Brick architecture
Zuera and its nuclei – Ontinar de Salz, El Portazgo and the housing developments – spread out their urban area along the fluvial terraces of the river Gállego, which in Roman times saw the growth of the ancient Gallicum and which fascinated the settlers from North Africa who arrived with the Muslim domination, from the 8th century onwards.
The origins of Zufaria, an Arabic place name meaning “beautiful” and also the settlement of Salzey -near the hermitage of Salz-, of Muslim origin and whose etymology is linked to the large number of saliceras in the surrounding area.
After the Christian conquest, the Muslim peasants, who had a great knowledge of irrigation systems and were the mainstay of the economy of the conquered areas, remained in charge of their lands.
All this Arab cultural base bore fruit in the church of San Pedro, whose style, as in the case of the hermitage of the Saint in Tosos, cannot be considered strictly Mudejar, as it is one of the first examples of a Cistercian structure built in brick.
Zuera and its nuclei – Ontinar de Salz, El Portazgo and the housing developments – spread out their urban area along the fluvial terraces of the river Gállego, which in Roman times saw the growth of the ancient Gallicum and which fascinated the settlers from North Africa who arrived with the Muslim domination, from the 8th century onwards.
The origins of Zufaria, an Arabic place name meaning “beautiful” and also the settlement of Salzey -near the hermitage of Salz-, of Muslim origin and whose etymology is linked to the large number of saliceras in the surrounding area.
After the Christian conquest, the Muslim peasants, who had a great knowledge of irrigation systems and were the mainstay of the economy of the conquered areas, remained in charge of their lands.
All this Arab cultural base bore fruit in the church of San Pedro, whose style, as in the case of the hermitage of the Saint in Tosos, cannot be considered strictly Mudejar, as it is one of the first examples of a Cistercian structure built in brick.
Aragonese proto-Mudejar
The church of San Pedro de Zuera is an important link between Romanesque and Mudéjar architecture, whose original construction dates from the second quarter of the 13th century. It seems to have had links with Lamberto, master builder of La Seo in Zaragoza, through his daughter married to the master builder Arnaldo, considered to be the master builder of Zuera.
The original temple, built in two phases according to the latest studies by Professor Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualis, has three naves and a chevet with a triple semicircular apse, which was uncovered on the outside thanks to a recent renovation. These works left visible some double-glazed brick windows and the original doorway on the south wall.
In any case, it is necessary to speak of the current appearance of the building, the result of the various alterations and extensions carried out between the 16th and 20th centuries, “where only the interior conserves the sobriety and austerity that would characterise the medieval building. The building completes its interest with the collection of movable art it houses inside.
The Arco de la Mora, an aqueduct that bridges the ravine and was to carry the watercourse through the interior of the rocks via excavated galleries.
The natural heritage of the town is magnificent, with the mountains of Zuera as the main feature. These mountains are hilly reliefs, caused by the erosion of the water, which has shaped a landscape of ridges and cultivated valleys at the bottom. The greenery of the mountains is maintained thanks to the extensive forests that make up one of the masses of Aleppo pines.
The church of San Pedro de Zuera is an important link between Romanesque and Mudéjar architecture, whose original construction dates from the second quarter of the 13th century. It seems to have had links with Lamberto, master builder of La Seo in Zaragoza, through his daughter married to the master builder Arnaldo, considered to be the master builder of Zuera.
The original temple, built in two phases according to the latest studies by Professor Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualis, has three naves and a chevet with a triple semicircular apse, which was uncovered on the outside thanks to a recent renovation. These works left visible some double-glazed brick windows and the original doorway on the south wall.
In any case, it is necessary to speak of the current appearance of the building, the result of the various alterations and extensions carried out between the 16th and 20th centuries, “where only the interior conserves the sobriety and austerity that would characterise the medieval building. The building completes its interest with the collection of movable art it houses inside.
The Arco de la Mora, an aqueduct that bridges the ravine and was to carry the watercourse through the interior of the rocks via excavated galleries.
The natural heritage of the town is magnificent, with the mountains of Zuera as the main feature. These mountains are hilly reliefs, caused by the erosion of the water, which has shaped a landscape of ridges and cultivated valleys at the bottom. The greenery of the mountains is maintained thanks to the extensive forests that make up one of the masses of Aleppo pines.
Information
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Territorio Mudéjar Network
The city council has been a full partner of Territorio Mudéjar since November 2019.
Territorio Mudéjar Projects in Zuera
Monuments | View the project
Pedagogy | View the project
Mudetrad Project | View the project
Mudéjar plaster | View the project
Didactic Mudejar, the guide | View the project
‘Circular’ Family walks | View the project
