Visitors to Ayera will find that there’s more to the village than meets the eye.
Several houses are outstanding examples of the region’s architectural tradition, featuring arch-stone façades and ashlar foundations.
The hamlet surrounds the Church of San Miguel, designed in a Latin cross layout and topped with a done above the transept and a vaulted lunettes ceiling above the rest, creating a typical 18th-century structure.
Just 200 meters to the northeast is the Chapel of San Esteban, also known as the Chapel of San Fertús. It is a simple medieval building that conserves several pointed arches made with solid ashlar voussoirs. Worth mention are the nearby anthropomorphic tombs, laid out in an east-west direction commonly used during the Reconquista.
Using the chapel as a starting point, visitors can reach what is called the “Piedra de los Moros”, located about 1,500 meters north/northeast of the village along the trail that passes to the west of the Chapel of San Esteban. This rocky outcrop has been carved by the elements over time, giving it a phallic appearance; it emerges between fields of grain and is surrounded by holm oak woods halfway between Ayera and Castilsabás. The rock has been linked to esoteric rites associated with fertility, and inside there is room enough for just one person to squat.
The location is what makes this hamlet special; La Almunia de Romeral blends into the terrain, rising from the slope of a mountain at the entrance of the Vadiello valley, the village profiled against a picturesque natural backdrop.
The Parish Church of Santo Domingo dominates the silhouette of this charming village.
The Almunia is a place name that many tie to the Arabic “almunya”, which means orchard.
The village celebrates its main annual festival on August 4th, as well as other minor celebrations on January 22nd in honor of St. Vicente, and on December 8th to celebrate the Immaculate Conception.
Located on a small hill and with beautiful panoramic views of the mountains, Aguas opens up its plain yet interesting hamlet, which features the simplicity of the traditional.
The modern-day Church of St. Santiago and, much to visitors' delight, a viewpoint has been built on the side of the church that offers outstanding mountain views.
The spectacular Calcón reservoir, at the foot of the Tozal de Guara, the highest peak in the Pre-Pyrenees, is mere kilometers from Aguas.
The village celebrates its festivals on July 25th in honor of St. John, as well as on November 18th to celebrate St. Romanus, and on May 9th the village celebrates a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Located between two rivers, the Flumen and Botella, the village of Loporzano is a gateway to the mountains and one of the entrance points to the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park.
The Parish Church of San Salvador stands at the center of the village; construction began in the late 16th-century by Hernando Abadía, and its substantial expansion dates to the 18th century.
In terms of civil architecture, Loporzano has excellent examples of traditional houses at the foot of the Sierra de Guara, many featuring coats of arms of the village’s major families.
“El Amorcillo” fountain, the 19th-century work of Parisian artist Durenne, is found in the village, creating a curious contrast of styles.
Loporzano celebrates its annual festivals on January 20th in honor of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, and on June 13th in honor of St. Anthony of Padua. The pilgrimage to the Chapel of the Virgen del Viñedo is celebrated on May 1st.
Sat 31 Aug 2024 |