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History
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Calatayud, in Arabic Qal' At Ayyub (Castle of Ayub)
is a city created very early by the Moslems, surely at VIIIe century,
created with an aim of controlling the crossroads of the valleys of the
Stake of Jiloca and, at the same time, of exploiting its fertile irrigated
plain.
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 IXe
and XIe centuries
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Increased in IXe and Xle centuries, it included in its vast
walled space a population of 5000 inhabitants approximately; it was the
chief town of a District of the Arab Kingdom of Saragossa. In 1120, it
was conquered by the Christians, and continued to be the capital of a
community of villages, this time in the Kingdom of Aragon. A part of the
Moslem population continued to be devoted to the agricultural activities
and the construction; this fact was going to create in Calatayud, in its
area and a good part of the Kingdom, of what was called "art mudéjar",
especially in XlVe and XVe centuries.
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Its situation of quasi frontier with Castille profited
initially at the city in the commercial field, although it had to undergo
the consequences of the war between Castille and Aragon, during the second
half of XlVe century. The union of Castille and Aragon, at the end of
XVe century, decreased the importance of the kingdom and Calatayud.
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The XVIIe century shows the cultural flowering
of the city, under the auspices of the Society of Jesus, and the artistic
restoration of its collegiate churches in a primitive baroque. The modernization
which is carried out, in second half of XIXe century, in many Spanish
cities, is accompanied here by an enormous destruction of its artisticinheritance,
larger than the one caused before by the invasion of the French troops
and the wars carlists.
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More recently, the policy of development of the Sixties
and Seventies accentuates the urban deterioration of the old city, declared
"Unit of Historico-artistic interest" in 1967, which supports
the depopulation of certain zones and renovates others without any respect
of them. Various restorations of monumental buildings, all unfinished, were
started, and the last hand is put at a Special Plan of Interior Repair and
Protection of the Old City. |
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Islamic fortifications
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The set of islamic buildings can go back to 862 and
863, which makes it the oldest in its kind preserved in Spain. It is partially
dug in the gypsum rock, and its construction is containing cob and gypsum
stone masonry; its southern part disappeared but the part which was preserved
shows that it is one of the most complex medieval sets.
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Church
San Juan el real
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It was built by the Society of Jesus at the time
of his installation in XIIcentury, but, by its expulsion in XVIIIè,
left unfinished the decoration of the retables, as one can see it nowadays.
A plan in Latin cross can be found there, which, by mixing its 2 arms,
forms a roomy dome which allowed the creation of vast pendentive for
fabrics painted by Francisco de Goya at the beginning of his career.
The accompanying sacristy and romms, also baroques, contain a whole
furniture as well as tables and sculptures. They includealso doors in
marquetry of very great refinement.
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The legend of "la Dolorès"
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The well-known version of this legend tells the
naivety of a honest and charitable maid in a tavern of Calatayud. This history
inspired many poems, works of art, opera, theatre...
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Informations
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Municipal center for tourism:
plaza Costa, 14 Tél. 976 88 13 14
Municipal tourist office: Plaza del Fuerte Tél.
976 88 63 22 |
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