Briones is one of the 184 municipalities that today make up the Autonomous Community of La Rioja (Spain). Located in the extreme northwestern part of Rioja Alta, its 38 square kilometer municipal area lies on the right bank of the Ebro river.
The town is located on a hill 80 meters high, with its northern slope cut over the river in an almost vertical slope. Govantes says in his Geographical-Historical Dictionary of Spain (1846) "the town, on the hill, dominates much of the country." The traveler who arrives in Briones for the first time discovers its silhouette from afar, often outlined against a blue sky, and the slender tower of its church towering over the farmhouse.
Geography and climate
The climate of Briones, like that of all of La Rioja, is a continental climate but softened by the fact that the town is located in the center of the deep depression caused by the Ebro river. This circumstance tempers and softens it in a notorious way. The annual average temperature is of the order of 12.7 degrees and an average temperature range of 15.1 degrees is recorded between winter and summer. The average annual rainfall is 500 liters per square meter, significantly higher than the Spanish average. In summer, even on the hottest days, the north wind cools the evening and a light warm garment is appreciated when contemplating the Rioja Alavesa from the Cercas del Torreón.