Territorio Mudéjar is leading the preliminary work to draw up the Management Plan for Mudéjar Architecture in Aragon as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today we celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the declaration of the Mudejar Architecture of Aragon as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an important announcement: the Mudejar Territory team, led by Victoria Trasobares, is going to carry out the necessary preliminary work for the drafting, in the medium term, of the Management Plan for the “Mudejar Architecture of Aragon” as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our project has been selected in the 2023 call for grants for projects for the conservation and dissemination of World Heritage properties of the Ministry of Culture and Sport. We will thus form part of a group of more than 20 Spanish organisations that will be working over the coming months to promote and improve the application of the World Heritage Convention and its guidelines.

These grants are financed by the Ministry of Culture and are intended to encourage the development of projects for the management, protection and conservation of these assets, as well as to promote their accessibility, visibility and dissemination at national and international level. In addition, one of the specific objectives this year, in line with the Mudejar Territory project, was to work on management plans in order to have an instrument that would enable all areas of management, protection, research, dissemination and territorial and social impact to be addressed in a comprehensive, sustainable and effective manner.

This work will begin with a diagnosis of the state of conservation of the assets, the instruments for their protection, their management and their signposting and dissemination. In addition, working groups will be set up with the institutions involved, with a strong focus on the territorial impact. The project will be developed through technical visits and field work.

We also continue to work in the territory with technical visits, such as those in December in Cervera de la Cañada and Tobed, to carry out one of our most important actions: professional technical advice to partner town councils on aspects of management, custody and conservation of our Mudejar heritage.

*This project is part of the 2023 grants for projects for the conservation, protection and dissemination of World Heritage properties of the call of the Directorate General of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture.

Territorio Mudéjar, main feature of the UNESCO “World Heritage” magazine

Our towns are featured in an extensive article in the first issue of this landmark magazine

The towns and heritage of Territorio Mudéjar are featured in the first issue of “World Heritage” magazine, published by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. This landmark magazine has devoted two pages to Mudejar art in the province of Zaragoza, outlining the key points that make Mudejar a unique, avant-garde style in which we can read the history of Aragon.

The article, which is available in Spanish, English and French, explains how the Mudejar art of Aragon, the architecture of which was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2001 due to its “universality, uniqueness and authenticity”, tells the story of our region and reveals an extraordinary rural setting that contrasts with the more ethnographic image commonly associated with villages. It is cultured, refined architecture that, nonetheless, remains close to everyday life and shows us a region that exudes intellectualism and beauty.

Here is the link for you to read the article:

18th anniversary of the designation of Mudejar architecture of Aragon as UNESCO World Heritage

Territorio Mudéjar has drawn up an activity program to commemorate this anniversary, which includes promoting heritage tours, project activities and a live broadcast from Tobed.

Saturday, December 14, is the 18th anniversary of the designation of Mudejar architecture of Aragon as UNESCO World Heritage, and at Territorio Mudéjar we have planned a very special celebration.

We have prepared a schedule of activities for the entire week, saving the grand finale for last:  on the morning of Sunday, the 15th, Cadena SER radio station will broadcast live from the Territorio Mudéjar offices in Tobed a special program called “A vivir Aragón” with our collaboration. We will discuss how to discern and recognize the potential of our heritage and how it can become a driver of sustainable development.

The program will be broadcast live from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm from the Museo Mahoma Calahorri, and will be open to the public. We encourage you to join us and learn more about our valuable Mudejar heritage!

We also invite you to accompany us in these other activities:

On Friday, the 13th, we will hold on-site discussions about new uses for heritage spaces. The students doing internships in the Challenge Program, who have spent the past three months studying accessibility to Mudejar heritage and the ways in which technology can help us in this task, will help us with the discussion. At 9:30 am we will be at the tower in Ricla, at 11:30 am at the tower in Romanos and at 12:45 pm, in Longares.

On Saturday, the 14th, the official anniversary, guided tours will be offered of two of our World Heritage sites. Join us for a tour of the collegiate church of Santa María in Calatayud, managed by Asociación Torre Albarrana (11:30 am and 12:30 pm, cloister and tower), and of the church of La Virgen in Tobed, managed by Tobed Mudéjar (11:30 am, leaving from the city hall).

On Sunday, the 15th, you can help us recover cultural heritage in a very simple way. We are collecting photos from your family albums relating to Mudejar heritage in order to reflect on contemporary Mudejar imagery and the ties to the region through family photography. If you would like to contribute your images – we scan them on the spot and give them back – come visit us from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Cervera de la Cañada city hall. More info: https://www.facebook.com/cartografiaidentidadesrurales/