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When traveling through
Aragon it
is easy to imagine that in ancient times it was a strategic defensive border in a permanent state of alert.
As a result of that distant history of sieges and battles, not only castles proliferate in Aragonese territory;
so do the walled towns, military citadels, towers and fortified churches.
Vestiges that remind the traveler of the tumultuous past of the region.
Today these watchtowers represent one of the main claims to visit this autonomous community, because from their privileged position they offer us the best panoramic views and landscapes and, as we walk through them, we will learn episodes in the history of Spain that, perhaps, we did not know
.
Aerial view of the citadel of Jaca, JackF getty images
Citadel of Jaca: Renaissance perfection
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Jaca, in the north of the province of Huesca, is its citadel, especially when viewed from above: its unusual pentagonal profile draws a perfect star fortification from the air.
But, in addition, this exceptional fortress preserves each and every one of its characteristic elements: moats, bastions, escarpments, barracks, powder magazines, tunnels and, of course, a beautiful entrance with a drawbridge.
It was
Felipe II
who ordered its construction in
1592
to quell a revolt of supporters of a former state councilor accused of treason by the king himself.
Also to defend against the
harassment of France,
preventing the passage of the Huguenots through the Pyrenees.
That of Jaca is
one of the most impregnable fortresses in Spain
and is still in use, since it has maintained a military garrison still present within its walls since its construction.
Designed by the Italian architect Tiburzio Spanocchi, according to the new schemes of military architecture of the 16th century, this Renaissance bastion whose real name is Castillo de San Pedro houses, around the large parade ground, the peculiar
Museum of Military Miniatures
, where they recreate, through thousands of tin soldiers, the most important battles in history.
Apart from its fortress, Jaca is a true
jewel of the Romanesque
: its cathedral is one of the most prominent temples of this style and was the origin of a city that has always been one of the most important stops on the Camino de Santiago.
The town of Huesca is also the ideal starting point to discover other essentials in the area, such as
the monastery of San Juan de la Peña
or the majestic
Canfranc international station
(1925), a railway complex that was conceived as a great showcase of Spain before foreign visitors.
Stories of spies and smugglers await us there.
Although it has been in rehabilitation for many years, the guided tours of the complex and the works are exciting.
The city of Jaca is 50 minutes by car from Huesca and an hour and a half from Zaragoza.
The ruined fortification of Uncastillo.
Israel Hervás Bengochea ALAMY
Fortress of Uncastillo, medieval stop at Cinco Villas
With its martial and severe aspect, surveying the territory from the top of a rocky hill, the fortress of Uncastillo is
one of the largest in Aragon
.
Its two towers stand out: the
homage
tower
, from the 13th century and with a small museum inside that tells the story of the castle;
and the
lookout
, semi-octagonal and attached to a Gothic palace from the 15th century.
This town in the northwest of the province of Zaragoza is one of those that make up the
Cinco Villas region.
And it is worth the stop en route: in addition to the castle erected on the Ayllón rock, an emblematic image of the town, there are also the remains of
Gothic palaces
, such as that of Pedro IV, from the 14th century, or a good handful of Romanesque churches.
Although perhaps the most striking of all is the urban area, with its labyrinth of well-preserved houses where the remains of a spectacular Jewish quarter are not lacking, where an important Hebrew community once lived.
Palaces such as the Renaissance
Town Hall
, the
Palacio de Martín el Humano
and the
Medieval
Market
complete the long list of monuments that Uncastillo boasts.
And there is even more: just 15 kilometers away, the Roman archaeological site of
Los Bañales
erupts
, in which monumental hot springs - built at the end of the 1st century AD - and the pillars of an aqueduct still stand.
Uncastillo is 1 hour and 25 minutes by car from Zaragoza and Huesca.
The rectangular castle of Sádaba, in the Bajo Aragón region (Zaragoza).
Teo Moreno Moreno ALAMY
Sádaba, the seven towers that mark the way
Another unavoidable stop in the Five Villas in Zaragoza is
Sádaba
, a historical place that today would go unnoticed if it were not for its strength, which, like a lighthouse in the middle of a plains cultivated with cereal, demands our attention so that we stop to visit it.
With its
seven towers
, this ashlar castle alters the landscape of Sádaba, in Bajo Aragón, with its rigorous silhouette.
Probably founded in the 11th century and for decades a center of bloody battles, it is
rectangular
in
shape
and exhibits high walls interspersed by seven massive towers topped with battlements.
Inside, where a small
parade ground
opens
, it preserves a
medieval chapel
and a
cistern
.
This huge castle presides over a town with
stone streets, arched gates and shields over its manor houses
, which tell us about its border past at the crossroads between two kingdoms.
The other jewel of the town, competing with the castle, is the
church of Santa María
, one of the best examples of Gothic in Aragon.
