Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Villanueva de Jiloca
Villanueva de Jiloca is on the left bank of the River Jiloca, among orchards, fruit trees and two abandoned railway halts.
The origins of this little village, camouflaged among small, rugged hills dotted with pine forests, poplar groves and vineyards, date back to 1120. At that time Alfonso I had conquered the valley and the village fell under the control of the Crown of Aragon. It was governed by the Daroca charter until 1248 when, thanks to the privileges granted by Jaime I, it would be incorporated into the Comunidad de Aldeas de Daroca, within the Gallocanta Sesma.
The first thing that strikes visitors to this village is its village centre, which lies on the mountainside, and which still preserves its Mudejar trace of narrow, steep streets and dead-end alleys. The built-up area was formed in the upper part of the village, in Calle del Castillo. This suggests that there was probably a watchtower built to maintain visual communication with Daroca and the fortified points on either side of the River Jiloca as far as Báguena castle. As the population increased, the buildings were erected towards the natural ravine that crosses the village and, in a later growth phase, the houses were built on the other side of the ravine, reaching the riverbank. South of the ravine, a larger space was reserved constructing public buildings: the Town Hall, the kiln, the commodities exchange, the poor hospital and the prison.
The church of San Gil Abad stands out in the hamlet. It is an 18th century Baroque building. The church is accessed through a semicircular arched doorway with an ornamented order, and it has three naves with a crossing and a straight chancel. It also has a small bell tower on the wall on the epistle side.
Another of the municipality’s iconic buildings is the neo-Mudejar Town Hall. It was built using ashlar stone and is on a single floor; it has a semicircular arched doorway, flanked by windows. Villanueva de Jiloca also has two very beautiful hermitages. The 15th century San Bartolomé hermitage is in a small hill above the hamlet, while the 17th century Nuestra Señora del Rosario hermitage is in the Mudejar style. Today it is in ruins, although it preserves some painted murals.
This village’s narrow streets host other treasures of interest such as stately homes. The imposing Casa de los Abad de Bernabé is in this category. This three-storey building, which was built in brick on a stone plinth, is in the 16th century Renaissance style. The ground floor has two semicircular doorways and a grated window between them: on the second floor, there are three balconies and the coat of arms is over the main doorway. The upper floor has four windows under a wooden eave. Today, this building has a small parish museum where visitors can discover something of the area’s goldsmithing tradition.
Until 2004, the village’s Plaza Mayor preserved the ruins of an ancient elm, a splendid tree that was linked to the history fo the village over more than two hundred years, but which had to be felled.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the San Gregorio wayside cross, which was erected on the old Valdehorna road, and which remains in perfect condition, and two ancient sites of interest: Cerro Redondo and Pila de los Moros.
The villagers of Villanova hold festivities in honour of their patron saint Nuestra Señora del Rosario, San Gregorio and San Isidro, on the first weekend of August.
