Teruel (Teruel)

What you can see and do in Teruel

Teruel is a city of great interest because of its monuments, and very pleasant to visit owing to its small size for a provincial capital. If you don’t know the city, the visit will be a surprise. Its streets still conserve many of their characteristics and sometimes appear to evoke the Middle Ages, especially when we walk past the Mudejar towers that, free-standing or connected to a church, populate the city, or when we cross its walls and fortified passages.

Teruel is precisely known as the capital of Aragonese Mudejar architecture. The Mudejars were Muslims who stayed behind after the Christian conquest. As builders, they used economical materials, like plaster, bricks and ceramics, to create geometric, colourful and imaginative art that became very fashionable among Christians. The Mudejar artists successfully blended Christian architectonic techniques and the use of Arab ornamentation to create a unique style, which was deservedly designated World Heritage in 2001. Some exquisite examples can be seen in the city: the towers of the churches of St Martin and St Peter, which contains the Mausoleum of the Lovers of Teruel, the Tower of El Salvador and Teruel Cathedral. The tower of the church of La Merced is equally noteworthy.

All these are very close to the heart of the city centre: Torico Square, which thus becomes the start and end of our walks around the Mudejar city, which we are well advised to garnish with the typical gastronomy, most of all the famous Teruel ham.

You also should not miss

• The cathedral ceiling. It was decorated by Mudejar artists in the 13th century and, in addition to carvings with an Islamic influence, you can see a fascinating series of paintings that represent numerous medieval scenes and people, thus becoming a faithful demonstration of the time. A visual and cultural sight that you mustn’t miss: if you are interested in the medieval world, this is one of the iconic places on the Way of El Cid.
• The Legend of the Lovers of Teruel. This tells the story of the impossible love between Isabel and Diego, in the 13th century, which has given rise to a popular representation, a festival declared of national tourist interest, called The Wedding of Isabel de Segura, held in February near St Valentine’s Day, which transforms the city and takes it back to the Middle Ages. If you come to Teruel at any other time, you can always visit the Mausoleum of the Lovers in St Peter’s Church, where you’ll learn about this story in an enjoyable way, and also about the church, whose Mudejar tower is World Heritage.
• The Provincial Museum. The museum displays ethnographic objects and some of the main archaeological finds in the province. It’s a small, easily-seen museum, but very interesting because it has some outstanding exhibits, such as the Roman mosaics from Camino de Albalate.
• Dinopolis. If you’re travelling with children (and also if you aren’t), you can go back to the time of the dinosaurs at Dinopolis, an entertaining and educational theme park outside Teruel that combines scientific outreach with visitor interaction through a number of spectacular resources. You can find more information on the Dinopolis website.

Rev.: JGG 13.08.21