The “Circular from the rural school” project is a cooperation project between rural development groups led by the Asociación Territorio Mudéjar.
The following have participated in the project: ADRI Calatayud-Aranda, ADRI Jiloca-Gallocanta, FEDIVALCA -Valdejalón and Campo de Cariñena-, ASOMO Tarazona and el Moncayo, CEDEMAR -Bajo Aragón Caspe and Ribera Baja del Ebro-, ADRAE -Ribera Alta del Ebro- and ADEFO Cinco Villas.
The objective is to develop educational materials around the Mudejar identity of the towns, placing rural schools and the educational community of the towns as the center of the project.
Based on the work developed, for almost three years, the students of fifteen schools have designed a walk through their town in which we can learn about the main points of interest and their connection with the Mudejar culture.
Herrera de los Navarros
The route has been carried out following the working model of the schools that participated in the project and adapted to the locality of Herrera de los Navarros.
The town of Herrera de los Navarros is located at the foot of the Sierra de Herrera. The nickname “de los Navarros” is due to the people who repopulated the place, as they came from Navarre. This is due to the repopulation charters after the Christian conquest. On this tour we will see its Mudejar church, talk about the importance of water and Mudejar reminiscences, among other things.
As we know, the town of Herrera de los Navarros is located at the foot of the Sierra with the same name as the village. In medieval times, when the parish church of San Juan was built, the Mudejar style is the art created by the Mudejars. The Mudejars are those Muslims who, after the Christian conquest (between 1118 and 1120), remained living in the territory.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 1.
The parish church of San Juan Bautista is a Mudejar temple, the construction of which began in the 14th century. However, its construction and additions were extended until the 17th century, as in other buildings of the style. The Mudejars made many types of buildings, depending on the function and the person who commissioned them. The exterior of the church of San Juan is notable for its rich decoration in brick highlights.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 4
It is a divine symbol for Muslims, as water is necessary for life. For the Mudejars, who were also Muslims, water was fundamental. We find Mudejars around large rivers such as the Ebro and its tributaries, which is why it has been called “valley culture”. It is around these that a large Mudejar population was concentrated in medieval times, and therefore many monuments.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 5.
The Sierra de Herrera played an important role in the wars against the kingdom of Castile. There is a hermitage dedicated to the Virgin of Herrera, a place that has traditionally been a place of pilgrimage for the local people. It is related to an apparition of the Virgin to some charcoal burners. In terms of agriculture, the introduction of farming techniques favoured local crops, such as almonds.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 6
Mudejar art came to an end in the 17th century when the Moors (Mudejars converted to Christianity) were expelled from the territory. However, we have preserved a style that has survived over the centuries. This is why we find materials, construction techniques and ornamental elements that remind us of the Mudejar style used in later works, even up to the 1960s: an example of this are the peirones, generally built in brick and sometimes with ornamental motifs reminiscent of the Mudejar style. They were used to separate towns, which is why they are located a little away from the villages and are usually dedicated to a saint.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 7
