To walk through our villages and contemplate them on high, from a bird’s eye view, is one of the luxuries offered by the turreted constructions that mark out the Mudejar villages, genuine and magnetic structures that define the silhouette of our Mudejar Territory.
Today we share with you a new publication in our series of itineraries that you can find in the magazine La Magia de Viajar (The Magic of Travelling).
On this route, as well as admiring the exceptional exterior decoration of the towers, we will delve into their structural evolution, a paradigm of the fusion between Islamic and Christian building traditions.
Thus, we will find three groups of Mudejar towers: of Hispano-Muslim structure, of Christian structure and of mixed structure, erected in the 16th and 17th centuries. These architectural elements tell us part of the history of the towns on which they stand.
This route of Mudejar towers offers us the experience of climbing up to the highest part of some of them to understand from on high the context surrounding the Mudejar, the urbanism of the towns, the landscape and even the communications that defined the evolution of Mudejar architecture.
In addition, we have intervened in other sections in which we have spoken about one of our research stays on models of civil heritage management, we have spoken about the initiative Rural school in motion and the Challenge programme as training in the professionalisation of heritage.
Today we introduce you to Andrea, an International Cooperation student from the University of Turin who is doing her internship at Territorio Mudéjar thanks to the European programme UNITA- Rural Mobility.
“I decided to do my internship with Territorio Mudéjar because I would like to specialise in local development in relation to cultural heritage management and sustainable tourism”, Andrea explains. And then adds: “I hope that through this experience I will be able to bring useful strategies for Italian heritage management and establish future relationships”.
At the moment she lives and works in Tobed, together with the students of the Challenge project of the University of Zaragoza.
Through La magia de viajar por Aragón (The magic of travelling in Aragon) we have invited you in past articles to take a new look to recognise the results of the rich coexistence of cultures on an urban level.
Now we present a route through towns in Territorio Mudéjar which, through its complex monumentality ascribed to different historical styles, allows us to understand the origins of the style, from the transition from fully Western languages to a new language in which the Islamic building tradition will gradually gain ground, with its particular technical solutions, its praised efficiency and an attractive and captivating aesthetic.
The route follows the chronology of the stylistic witnesses rather than the logic of the journey itself, so we encourage you to plan your visit calmly, enjoying the route and the magnificent landscape in which all these localities are located.
In this article we describe examples of Mudejar architecture in Zuera, Daroca, Calatayud, Tauste, Alagón and La Almunia de Doña Godina.
Territorio Mudéjar, the network of 37 municipalities promoted by the Council of Zaragoza that works to conserve and promote Mudejar art in the province, has awarded four fieldwork grants for the study, the development of projects and the management of the natural and heritage resources of its member towns.
This is the third call for applications for the stays, which bear the name of Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualis as a tribute to the distinguished professor and expert on Mudejar art. Each one of them is endowed with 6,000 euros and will allow the development of responsible, sustainable and innovative research projects with a direct impact on the rural environment, favouring its visibility and knowledge.
The projects selected include projects in fields such as the creation of educational resources for primary and secondary schools, the study of Mudejar geometry in order to have a collection of images, the study of Mudejar culture in the performing arts and the conservation of popular architecture understood from the point of view of urban planning in Mudejar villages.
The aim of these stays is to favour the understanding of the rural territory from its Mudejar identity through innovative views that have a positive impact on the villages and that promote a network of work on the possibilities offered by the resources of the territory and collaborative and interdisciplinary work. In addition, specifically, the aim is to improve the knowledge of the Mudejar as a World Heritage Site and the benefits it brings as an international brand recognised by UNESCO.
The projects one by one:
1- Educational Mudejar. This project sets out the strategic lines of an educational material for primary and secondary school pupils to help them interpret the Mudejar through a combination of illustrations and real images and to learn to value this rich legacy. The resources, the result of the work process, will be available on the Territorio Mudéjar website, will be accessible through all types of devices and will have an attractive, visual and dynamic presentation. The online publication will be complemented with routes based on maps and with games adapted to the students’ level This tool will be available for use both in the classroom context and at home. The project will be developed by the cultural management professional Myriam Monterde, the audiovisual producer and scriptwriter José Manuel Herráiz and the illustrator David Guirao.
