The area attracted the Romans, who built the town of Tritium on land which now falls within the boundaries of Nájera and the neighboring municipality of Tricio.

From the tenth century onward, Nájera had a prosperous Jewish community, which was granted relatively favorable legal status after the Christian conquest.

[3] Edward, the Black Prince fought in the Battle of Nájera in 1367, intervening in a Castilian Civil War on behalf of Pedro I of Castile.

It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank : The church of Santa María la Real was founded by García Sánchez III of Pamplona in 1052.

The monks had to abandon the annexed monastic complex in the 19th century, as a result of the anti-clerical reforms of Juan Álvarez Mendizábal.