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Castle of Loarre

Loarre, Hoya de Huesca, Huesca

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 1 Activities · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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Castle of Loarre

Monument · Loarre, Hoya de Huesca, Huesca

An eleventh-century Romanesque fortress considered the best preserved in Europe, built by Sancho III the Great and Sancho Ramírez. Also called the castle-abbey of Loarre, from its position it dominates the entire plain of the Hoya de Huesca and, in particular, the town of Bolea, then the main Muslim stronghold in the area. It sits on a limestone-rock promontory that serves as its foundation, which prevented its walls from being undermined, and it is surrounded by a wall with towers. It was declared a Monumento Nacional (a former Spanish heritage-protection designation, now included under Bien de Interés Cultural) in 1906 and today is a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection) with the category of monument. Among its spaces, the small chapel stands out, as does the crypt of Santa Quiteria, at the entrance and with remarkable acoustics, and the castle church, whose dome is unusual in Romanesque art.

Photo: Josue Mendivil (CC BY-SA 2.0)

What to see and do in Loarre