Birthplace of Papa Luna
Famous for its shoe industry, and with a previous tradition linked to the manufacture of cloth, Illueca is the birthplace of one of the most important figures of medieval Europe: Pedro Martínez de Luna, who was appointed Pope in Avignon as Benedict XIII and who is universally known as “Papa Luna”.
In the town, capital of the Aranda region, the castle-palace of the Count of Argillo, traditionally known as the Papa LunaThe building, which marks one of the most important landmarks of the route of the castles with its imposing Mudejar palace with Renaissance influences, preserves in its interior interesting ornaments of Mudejar tradition such as plasterwork, tracery and valuable pottery, the oldest of which are those of the Golden Room or the Alcove Room, dating from the 14th century and related to the figure of the master Mahoma Rami.
Illueca, like the rest of the villages in the Aranda and Isuela river basin, had a strong Mudejar population that coexisted with Christian communities.
Famous for its shoe industry, and with a previous tradition linked to the manufacture of cloth, Illueca is the birthplace of one of the most important figures of medieval Europe: Pedro Martínez de Luna, who was appointed Pope in Avignon as Benedict XIII and who is universally known as “Papa Luna”.
In the town, capital of the Aranda region, the castle-palace of the Count of Argillo, traditionally known as the Papa LunaThe building, which marks one of the most important landmarks of the route of the castles with its imposing Mudejar palace with Renaissance influences, preserves in its interior interesting ornaments of Mudejar tradition such as plasterwork, tracery and valuable pottery, the oldest of which are those of the Golden Room or the Alcove Room, dating from the 14th century and related to the figure of the master Mahoma Rami.
Illueca, like the rest of the villages in the Aranda and Isuela river basin, had a strong Mudejar population that coexisted with Christian communities.
Classic and enduring Mudejar features
The castle-palace of Illueca is closely linked to the figure of Don Pedro de Luna and after the numerous phases of construction carried out from the 14th to the 17th century, today we can contemplate an impressive complex built in masonry and brick with a rectangular floor plan.
On the hillside, at the foot of the castle, there is an urban hamlet of historic character, very different from the new areas of expansion due to its Jewish-Muslim street layout, in which the numerous bends in the streets stand out, forming attractive corners of the façades, which combine the whitewashing of the simplest houses with the brick of the noblest buildings such as the Casa Saldaña.
Along with the examples of civil architecture, the town preserves one of the most important examples of religious Mudejar architecture in the area; the parish church of San Juan Bautista, located at the foot of the castle, not only attracts attention with its 14th century Gothic-Renaissance structure, but its interior offers us the spectacle of the survival of the Islamic tradition with the magnificent Baroque plasterwork carried out in the cut technique by the master Juan de Marca at the end of the 17th century.
The castle-palace of Illueca is closely linked to the figure of Don Pedro de Luna and after the numerous phases of construction carried out from the 14th to the 17th century, today we can contemplate an impressive complex built in masonry and brick with a rectangular floor plan.
On the hillside, at the foot of the castle, there is an urban hamlet of historic character, very different from the new areas of expansion due to its Jewish-Muslim street layout, in which the numerous bends in the streets stand out, forming attractive corners of the façades, which combine the whitewashing of the simplest houses with the brick of the noblest buildings such as the Casa Saldaña.
Along with the examples of civil architecture, the town preserves one of the most important examples of religious Mudejar architecture in the area; the parish church of San Juan Bautista, located at the foot of the castle, not only attracts attention with its 14th century Gothic-Renaissance structure, but its interior offers us the spectacle of the survival of the Islamic tradition with the magnificent Baroque plasterwork carried out in the cut technique by the master Juan de Marca at the end of the 17th century.
Information
Town Hall: 976 820 005
www.ayuntamientodeillueca.com
Association for the Integral Development of the Region of Calatayud and the Region of Aranda
galcar.es
VISIT ILLUECA
976 633 296
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Aragon Tourism
turismodearagon.com
Region of Aranda
www.comarcadelaranda.com
Territorio Mudéjar Network
The city council has been a full member of Territorio Mudéjar since November 2018.
Projects Mudejar Territory in Illueca
Monuments | View the project
Pedagogy | View the project
Mudetrad Project | View the project
Mudejar wood | View the project
Mudejar civil architecture | View the project
Didactic Mudejar, the guide | View the project
‘Circular’ Family walks | View the project
