

Church of San Miguel, Maluenda
Cerro del Castillo, Maluenda
CURRENT PROTECTION STATUS:Site of Cultural Interest
TYPE OF ASSET: Property
CATEGORY: Religious
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Mudejar
CONSTRUCTION DATE: 14th – 15th century, reusing elements from previous constructions as well as the terrain itself.
CURRENT PROTECTION STATUS:Site of Cultural Interest
TYPE OF ASSET: Property
CATEGORY: Religious
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Mudejar
CONSTRUCTION DATE: 14th – 15th century, reusing elements from previous constructions as well as the terrain itself.

The town of Maluenda spreads out around the hill on which the castle stands, overlooking the plains of the Jiloca river valley. Specifically, the church of San Miguel is perched high on the hillside, with panoramic views of the town’s dwellings.
The church of San Miguel in Maluenda has a single nave with a polygonal apse and thick buttresses. Side chapels are set between the buttresses. The nave is divided into four bays and was originally covered by a rib vault; the vaults over the first two bays are now gone but the pointed barrel vaults over the side chapels still exist.
The church features certain construction elements typical of Mudejar churches built in the 14th century: a single nave with a quadripartite rib vault, a polygonal apse of the same width and height as the nave, with no external buttresses, and side chapels covered by a pointed barrel vault running perpendicular to the nave axis. Furthermore, the heptagonal, or seven-sided, apse has no buttresses on the exterior, lending it a solid appearance of a civil or military nature.
There are traces of plaster rammed earth walls on the exterior, where an arched passageway was constructed. In addition, the west end façade has chamfered corners and an upper level with four pointed arches. In the corner of the right- hand façade, there is a brick tower with angled brick decoration and decorative arches at the top.
The main construction material used was plaster-based mortar. The lack of ornamental elements and the use of plaster in the construction lends the building an appearance typical of the local Mudejar style.
The church features certain construction elements typical of Mudejar churches built in the 14th century: a single nave with a quadripartite rib vault, a polygonal apse of the same width and height as the nave, with no external buttresses, and side chapels covered by a pointed barrel vault running perpendicular to the nave axis. Furthermore, the heptagonal, or seven-sided, apse has no buttresses on the exterior, lending it a solid appearance of a civil or military nature.
There are traces of plaster rammed earth walls on the exterior, where an arched passageway was constructed. In addition, the west end façade has chamfered corners and an upper level with four pointed arches. In the corner of the right- hand façade, there is a brick tower with angled brick decoration and decorative arches at the top.
The main construction material used was plaster-based mortar. The lack of ornamental elements and the use of plaster in the construction lends the building an appearance typical of the local Mudejar style.








Previous
Next
Interventions
Restoration, 20th to 21st century


Projects and interventions
Projects and interventions, and the driving forces behind them, define the history of monumental buildings and how they are perceived.
Declarations
Declaration, 21st century
On January 8, 2003, the Government of Aragon published the Order dated November 28, 2002 declaring the church of San Miguel in Maluenda (Zaragoza) a Listed Asset of Aragonese Cultural Heritage.
The Official Gazette of Aragon (BOA) from September 16, 2014 published Decree 145/2014, September 9, by the Government of Aragon, declaring the Defense System of Maluenda (Zaragoza) a Historical Site. The church of San Miguel is part of that defense system. With its inclusion in the Historical Site, the Order declaring this church a Listed Asset of Aragonese Cultural Heritage was revoked.
On January 8, 2003, the Government of Aragon published the Order dated November 28, 2002 declaring the church of San Miguel in Maluenda (Zaragoza) a Listed Asset of Aragonese Cultural Heritage.
The Official Gazette of Aragon (BOA) from September 16, 2014 published Decree 145/2014, September 9, by the Government of Aragon, declaring the Defense System of Maluenda (Zaragoza) a Historical Site. The church of San Miguel is part of that defense system. With its inclusion in the Historical Site, the Order declaring this church a Listed Asset of Aragonese Cultural Heritage was revoked.

Bibliography
BORRÁS GUALIS, G., M. Arte mudéjar aragonés, Colección Básica Aragonesa, Guara, Zaragoza, 1987, pp. 120.
BORRÁS GUALIS, G., M. Arte Mudéjar Aragonés, CAMPZAR, Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos Técnicos y Aparejadores de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 1985, Tomo I.
MILLÁN GIL, JULIÁN Y SANMIGUEL MATEO, AGUSTÍN (COORD.). Comarca de la Comunidad de Calatayud, Colección Territorio nº 20, Departamento de Presidencia y Relaciones Institucionales del Gobierno de Aragón, Zaragoza, 2005.
VV.AA. Comunidad de Calatayud y El Monasterio de Piedra, Colección RutasCai por Aragón nº 12, Zaragoza, 2004.
VV.AA. Tierra Mudéjar. El mudéjar Aragonés, Patrimonio Mundial, Heraldo de Aragón, D.L. 2002
Annexed
Church of San Miguel
Cerro del Castillo
50340 Maluenda (Zaragoza)