On the outskirts of the town, it is worth visiting the Atilios mausoleum, popularly called the
Altar of the Moors
, from Roman times (between the 2nd and 3rd centuries).
And a short distance from there, the
Cistercian female monastery of Cambrón
, from the 12th century, and the
Puilampa church
, from the same century, whose torch was always lit to illuminate the pilgrims' way to Santiago.
Sádaba is 1 hour and 10 minutes by road from Zaragoza and Huesca.
Profusely decorated arcades of the Calatravos castle, in Alcañiz (Teruel).
Ainara Garcia ALAMY
Sleep in the castle of the Calatravos, in Alcañiz
The second largest city in the province of Teruel and the capital of Bajo Aragón,
Alcañiz
is famous for its
drum festival
at Easter and for being one of the great monumental towns in Spain.
A 12th-century castle dominates a historic center that has two landmarks: the
Town Hall
, the most notable Renaissance building in the region, and
the Lonja
, which was once the medieval public market.
Under the city a series of medieval passageways are preserved that are proof of the importance it had in those centuries in which the knights of
the Order of Calatrava
were in charge of protecting this Aragonese border.
Although today a part of this castle
has been converted into a parador,
its charm of a massive medieval fortress remains intact.
Sitting on the hill of Pui Pinos, in a dominant position over Alcañiz, the bastion has its historical and artistic heart in the keep and in the Romanesque chapel, whose interior houses
Gothic paintings that illustrate the battle between Moors and Christians
.
Alcañiz is also the gateway to visit one of the most beautiful regions of Aragon:
Matarraña
, a border crossing between Teruel, Tarragona and Castellón, with must-see charming towns, such as
Valderrobres
and
Calaceite
, and incredible places, such as the
Grutas de Cristal
,
discovered on the outskirts of the town of
Molinos
in 1961. Your visit lasts about sixty minutes and allows you to access two rooms: the Cristales and the Marina.
The first presents a great diversity of speleothems, among which the eccentric stalactites stand out.
The entrance to the second room offers a splendid view of the coral speleothems that give this room its name.
Alcañiz: 1 hour and 20 minutes by car from the city of Zaragoza.
Gallery with arches in the castle of Valderrobres, in Teruel.
WireStock alamy
The castle of Valderrobres, in the heart of Matarraña
The
Matarraña region
, the epicenter of the so-called
empty or emptied Spain
, is a true discovery.
Especially when one comes across towns like
Valderrobres
, crowned by a monumental castle (closed until further notice due to the pandemic) connected with a Gothic church.
And that's not all: the town boasts its
Plaza Mayor,
which is entered by a fantastic
stone bridge
, with several
palatial mansions
and a spectacular Aragonese Renaissance-style Town Hall.
And above all: an air that around here time has stopped.
Valderrobres is always on
the list of the most beautiful towns in Europe
, and it deserves it.
In Aragon there are about
700 noble castles
, but few ecclesiastical, and this is one of them.
Commissioned to be built as a defensive tower around 1307 by the Archbishop of Zaragoza and converted a century later into a palatial fortress, it is a massive building divided into different levels, whose huge rooms and rooms reveal the importance of the castle for centuries, until its abandonment in the 18th century and its subsequent rehabilitation.
Valderrobres can be reached in 1 hour and 45 minutes from Zaragoza by car.
Temple and fortress: the church of the Assumption (Jabaloyas)
If it weren't for the bells that can be seen from afar, this church could easily be mistaken for a castle.
Surrounded by a walled enclosure topped with battlements or merlons, with a massive quadrangular tower and the embrasures and loopholes that defended the perimeter,
the temple is one of the few examples of religious-military architecture from the Renaissance period that still survive, without modifications
, throughout the region.
Jabaloyas
is one of those towns that travelers hope to find when they enter empty regions such as the
Sierra de Albarracín
.
With a population that does not reach 100 inhabitants, its church-fortress and some Renaissance houses tell us about other times when it was of greater importance.
For example,
the house of tithes and first fruits
or the one known as
Casa de la Sirena
, with curious Gothic details.
But without a doubt, the best is the environment, with well-preserved forests and spectacular places for hiking.
Jabaloyas: 2 hours and 20 minutes by road from Zaragoza.
enlarge photo The fortified church of San Salvador, in Ejea de los Caballeros, in the Cinco Villas region (Zaragoza).
KarSol getty images
Ejea de los Caballeros, the border with Islamic lands
Another church built as a fortress is that of
Ejea de los Caballeros
, a large town that once served as a border with Islamic lands.
Hence its good samples of churches but also of large houses, which maintained a certain splendor until the 18th century.
We are also in Carlist lands and some buildings remind us of this in their history and even in their name.
But the hub of everything is the fortified church of San Salvador.
The two towers, the walkways and the perimeter topped by battlements give this magnificent Romanesque temple - consecrated in 1222, although its construction began in the last third of the 12th century - the appearance of a castle-fortress.
