Aragon Guide

Alcaniz is the second city in the province of Teruel, under continual industrial and commercial development and located in a privileged position. In the Plaza de Espana in the town are buildings such as the Gothic Market Hall, the Renaissance Town Hall and the Baroque collegiate church of Santa Maria la Mayor, with its large gothic tower.

The magnificent Calatravo castle (built in the 12th century), now a State-run tourist hotel, dominates the town. Is is one of the best preserved castle in Aragon. In its origin it belonged to the medieval military order of Calatrava, which extended and reformed a previous small strenght it turning into a castle - convent with dependences so much religious (church, cloister, refectory), as military men (tower, walls, pits ...).

In 1179, the Order of Calatrava accepted the donation from King Alfonso II of Aragon and came to the border lands of Alcaniz to guard them against the King of the Taifa of Valencia. Alcaniz became the seat of the Encomienda Mayor and the permanent headquarters of the Comendador Mayor de Aragon. Throughout the 12th Century the troops of Calatrava took part in the reconquest campaigns of King Jaime I the Conqueror

Explore the Renaissance sepulcher of Juan de Lanuza, the last Justicia of Aragon and the exceptional medieval mural paintings. These are located inside the castle, in the Northern wing, where they adorned the premises of the Calatrava knights (chapel, cloister and parapet tower). These paintings in the linear Gothic style date back to the first half of the 14th Century and are considered to be an exquisite pictorial mural executed by various artists, depicting varied themes. The pictorial set located in the Tower of the Homage gathers the conquering campaigns of the King Jaime I of Aragon against the Muslim Taifa kingdoms of Valencia and Murcia.

Related Links

• Aragon Hotels

  Real-time Aragon hotel availability and online reservations service.

• Alcaniz Virtual Tour

  Explore Aragon's most famous places with panoramic photos thanks to CAI Aragon.