Villarroya de la Sierra: Castles, Churches and Pilgrimages

At the entrance to Villarroya de la Sierra stands the Castillo del Rey on the highest hill. The rectangular masonry tower has a footprint of approximately 7 by 9 metres and a crenellated upper section. The Castillo del Rey is classified as an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural).

Culture

The Castillo de la Reina is also classified as an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural). It consists of an earthen enclosure wall and the remains of a tower on a small hill within the settlement of Villarroya de la Sierra. Of the four main gates in the medieval wall, La Baja and La Sumo Aldea have survived. The wall was particularly heavily fortified in the mid-14th century during the wars with Castile.

The Church of San Pedro in Villarroya de la Sierra is a 15th-century Mudéjar church with a monumental west portal made of shaped bricks. San Pedro Apóstol is classified as a fortified church and an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural). The historic urban layout of Villarroya de la Sierra is irregular and winding; numerous bends create picturesque corners. The Casa Grande is a manor house from the late 18th century, built in 1786.

Sacred Heritage

The Ermita de la Santísima Trinidad was the church of the vanished settlement of Vadillo. It is a Romanesque chapel from the late 12th or early 13th century, built of rubble masonry and bricks. The Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Sierra crowns a quartzite ridge in the Sierra de la Virgen at an altitude of 1,418 metres.

The Roman pottery workshop of Villarroya de la Sierra also offers a historical perspective reaching far back into the past: it was in operation from AD 50 until the 4th century and flourished in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Two kilns have been excavated, and a third kiln has been located.

Further Places

Further local pages for planning your own trip include Grisel, Sediles, Embid De La Ribera, Farasdués, San Mateo De Gállego, Murillo De Gállego, Fuencalderas and Granja de San Pedro.

Getting There and Festival Calendar

From Zaragoza, travel along the A-2 Madrid–Barcelona motorway to Calatayud, then continue on the N-234 Sagunto–Burgos towards Soria as far as kilometre 280.700. In honour of San Pablo, Villarroya de la Sierra holds patron saint celebrations on 25 and 26 January. On the Saturday of Pentecost, Villarroya de la Sierra makes a pilgrimage to the Santuario de la Virgen de la Sierra. The Ferias y Fiestas take place in the second week of September. On the last weekend of September, the town celebrates Santo Cristo del Consuelo; a pilgrimage to the Santuario de la Virgen de la Sierra takes place as part of the celebrations.

In Villarroya de la Sierra, “Dula” originally referred to communal grazing areas for the inhabitants’ herds; this meaning was used as an explanation for the site’s use as a bullring.

For the overarching travel overview: Saragossa.