Its architectural style is transitional Romanesque to Gothic.
For centuries Ejea de los Caballeros was a
Christian bastion bordering Islamic lands
, and both this temple and the town's population needed special protection.
The excellent façades, the eight chapels, the choir and the baptistery, as well as the Gothic main altarpiece, make the church
an essential visit for art lovers
.
Ejea de los Caballeros is 1 hour's drive from Zaragoza and Huesca.
Aerial view of the wall of Daroca, with one of the two gates flanked by crenellated towers that give access to the interior of the Zaragoza town.
JackF GETTY IMAGES
Daroca, the rest of the Cid Campeador between walls
One of the great charms of
Daroca
is to walk through its walls, built at different times in history, until reaching the old castle, which houses the remains of a first
Muslim fortress
.
It is the
largest walled complex in Aragon
, from which a fantastic view of the town and its surroundings can be seen.
And this is his reason for being: he always served as a watchman on permanent alert.
The castle, now in ruins, is surrounded by the four kilometers of walls that embrace the hamlet.
It is accessed through
two monumental Renaissance gates:
the Lower Gate and the Upper Gate, both protected by two crenellated towers.
And at street level, Daroca offers a pleasant walk through some of its monuments such as
the collegiate church of Santa María de los Sagrados Corporales,
which combines various styles: from Romanesque, its initial date of construction (12th century), to Gothic ( XV) and Renaissance (XVI).
The Zaragoza municipality also has different Romanesque-Mudejar churches, a 16th century hospital and stately villas with a palatial air, such as the
Casa Diablo
or the elegant
Casa de los Luna
.
Once an outpost in Islamic territory and later a border town between kingdoms, Daroca can boast of being one of the most beautiful Aragonese fortified towns, with museums, churches and palaces of great interest.
Here lived the very
Cid Campeador,
who spent a season healing from a long illness.
And of course,
the Camino del Cid
passes through here,
which follows in its footsteps through Castilian, Aragonese and Valencian lands.
It was a city
where Jews, Muslims and Christians coexisted
, and from this fertile union arose the
Mudejar
with its spectacular geometric decoration with bricks that stands out in the churches of Daroca.
Its Muslim heritage is still felt in
the Morería neighborhood
, with its Islamic layout of narrow and winding streets.
Daroca is 1 hour by car, or 1 hour and 30 minutes by bus, from Zaragoza.
Elevated and panoramic view of the Zaragoza town of Biel.
Evan Frank ALAMY
Torre de Biel, guarding the path from the top
The Torre de Biel was an important strategic bulwark of the Hispanic Kingdoms, on the border with Navarra.
The military expeditions that reconquered the Cinco Villas region set out from here.
This impressive parallelepiped 30 meters high, 20 meters wide and five storeys high, stands on a rocky hillock in the Zaragoza town of the same name since the last third of the 11th century.
Residence and abode of numerous kings, such as
Sancho Ramírez
, his son
Alfonso I el Batallador
and
Ramiro II
, joined the military and palatial functions.
Actually, the complex today is made up of the tower and the
Romanesque church of San Martín
, which was built a little after the tower.
So the military and palatial function was also added to the religious one, in a place where different cultures and dynasties competed for space and power.
One proof is the
Biel Jewish quarter
, one of the most valued in Aragon, with its caudevilla (residential area) and green neighborhood (religious area).
At the beginning of the 15th century, more than
70% of its population was Jewish.
Biel can be reached in 1 hour and 10 minutes by car from Huesca, and in 1 hour 20 minutes from Zaragoza.
Set of medieval castle and church in Mora de Rubielos (Teruel).
Daredo getty images
Castle of the Fernández de Heredia (Mora de Rubielos)
The imposing mass of this castle, founded in Islamic times, Christianized in 1171 and elevated to the category of collegiate church in the 15th century, dominates the small town of
Mora de Rubielos
, southeast of Teruel.
Due to its size and position, it is one of the most impressive castles in all of Aragon,
especially if you arrive at night, when the complex is illuminated
and rises as if protecting the town from any danger.
And if the exterior is imposing, the interior is equally impressive.
The main piece is the
parade ground
, with an overwhelming
underground room, dungeons, stables and wine presses,
which make up one of the most complete castles in Spain.
A masterpiece of Gothic military architecture, it was for centuries the center of battles between the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile.
Today it only competes in spectacularity with the other monument in Mora: the
ex-collegiate church of Santa María,
in the shadow of the castle, Gothic, like the fortress itself.
The town as a whole is one of the most charming in the community, at a geographical, cultural and commercial crossroads.
It is a pleasure to stroll among its many manor houses and small palaces that belonged to great nobles, and of course, visit its convents.
And all this under the
protective mantle that its old walls still radiate
.
Mora de Rubielos: 2 hours and 10 minutes by car from Zaragoza.
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