pacification of the area, the wall gradually lost its defensive function. As a result, the space protected by the walled enclosure was progressively abandoned in favour of a new urban development that began to develop outside the walls in order to get closer to the salt exploitation.This abandonment of the hill caused the maintenance activities of the wall to be lost, new houses began to be built on the walls of the fence and even the purchase or theft of construction material for use in new buildings became systematic. The material loss of the walls intensified from the 19th century onwards, which was marked by the War of Independence. As a result of this conflict, the walled enclosure suffered serious damage, including the loss of the Church of San Cristóbal and ‘24 houses in the neighbourhood of the fence’, causing part of the wall elevations preserved until then to be buried under the rubble of the demolitions and amortised by the urban reconfiguration of the hill.
As a result of the progressive concealment of the remains, at the end of the 20th century the wall of the town of Salinas de Añana was considered to have practically disappeared until the completion, in the 21st century, of various archaeological and historical-constructive studies that have brought to light and studied a large part of its remains and its original layout.
Since 2020, Añana Town Council has been working on the enhancement of the walled enclosure and the environmental restoration of its surroundings.
Palace of the Ozpiña family
To speak of Salinas de Añana is to speak of history.
In the heart of the Salt Valley in the municipality of Añana (Álava), you will find the 17th century medieval palatial house also known as the Palace of the Ozpinas.
Now converted into a beautiful rural hotel-restaurant, it retains all the architectural essence of the Middle Ages with a fusion of designs in its interior and truly incredible views of the Salinas de Añana, a rectangular three-storey detached house surrounded by a garden and orchard.
Built in masonry and ashlar, the quality of the ironwork stands out, represented in the railings, grilles, gussets and main door, as well as the woodwork on the front, eaves and interior.
On the main façade, an attractive balcony runs along the middle floor.
Miguel Tuesta Square
The Plaza Miguel Tuesta is the heart of Salinas de Añana, a space full of life and tradition.
Surrounded by historic architecture and overlooking the Salt Valley, it is the ideal meeting point to enjoy the local culture, stroll, relax and feel the authentic spirit of our town in this emblematic place.
Church of Sta Maria de Villacones
The parish church of Salinas de Añana, located next to the river Muera, stands out for its history and architecture from different periods.
With a rectangular floor plan and a Latin cross, it combines masonry and ashlar masonry, with medieval and Baroque elements.
Its tower, built between 1700-1701, contrasts with the simplicity of the church.
Inside, the image of the Andra Mari (14th century), the Renaissance main altarpiece and other Baroque ones stand out.
It also preserves images of ancient hermitages and was restored in 1978.
Añana Salt Valley
From today's perspective, it is almost incomprehensible that salt, such an abundant and inexpensive product, could have the importance historically attributed to it.
It should be borne in mind that salt was and is indispensable in a multitude of industrial processes and in human and animal food, especially when industrial refrigeration had not yet been developed, as it was one of the most effective methods for preserving food in good condition.
Salt has been the cause of numerous wars and forced peace, of death and exaltation, of riches and poverty, of the creation and destruction of towns and cities, and, of course, of greed, but also of the joys of human beings.
The Salt Valley is one of the world's most representative examples of the history of salt, known since ancient times as ‘white gold’. The natural emergence of brine springs has led to the uninterrupted development of an important settlement in its immediate surroundings for thousands of years, which, revolving around salt production, has been able to adapt to the conditioning factors and specificities of each historical period until the present day.
Get to know the Salt Valley and enjoy a unique experience: visit and get to know one of the most unique architectural, landscape, archaeological, geological and historical sites in the world.
GUIDED VISITS
Calle Real 32. C.P. 01426 Salinas de Añana / Gesaltza-Añana (Araba / Álava)
Booking telephone number: +34 945 351 111
Email for enquiries and bookings: reservas@vallesalado.eus