Illueca: Castillo-Palacio del Papa Luna, Old Town and Ruta Papa Luna

Illueca can be explored particularly clearly through two prominent routes: the Castillo-Palacio del Papa Luna and the Papa Luna Route. The focal point of the town’s history is the Castillo-Palacio del Papa Luna on Illueca’s highest hill. It is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the Monument category. By decree of 3 June 1931, it was declared a historic-artistic monument. Since summer 2000, the ceremonial halls of the Castillo-Palacio have housed a permanent exhibition about Benedict XIII, Papa Luna. The building features Mudéjar, Renaissance and Baroque elements.

Hiking

The PR-Z 73 “Ruta Papa Luna” is a 23.7-kilometre circular hiking trail with 950 metres of ascent and descent respectively. It is catalogued as a Sendero Turístico de Aragón and begins at the car park near Illueca’s sports centre and swimming pools. The route initially follows the Vía Verde along the Río Aranda and then leads to the Sierra de la Virgen. It runs from the bridge over the Río Aranda near the municipal swimming pools to the former mill. The circular route, elevation gain and the sequence of the riverside and mountain sections provide factual points of reference for assessing the excursion in advance. For planning the day, this means that various types of sections can be considered side by side: an initial stretch along the river, the later route to the Sierra de la Virgen and the historic points of reference at the start and finish.

Culture

The Church of San Juan Bautista also preserves several clearly discernible layers from different periods. Its first construction phase dates from the early 15th century and comprised a Mudéjar building with a pentagonal apse and a single-nave layout. The interior is decorated with carved stucco work featuring Mudéjar-inspired motifs, designed by Juan de Marca. The church also contains the Santa Orosia altarpiece, a restored Baroque trompe-l’œil altarpiece provisionally attributed to Jerónimo Secano.

History

Shoemaking in Illueca originated in the 17th century; at that time, there were three tanneries on the Río Aranda. The historic Old Town displays a Jewish-Muslim-influenced street layout with numerous bends in the streets. A Baroque building from the 18th century has three storeys; on the top floor, it had wooden openings that have since been bricked up, as well as a characteristic wooden eaves cornice. The various historical traces thus range from craft origins to architectural details that stand side by side in the townscape.

When searching for a holiday apartment in Illueca, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions as neutral points of reference on the respective property page. The three fields can be considered individually and objectively compared side by side. When reviewing a property, the period, category and policies are separate details that you can examine one after another for an objective comparison.

Other places: Añón De Moncayo, La Almunia De Doña Godina, Utebo, Novallas, Villanueva De Gállego, Jaraba, Osera De Ebro, Fuentes De Ebro

For the overarching travel overview: Saragossa.