Carenas: Churches, Wine Cellars and Trails along the Piedra

Town Centre and Religious Buildings

The town centre is one of the best-preserved in the comarca. The Ruta de los peirones de Carenas starts at Iglesia Plaza and forms a circuit around the town centre. The route therefore combines a specific starting point with an overview of the historic centre.

Among the most prominent religious buildings is the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, a Baroque temple with three naves and a choir at the rear. It preserves an important altarpiece, probably created by Jerónimo Cósida; many of the altarpieces come from the Monasterio de Piedra. The Church of Santa María in Carenas is one of the few surviving Cistercian churches in Aragón. It also houses a 15th-century Santa Ana Triple de Malinas.

The Ermita de Santa Ana has a Latin-cross floor plan and an elliptical dome over pendentives. Its features include a main altarpiece and a carved statue known as Cristo de la Langosta. Its address is Calle de Santa Ana 37. The Ermita del Santo Sepulcro has a different architectural form: it is partly built into the hillside and dates from the 17th century. A Stations of the Cross route with modern wrought-iron stations leads to the hermitage, which preserves a recumbent statue of Christ from the 17th century.

Smaller monuments offer specific details too. The Peirón de la Virgen del Pilar el Nuevo is about 20 metres from the Peirón de la Virgen del Pilar el Viejo. The older Pilar pillar is classified as an immovable religious cultural asset and as a devotional pillar. Two Peirones de San Sebastián, one new and one old, stand in front of the ruins of the Ermita de San Sebastián. The old one is made of masonry and rubble stone and stands on a rock; the ruins themselves preserve three transverse arches.

Local History Through Different Periods

The historic settlement of Somet has been uninhabited since the 16th century and disappeared beneath the waters of La Tranquera Reservoir around 1960. The Castillo de Somet in Carenas is classified as a Bien de Interés Cultural. Another historical trace is the Casa-palacio de la Señoría, which belonged to the Cistercian monks of the Monasterio de Piedra. Its first construction phase dates from the 13th century, and it underwent a major renovation in the 17th century. These different dates make the town’s history tangible in several ways: through an abandoned historic settlement, a protected castle and a building with multiple construction phases.

Routes Between the River and the Cabañera

The route from Carenas to Nuévalos follows the Piedra downstream. It passes through cultivated river meadows and along tufa cliffs. The Cabañera Transversal offers a different focus: it is one of the comarca’s most important livestock tracks. It crosses the municipality of Carenas from north to south. A recommended section through Carenas is about six kilometres long and runs between La Cruceta and the border with Castejón. The two routes therefore differ distinctly in their orientation: one follows the river, while the other follows the historic livestock track and its named section.

Wine Cellars in the Streetscape

Carenas has more than 200 underground wine cellars. Along the streets, freestanding cellar entrances and their ventilation openings are visible. The cellar theme can therefore be understood not only from the number of cellars but also through visible features of the townscape. Together with the churches, historic centre and varied routes, they offer a diverse picture for planning a trip, without every discovery having to share the same focus.

Discover more destinations: Bujaraloz, Villalengua, Luceni, Malón, Leciñena, Codo, San Mateo De Gállego, Embid De La Ribera.

For the broader travel overview: Zaragoza.