2- The Mudejar and Euclidean geometry or plane geometry. This project deals with the plastic study of the Aragonese Mudejar in the area of Territorio Mudéjar and, by extension, in the province of Zaragoza. The project will make it possible to collect and study Mudejar layouts, studying them in depth and with geometric rigour. It will also establish similarities between them or with others outside the working area. In total, around 50 graphic works will be produced, combining diverse technical exercises in brick with raised edges, ties, strapwork and round windows with interior and exterior architectural views. The result is a graphic archive never before developed which allows Territorio Mudéjar to have a collection of Mudéjar images for subsequent publications. The project will be carried out by the illustrator Chema Agustín.
3- Scenic Mudejar. Explores Mudejar art in the stage arts: music, dance and minstrelsy. It seeks to outline strategies in the territory that allow for the promotion of the Mudejar identity of the territory and to strengthen its professional networks through research, creation and artistic dissemination in the field of musical and performative art. It also aims to design actions that will enable the programming of future stage events in the region. The project is based on a concept of heritage that encompasses traditions, customs and other artistic expressions that form part of the collective memory. The project is being developed by the documentation specialist María Amor Borque and the performing arts specialist Serge Dambrine.
4- Preventive urbanism: Guidelines and tools for the protection of traditional architecture in Mudejar towns from the perspective of urban planning. This fieldwork stay proposes an analysis and comparative study of the urban planning regulations governing architectural interventions in various towns of Territorio Mudéjar, providing an overview of the degree of protection of traditional architecture derived from planning, identifying areas for improvement and proposing a framework document that can be used by both private promoters and municipal technicians to improve the compatibility of interventions in traditional constructions. This project continues the research on vernacular architecture initiated in the previous stays and will be developed by architect Laura Villacampa with the advice of lawyer Ignacio Pérez Bailón and architect Javier Gómez Patrocinio.
This autumn, Territorio Mudéjar resumes its guided tours to discover the Mudejar heritage of the province of Zaragoza in its broadest sense – monuments, urbanism, landscape, trades… – always with scientific rigour and hand in hand with professionals. The initiative “Mudejar Territory: a journey to beauty”, promoted together with the Council of Zaragoza, includes 12 routes divided into five themes: cultural fusion, the origins of the artistic style, the towers and the fortress churches. It is a journey back in time through an artistic style that was present from the 13th to the 16th century and which left a legacy that has earned some of its monuments the UNESCO World Heritage designation.
The first routes begin in September:
The Mudejars: Mestizo Land and borderland: one through Magallón, Torrellas and Fréscano and another through Saviñán, Mesones de Isuela and La Almunia de Doña Godina. They will show how the period of fusion between the Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures is still clearly reflected today in the country houses, urbanism and monuments of these towns.
Keys to a style: towers. You will visit Romanos, Villarreal de Hueva, Mainar and Villar de los Navarros. These routes immerse visitors in the origins of the style and explain how the Islamic tradition gradually gained ground, with its particular technical solutions, quality and attractive and captivating aesthetics. Specifically, these routes will visit the Mudejar towers, which characterise the ‘skyline’ of the territory and are one of the most exceptional representations of this style.
The Mudejar space: Tobed, Maluenda and Morata de Jiloca. This is a route through some of the most beautiful fortress-churches, temples of a clearly defensive style, with privileged locations, framed in beautiful country houses and integrated into the landscape.
This initiative is part of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the declaration of the Mudejar of the province of Zaragoza as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This year, 2022, marks the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past, present, and future of its application in our territories and communities. Throughout this year, a series of activities organized by the various World Heritage managers in Spain will take place.
Among the activities of the Ministry of Culture, Education, and Sport is a photography exhibition at the Retiro Park in Madrid. This exhibition was on view these past few weeks and included a display of Aragonese Mudejar heritage declared a World Heritage Site, specifically the Collegiate Church of Calatayud.
The European MOMAr (Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage) project, led by the Provincial Council of Zaragoza and in which Territorio Mudéjar participates, has brought together 28 heritage experts, including a delegation from Zaragoza, on a study visit to the province of Groningen (Netherlands). The goal is to exchange best practices and learn about Dutch management models firsthand.
The visit took place on April 27 and 28 and was attended by the Zaragoza Provincial Council, including Juan José Borque, coordinator of the Citizenship Department, and Mª Carmen Gracia, head of the Culture Service; Victoria Trasobares, director of Territorio Mudéjar; three of the mayors who belong to the association: Maria Rosario Lázaro, mayor of Villarreal de Huerva; Marta Gracia Blanco, mayor of Almunia de Doña Godina; and Alfonso Puertas, mayor of Torralba de Ribota; and Julio Zaldívar, manager of the Tarazona Monumental Foundation.
