What a grand place for doors Labastida turned out to be. This was our apartment at 40 Calle Mayor in the heart of the old village...
And these are some fine examples from the same street, what stories they could surely tell. A street of fine buildings and palaces that ooze history from every stone and timber...
In 1808 Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and marched on Madrid. The French army of 20.000 men marched along the course of the River Ebro and it is reported that on the way he stopped overnight in Labastida. He was due to stay in Haro but could find nothing suitable so chose nearby Labastida instead. He stayed at the Paternina Palace just about one hundred yards from our accommodation close to the Larrazuría entrance arch to the old town. This is it...
Sitting in a bar with a glass of Rioja I got to thinking, maybe if Napoleon was staying overnight at no. 9 Calle Mayor, then just maybe someone important stayed at no. 40? It is entirely possible, maybe one of his Marshalls, Michel Ney or Jean-de-Dieu Soult? Who knows?
"The Emperor's visit to this noble town is nothing more than a reflection of the magnificence of Labastida in the past. Palaces and ancestral homes remain everywhere, still proud, reflecting the splendid and noble past of this town" - Official guide.
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