Nava de Roa is a municipality in the Ribera del Duero region of Burgos, 92 km from Burgos, 26 km from Aranda de Duero and 70 km from Valladolid.

The name Nava is of pre-Roman origin and means “flat land surrounded by hills”.

Nava de Roa arose during the medieval repopulation around the 10th and 11th centuries. In 1143 it became one of the 33 villages of the “Comunidad de Villa y Tierra de Roa”, according to the charter granted by Alfonso VII.

The period of greatest splendour of Nava de Roa was between the 16th and 18th centuries due to its geographical location, being the crossroads of the Valladolid – Soria and Segovia – Zaragoza routes.

At the fall of the Ancien Régime, it became a constitutional town council in the district of Roa, belonging to the region of Castilla la Vieja, which in the 1842 Census had 186 households and 605 inhabitants.

The 19th century marked the decline of the town, mainly due to two outstanding events:

• Its total destruction (1836) during the First Carlist War.
• The phylloxera plague that wiped out the area’s vineyards and, therefore, a large part of its economic activity. The population has been in continuous decline up to the present day.

Juan Martín El Empecinado (a famous guerrilla fighter who fought against Napoleon’s troops) was imprisoned in this village after his capture in Olmos de Peñafiel. He was later handed over to the mayor of Roa de Duero, where he was executed in 1824.

Remarkable monuments in Nava de Roa:

• Parish Church of San Antolín Mártir. Built in the 17th century and enlarged in the 18th century, it has a Baroque façade and a Neoclassical tower. Inside, it houses an altarpiece and a baptismal font, both from the 16th century, as well as a large Gothic Christ.
• Hermitage of Santa Ana, located on Mount Calvario, in Baroque style and currently in ruins. The municipal cemetery is located within its precincts.

Like all the villages in the region, on the slopes of Mount Calvario are the typical wine cellars, some of which are still in good condition, as well as the remains of the old wine presses.

Finally, it is possible to see some examples of popular architecture with walls that conserve their wooden framework. They are among the few that withstood the village fire in the 19th century, such as the one located at number 4 Santa Ana street, with façades facing the town hall and the church.

Festivals in Nava de Roa:

• The most important fiesta is that of San Antolín Mártir, which takes place on 2 September.
• Another festival is that of San Gregorio Nacianceno, which is celebrated on 9 May.

Through this municipality runs the Sendero de Abellón-Nava de Roa.

Nava de Roa’s local name: navarrusco.