A league to the east of Aranda, capital of the Ribera burgalesa, stands the village of Quemada. This old name is an enigma for the historian: its meaning is clear, as the word indicates that “something” was set on fire, something so important and serious that it gave its name to a village. That “something” could have been a house, a church, a cattle, a person. Etymologically, it may refer to one of the towns in La Ribera that were razed to the ground by Abderramán III.

It lives through the ups and downs of Castilian life, next to Aranda which, since it has the pass over the Duero, on the axis of the march from Old Castile to New Castile, has grown in political and economic power.

Today Quemada preserves the Church of Nuestra Señora Asunción, with a 13th century tower and polychrome carvings inside, the Chapel of San Roque and the Roman Bridge of La Tejera, a beautiful three-span bridge that crosses the river Arandilla, testimony to the Roman presence in these riverside villages.

Hikers can enjoy the Sendero de las Viñas as it passes through this riverside municipality.

Quemada celebrates its fiestas on the Octave of Corpus Christi and San Roque (16 August).

The local name for Quemada: quemadinos.