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.
Villarroya de la Sierra
This walk shows us the work of the students of the school CRA Río Ribota in Villarroya de la Sierra.
Villarroya de la Sierra, which derives its name from the village roya or reddish because of the colour that predominates in the surrounding area, is located at the foot of the Sierra de la Virgen mountain range, with the whole of its hamlet arranged on a slope towards the river Ribota. It was a key place at all times in history, due to its natural resources and strategic position. During the tour we will be able to see different vestiges of its historical past, such as the two fortresses, the wall and the church.
Different settlements and cultures have been recorded here since ancient times. One of the key moments was the Islamic period, when the use and cultivation of the territory became evident with the development and improvement of hydraulic engineering systems, as well as the urban layout.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 1.
The current bullring is an old dula. Dula is the name, of Arabic origin (dawhla = turn), given to communal grazing land for the herds or flocks of neighbours. Due to different vestiges that have survived to the present day, such as the dula and a possible ancient mosque in the Santa Maria neighbourhood, they could offer clues as to the possible Islamic settlement of the area.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 5.
The wall of Villarroya de la Sierra features the materials and techniques typical of buildings in the Islamic tradition, especially mud or brick, with mud being one of the most common materials used in Mudéjar architecture, along with plaster, wood and alabaster.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 3
After the Christian conquest, the three cultures that make up the Mudejar culture coexisted in the town: Christians, Muslims and Jews. Each culture lived in its aljama (neighbourhood), preserving its religion and customs and developing economic activities. The high gate was the access to the city for anyone coming from Castile, and going through the gate, you walk along the Calle Real Alta.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 2
The church of San Pedro Apóstol was built at different times in history, but its Mudejar style can be seen in the brick decoration on the outside in the form of corner bricks.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 7
If there is one thing that characterises Villarroya, it is its diverse crops such as vineyards, cherry and almond trees, which could be related to the Muslim and Mudejar past of the area. The Muslims were characterised by the improvement of old irrigation systems and the creation of irrigation channels, cisterns and dams to make the most of the water. From this point, we can see an industrial chimney, another example of Mudejar heritage, an element of industrial brick architecture from the 20th century.
This point is linked to the didactic activity 6
