Albarracín and its architecture

Albarracín is a municipality and town in the southwest of the province of Teruel, in the autonomous community of Aragon (Spain).

The town has been a National Monument since 1961; it holds the 1996 Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, and is proposed by UNESCO to be declared a World Heritage Site due to the beauty and importance of its historical heritage.

Since 2013 the city has been a part of the network The most beautiful towns in Spain.

Albarracín is surrounded by stony hills. The many red sandstone boulders and cliffs surrounding Albarracín make it a popular rock climbing location, particularly for boulderers.

The town is named for the Hawwara Berber dynasty of the Banu Razin which was their capital from the early eleventh century until it was taken by the Almoravids in 1104.

From 1167 to 1300, Albarracín was an independent lordship known as the Sinyoría d’Albarrazín which was established after the partition of the Taifa of Albarracín under the control of Pedro Ruiz de Azagra. It was eventually conquered by Peter III of Aragon in 1284, and the ruling family, the House of Azagra was deposed.

The last person to actually hold the title of Señor de Albarracín was Juan Núñez I de Lara, although his son, Juan Núñez II de Lara continued on as the pretender to the title until 1300 when the city and its lands were officially incorporated into the Kingdom of Aragon.

Tourism and main attractions

Historic Site of Albarracín: its historic site has been declared as an asset of cultural interest with the code RI-53-0000030.

Salvador Cathedral: located next to the castle, it is from the 16th century with a single nave and side chapels. In its museum there are good Flemish tapestries with the life of Gideon.

Alcázar de Albarracín: located in the old town, it has recently been restored and conditioned for your visit. Between 2004 and 2006 archaeological excavations have been carried out and its structures have been restored.

Although it preserves a powerful walled enclosure, its interior houses an interesting archaeological field from medieval times. It was an Andalusian fortress, when the Banu-Razin clan became rulers of this small Taifa kingdom in the 11th century, which gave the city its name.

During the 13th and 14th centuries it continued to be the residence of the lords of Albarracín, and after the Aragonese conquest of the city in 1284, it was almost completely transformed. The fortress was occupied until the end of the 16th century; it was destroyed in the 18th century after the War of the Succession.

Episcopal Palace: it is located next to the cathedral. It has a baroque façade.

Town Hall: it is located in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. It is from the 16th century, with wooden balconies and a corridor running over the river.

Casa de la Julianeta: house of popular construction, it is located in the Portal de Molina.

Albarracín Walls: 14th century, of Christian construction.

Torre del Andador, of Muslim rigging from the 10th and 11th centuries, reinforced with a small rectangular enclosure.

Doña Blanca tower, symmetrical to that of El Andador, is located at the end of the spur.

Torre de la Muela, now disappeared; similar to those of the Andador and Dona Blanca, it was on the other side of the river.

How to get to?

From Zaragoza 2 hr 1 min (178 km) via A-23

From Teruel 36 min (37.1 km) via A-1512

From Madrid 3 hr 29 min (279 km) via A-40 and A-3

Main information

Area: 452 sq. km

GPS coordinates: 40°24′19″N 1°26′39″W

Language: Spanish

Population: 1006

Currency: Euro

Visa: Schengen

Time: Central European UTC +1, in summer +2

Read more: The cities of the Pyrenees and around with Andrew Morato ...