Teruel: The home of Mudejar Architecture

Due south from Zaragoza was another Aragon province called Teruel with its seat located in the city of Teruel as well. This town was founded in 1176 by Sancho Sanchez Munoz and Blasco Garces Marcila and later became a cosmopolitan center with significant Jewish and Muslim population amoung its Christian inhabitants. Teruel is not a typical tourist hotspot but no one could resist its local history and culture and its place as the epicenter of the Mudejar architecture in Spain. This was the medieval period when the Christian rulers commissioned Muslim architectural pieces, which is distinct from the Mosarabic influence when Christians lived under Muslim rule.

One of the numrous Mudejar style towers

The city lies almost a thousand meters above sea level with a rough and sometimes harsh climatic conditions. That got turned into an asset as Teruel became famous for its naturally cured ham, called Jamon Serrano. They also uniquely have abundance of dinosaur remains in the province, which even prompted a dinosaur theme park that is unmistakeable as you drive into the city.

With the mudejar architectural influence, many of the buildings and towers were wonders to behold in their intricacy and bright ornamental detailing. Some of the towers are now attached to museums or cathedrals while others stand alone as the buildings they were connected to had fallen out of use or even destroyed in the several battles that took place in Teruel in the Spanish civil war years.

A significant symbol of the city is the bull. The main plaza of the city is adorned with a monument that depicts a tall column on top of which is mounted a small statue of the bull, locally referred to as El Torico or the little bull. In fact the city center is now commonly called Plaza El Torico. Teruel also boasts of high quality pottery which you can purchase in the numerous gift shops around the central plaza.

El Torico

Touring San Pedro, one of the many mudejar influenced churches, whcih was built in the 16th century, it was moving to see the mausoleum housing the mummified bodies of Isabel Segura (a wealthy lady) and Diego de Marcilla, a poor guy who battled at Crusades to earn some money with the intention to return to get married with Isabel but the happy ending tragically never materialized. Envision Romeo and Juliet. The lovers of Teruel or Los Amantes de Teruel is a significant lure that is now part of the legend of this city that is at once not widely known but also nurtures its distinct history and attributes in Spanish life and culture.

My one day tour of the city was well worth it, especailly freely gallivanting all over town, checking out cathedrals, museums, chatting with students of a college of Arts and Craft right in the city center and an irony of all ironies, having lunch in a Chinese restaurant also in the downtown area. But that was after gorging myself with the Teruel local pasteries from centuries old recipes..