Castiello de Jaca – Way of St. James, Romanesque Art and Mountain Trails

Castiello de Jaca lies along the Aragonese section of the French Way of St. James. On the Way of St. James, the town is known as “the place of the hundred relics”. Pilgrims who begin their route in Somport reach Castiello de Jaca after Villanúa on the way to Jaca.

Culture and History

In the highest part of Castiello de Jaca stands the Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel on a rocky promontory overlooking the Aragón Valley. The Romanesque church dates from the 12th century and has a single-nave layout with a semicircular apse. The remains of a medieval fortress are preserved next to the church.

Different periods also come together inside San Miguel: the main altarpiece of the Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel dates from the late 17th century and was created by the brothers Juseppe and Francisco Ruesta. The relics are kept in a silver reliquary chest next to the tabernacle of the main altar.

In La Jacetania, the Iglesia de Santa María de Iguácel is located in the Valle de la Garcipollera at the same elevation as the village of Castiello de Jaca; its construction began between 1040 and 1050. The former pilgrimage site and Benedictine monastery preserve 11th-century Romanesque sculptures, including capitals, corbels with plant, geometric and figurative decoration, and a column base. In the wider surroundings of Castiello de Jaca, the church is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the Monument category.

Trails and Landscape

Castiello de Jaca offers numerous family-friendly excursions and mountain tours. These include local routes through the historic centre and trails for exploring the forests; they are suitable for families with moderate technical and physical demands. A route between Castiello de Jaca and Aratorés is listed among the municipality’s routes, as is a route from the Barranco de Redigüé to the Sierra de Angelé.

Castiello de Jaca is the natural, historical and geographical gateway to the Valle de la Garcipollera, where the Ijuez and Aragón rivers meet. La Garcipollera can be explored on foot from Castiello de Jaca via its tracks and trails; these same tracks and trails can also be used for mountain biking from here.

The long-distance trails GR 65.3 Camino de Santiago and GR 15 Senda Prepirenaica pass through Castiello de Jaca. The GR 15 leaves the higher part of Castiello de Jaca and runs there together with the GR 65.3.1 Camino de Santiago. Towards Borau, the GR 15 leaves the town and initially runs together with the GR 65.3 towards Villanúa.

In the wider surroundings, the Mirador accesible de Aratorés overlooks the Aragón Valley between Castiello de Jaca and Villanúa; Collarada rises in the background.

Festivals and Self-Guided Town Walk

The smaller patron-saint festivals of Castiello de Jaca, held in honour of the thousand relics, take place on the first Sunday in July. The relics are displayed once a year, on the first Sunday in July. The patron-saint festivals in honour of San Miguel Arcángel take place on 29 September.

In the Valle de la Garcipollera, the Romería de Santa María de Iguácel is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in July. A self-guided route also begins in Castiello de Jaca at a plan near the entrance to the town and leads visitors through the town. Signposts and information panels convey the history of Castiello de Jaca.

Other Places

Other places: Banastón, Alcampell, Fragen, Secastilla, Sahún, Jabierre De Olsón, Canfranc, Broto

To the higher-level travel overview: Huesca.