MOMAr’s European partners from Mehedinti County (Romania), the Saxony-Anhalt region (Germany), South Bohemia (Czech Republic), the Dutch hosts, and the project’s technical advisory committee, formed by Irene Ruiz and Marisa Sebastián, also participated.
This study visit is the third of a total of four, which seek to exchange knowledge on asset management models among European experts, all from rural areas. The ultimate goal is to import best practices and, with them, develop an Action Plan in which each region will develop new proposals for improving local projects.
The rehabilitation of historical heritage, giving it new social and educational uses for the benefit of local communities, through cooperation between public administrations and private properties, marked the practical visits on this trip.
The first stop on the tour was Maarhuizen, an architectural complex located atop an artificial mound, remnant of what was once a farming village centuries ago. Today, one of its former farms is being reconstructed as part of a holistic project seeking to create a cultural and natural meeting point, involving educational centers in the rehabilitation process.
We visited one of the churches of the Groningen Historic Church Foundation. This organization manages nearly 100 churches, most of them medieval and privately owned. In these churches, religious space has become a community space, open to the public and serving social purposes. Proof of this is the exhibition “Festivity! In the East and in the West,” located in a restored medieval tower and exploring celebrations of different religions (Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim). Through an interactive experience, the exhibition seeks to create common ground between different faiths and open up a non-judgmental intercultural dialogue among its visitors.
The expedition also approached the Wadden Sea, the largest intertidal flat system in the world, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its unique geological and ecological values and high biological diversity.
The rural region of Oldamst, located near the German border, was the focus of experts’ attention during the second day of work. This area was considered the breadbasket of Holland decades ago thanks to its fertile land. However, depopulation and the loss of local agriculture have left hundreds of farms abandoned or in serious danger of collapse. Adding to this process of degradation are earthquakes, largely caused by gas extraction, and soil oxidation, which causes significant subsidence. Thus, an enormous historical heritage, in private hands, faces the costly challenge of reconstruction and rehabilitation, but they are not doing it alone, as public administrations are contributing financially and strategically to the preservation of these centuries-old buildings.
The Circular project from the rural school advances and has allowed us to share a special exchange between the schools of Ricla and Alpartir in which students have been able to learn about the heritage of another locality and show their own to other classmates. This twinning activity has been a peer-to-peer and cooperative learning experience in which students have interacted with other students to achieve educational objectives.
The first visit took place on 30 March. The third year primary pupils of the CEIP Maestro Monreal de Ricla welcomed the pupils of the CEIP Ramoìn y Cajal de Alpartir and told them the first ideas about the local mudeìjar and the cultural landscape.
They visited the ‘Aula mudéjar’, a museum space dedicated to exhibiting everything that has been worked on, adding period costumes and handicrafts.
The Alpartir schoolchildren then strolled through the streets of Ricla – full of twists and turns, alleyways and lanes – to reach the church of the Assumption with its slender Mudejar tower.
There, the pupils learned about the most important moments of the church (which was built in three stages) from Hilario, the parish priest. They also climbed to the top of the tower, from where they could see the town planning of Ricla, which we also talked about later.
There was time to go up to the castle of Muslim origin, although it is very much renovated, the result of an interesting existence. Today it has the appearance of a manor house and shows its great past importance as a defensive position.
The children from Ricla returned the visit to their classmates from Alpartir on 6 April. The Alpartir school team was in charge of welcoming the guests at a reception attended by the mayoress of Alpartir, Marta Gimeno, and the director of Territorio Mudéjar, Victoria Trasobares.
They then began the tour with a first stop at a point in the town from which La Almunia de Doña Godina, another of the towns that form part of the Mudejar Territory network, can be seen. Allí hicieron una presentación sobre los mudéjares, su forma de vida y el legado que todavía hoy conservamos. Además, aprendieron el origen del nombre de La Almunia de Doña Godina (Al-munia significa «huerto» y su apellido lo tomó de Doña Godina, una rica propietaria de Cabañas que en el siglo XII). La segunda parada dio a los participantes una perspectiva de Alpartir y de su entorno urbano que les permitió aprender sobre el caserío y la distribución de sus calles. Y el recorrido llegó hasta la calle de los obradores, donde conocieron los restos de un antiguo alfar.
The excursion was accompanied by a musical atmosphere and served to learn about the orientation of the village and the reason why it is on an “m” shaped slope, the importance of agriculture was also discussed and, of course, they went to the church, where they recognised elements such as the alabaster, the colopial arch and other decorative motifs.
