Molina de Aragón is a town and a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain.
Tourism and main attractions
The Castle of Molina de Aragón (also called alcázar) is a fortification located on a hill commanding the surrounding valley, and is formed by an external line of walls with four gates and numerous towers, which defends the internal fortress. The latter has six towers, of which four are currently in good conditions. Originally, the line of towers included a village.
It originated as a Moorish fortress (10th-11th century), built over a pre-existing Celtiberian castle. The fortress was used as residence of the lords of the taifa of Molina.
El Cid resided here when he was exiled from Castile. In 1129 it was conquered from the Moors by Alfonso I of Aragon, who gave it the Lara family.
It was declared a National Monument on June 3, 1931. Under the protection of the generic Declaration of the Decree of April 22, 1949, and Law 16/1985 on Spanish Historical Heritage.
The Monastery of San Francisco de Molina de Aragón was a Franciscan monastery founded at the end of the 13th century and today the building is occupied by a Residence for the Third Age, cared for by the Sisters of Charity of Santa Ana, plus another small part that houses the Regional Museum of Molina de Aragón.
The church of Santa María la Mayor de San Gil, better known as Iglesia de San Gil, is a Catholic temple.
Some historians point out that the primitive church of Santa María la Mayor or Santa María de San Gil was built in the 12th or 13th centuries, and that it was one of the first temples built in the city during the reconquest of the dominion of Molina, although its existence is not documented in the 14th century, but at the end of the 15th century.
The primitive church, in the opinion of some authors, was a simple Romanesque temple.
Festivals
- Patron Saint festivities of El Cristo de Las Victorias (from August 30 to September 5).
- El Carmen (July 16), declared of a regional tourist interest.
- The Immaculate (December 8).
- Medieval Fair (Third weekend of June).
- San Cristóbal (3rd / 4th Saturday in July).
- Praise to the Virgen de la Hoz (Pentecost Sunday).
How to get to?
From Guadalajara 1 hr 26 min (139 km) via A-2 and N-211
From Madrid 2 hr 18 min (208 km) via A-2 and N-211
Main information
Area: 168 sq. km (municipality)
Coordinates: 40°50′38″N 1°53′19″W
Population: 3233
Languages: Spanish
Currency: Euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
