Discover Tauste: Mudéjar Tower, History and Tradition

The Iglesia de Santa María de Tauste is protected as a BIC monument and dates from the late 13th to early 14th century. It has a significant Mudéjar tower, which is an example of towers with an Almohad architectural tradition in Aragón. The Torre de Santa María is 46 metres high and octagonal; its most probable dating places it in the 11th century. It is interpreted as the former minaret of a mosque that may have stood at this location.

Culture and History

The parish museum of the Iglesia de Santa María de Tauste is housed in three chapels built in the 16th century and displays sculptures and paintings from the 13th to the 18th century. The ruins of the pre-Roman city of Valdetaus lie within the municipality of Tauste, beside the A-127 Aragón–Tudela road. Valdetaus is dated approximately to the period between 500 and 50 BC.

Barrio Nuevo was established after the expulsion of 1492 on the site of Tauste’s former Jewish quarter. Large sections of the medieval city wall have disappeared; however, a few surviving remains reveal its former course. Casa de la Cámara was built in the second third of the 16th century or at the beginning of the 17th century and essentially corresponded to the characteristics of Aragonese Renaissance palaces. The traditional Dance de Tauste includes a performance form that has remained the same for more than 150 years.

Religious Traditions

The Rosario de Cristal de Tauste is a procession held annually on 22 April, featuring polychrome glass lanterns in various shapes and sizes, weather permitting. The Voto de San Miguel has been observed continuously in Tauste since the vow of 1421.

The Semana Santa de Tauste is recognised as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico de Aragón and dates back to the arrival of the Franciscans in the 16th century. The lanterns can be viewed throughout the year at the Museo del Rosario de Cristal.

Waterways

The Canal de Tauste is considered the oldest canal still in operation in Europe, if its origins in the 13th century are taken into account. Route 4, “El Ebro y el canal de Tauste”, runs along the right bank of the Canal de Tauste; it also visits the mill on the road from Pradilla and the Aqueduct of Las Trabas.

For personal planning, you can consider the main themes separately: architectural history and archaeology alongside festival traditions and waterways. When searching for a holiday apartment in Tauste, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation conditions on the booking page. This information provides a brief personal framework for doing so.

More Local Pages

More local pages: Albeta, Bureta, Fuendetodos, Mequinenza, Illueca, Orés, Alagón, La Almolda

For the higher-level travel overview: Saragossa.