The schoolchildren took part in various workshops. Among them, a crossword puzzle with words related to heritage or another in which they had to help Maribel, a historical character who ‘lands’ in the year 2022 somewhat disoriented and who must be helped so that she can get the building materials she needs. They also learnt to relate the Mudejar towers of our villages with their names and were introduced to the art of construction: sticks and plasticine were the raw materials with which they had to put themselves to the test to build towers of between two and five storeys high.
They also learned traditional crafts and became tanners for a day to learn how to make their own purses.
Circular from the Rural School allows learning by doing with an active, globalising, playful and participative methodology that manages to motivate students and helps them to gain knowledge about heritage.
Circular from the Rural School is a cooperation project between rural development groups coordinated by the Adri Calatayud-Aranda group, together with CEDEMAR, Adefo Cinco Villas, Asomo Moncayo, ADRAE Comarca Ribera Alta del Ebro – Zaragoza, Fedivalca and ADRI Jiloca-Gallocanta, and financed by the Government of Aragón through the Leader programme, and the Diputación de Zaragoza through the Territorio Mudéjar association, as a private collaborating entity that manages the implementation and execution of the initiative.
Last week, the students of Tobed (CRA Vicort-Isuela), where in 2017 the didactic pilot project that was the seed of Circular from the Rural School was developed, hosted the students of the SchoolHouse Zaragoza school.
The project continues to grow because we are extending the presentations to schools beyond the localities of Territorio Mudéjar. It is a small test that opens up a wide range of possibilities.
After a great welcome at the Mudejar Museum “Espacio Mudéjar Mahoma Calahorri”, Marta and Diego, 5th grade and 3rd grade students, respectively, from the Tobed school, accompanied and helped Eugenia Gallego, who is part of our network of professionals, explaining the details of the location, landscape and urban planning.
They then visited the Mudejar church of the Virgin, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, learnt how bread and sweets are prepared in the “Horno de Pan Cocer”, walked and played around the village to get to know its heritage.
In this way, the schoolchildren of Zaragoza had a first contact with the Mudejar that helps them to begin to identify concepts and to value and care for heritage.
Territorio Mudéjar has taken part in the study trip-visit to South Bohemia, in the Czech Republic, as part of the MOMAr programme, in which it participates.
After two years of work identifying good practices in heritage management in rural areas of Europe, this trip has allowed the projects presented by the partner from the Czech Republic to be seen on the ground. A form of knowledge exchange between international experts that offers the possibility of assessing the importation of successful cases to the reality of heritage in Zaragoza.
The conference began with a presentation of the tourist offer of the South Bohemia region by the director of the regional tourist office, together with a visit to the castle hotel in the town of Hluvoboká nad vltavou.
Afterwards, a visit was made to a historic malting plant in the village of Písek as an example of reconstruction of industrial heritage for social use. The building is now a public toy library offering educational exhibitions for children, with great success among the local population.
The experts got to know the Soběslav municipal library, a success story in the recovery of a disused historical space. The public facility is located in what used to be a medieval castle, which, thanks to the architectural renovation initiated by the residents, now offers a communal space for the local community dedicated to culture.
On the second day, the trip began with a visit to the monument to the national hero, Jan Žižka, in the village of Trocnov, a replica of a medieval farmhouse completely reconstructed with original materials and techniques. It is a necessary and unique place for the recovery of historical memory in the whole country, as no original building from that time has been preserved.
There was also a visit to a 14th century castle which the Malše River Castles Association is rebuilding through a cross-border cooperation project with Austria and which is part of an extensive line of defence along the common border.
There, a working session was held between the project partners to analyse cases of heritage infragestion and from which it was concluded that it is necessary to include the local population in all heritage management projects. Together with the Libau Foundation of Groningen, Territorio Mudéjar participated as a stakeholder, contributing its experience in the management of heritage resources in rural areas as part of local development in all its facets.
The day ended with a tour of the Renaissance town of Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town attracted millions of tourists before the pandemic but the consequences on international mobility have made it a case study because of the challenges and opportunities that are now opening up in the field of heritage management.
The Spanish delegation was made up of those responsible for the project on behalf of the Diputación de Zaragoza, Lorena Laga and Isabel Soria, as well as the director of Territorio Mudéjar, Victoria Trasobares; and the mayors of Quinto, Jesús Morales; of Torrellas, María Pilar Pérez; and of Velilla de Ebro, María Rosario Gómez.
They were accompanied by MOMAr’s European partners from Mehedinti County (Romania), the region of Saxony-Anhalt (Germany), the province of Groningen (The Netherlands), the Czech hosts, and the project’s technical advisory committee formed by Irene Ruíz and Marisa Sebastián.
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