Albelda de Iregua
Albelda de Iregua is a village and municipality in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. The municipality covers an area of and as of 2011 had a population of 3339 people. Geography Albelda is located south of Logroño in the lower Iregua valley. This provides a fertile land for growing fruit. The village is bounded on the north by Lardero and Alberite, to the east by Clavijo, to the south by Nalda and to the west by Sorzano and Entrena. Within its terrains were the unpopulated communities of Longares, depopulated in the 12th century, Morcuera, deserted in the 14th century and Mucrones. History In 1063 the Bishop of Nájera approved a Town Charter for the population, under the name Longares. The town had a Jewish community since the 10th century till the Spanish Jewish Inquisition in 1492. During that period of time, about 35 families lived in the town, paying taxes to the local bishop. Several Jews acquired the surname of the town, such as Moses Albelda (died 1545), a bible commentator who lived in Turkey and assumed to have ancestors from the town, who escaped to Turkey during the Inquisition. Toponym Its name may come from