Dragons also fly around Territorio Mudéjar. You can find them in the churches of our villages, we tell you where and why:

The iconography linked to the dragon has been related, especially during the medieval period, with the Aragonese monarchy and the lineage of the D’ARAGON. The last kings of this lineage were Peter IV the Ceremonious and his son, Martin I the Humane.

Due to the similarity between the name of the lineage D’ARAGÓN and DRAGÓN, the dragon has traditionally been related to the Crown of Aragon. However, there are different lines of research when it comes to linking the fantastic animal with monarchic lineages and other historical characters.

Moreover, both the dragon and the serpent were already very common in the iconography of Islamic art, so if we are talking about the Aragonese medieval period and the coexistence of cultures, it is not surprising that the iconography of the dragon appears, either because of the Islamic tradition that remains in Mudejar art or because of the animal’s own link with the monarchy.

As for its formal representation, it is often found in the ribs of the vaults of Mudéjar churches such as in Tobed, Morata de Jiloca, Cervera de la Cañada, Torralba de Ribota, Maluenda and Ateca.

Their heads are usually depicted, which vary stylistically as we advance in time, first the most geometric and then the most caricatured.

Consultation: ALBERTO MONTANER FRUTOS. THE SIGN OF THE KING OF ARAGON: HISTORY AND MEANING Institution “Fernando el Católico” Zaragoza 1995. Corrected electronic reprint 2013.

Photos: Torralba de Ribota, Tobed, Cervera de la Cañada, Morata de Jiloca, Maluenda.