The Loarre castle-monastery

Located 27 kilometers from Huesca, the Loarre castle-monastery was built in a foothill of the Sierra de Guara (11th century) on Roman walls. The accesses to the castle can be easily done, by road, from the surrounding provinces. Next to the castle is the town of Loarre It has restaurants, rural tourism houses and camping areas.

Its archaeological interest is extraordinary because it preserves its ancient Romanesque structure (Eleventh century) and, inside, the most important church in the Romanesque European. The extent of the land it covers is proportional to the dimensions of the entire fortress. The remarkable state of conservation of the complex, apart from the flaws typical of the passage of time, indicate that it was never besieged or suffered war damage. Hence, the Loarre castle has preserved its original structure to this day.

Its military dependencies are grouped into several floors, which are accessed through a staircase that ascends below the church. Although they are difficult to identify, there are galleries, stables, dungeons, walkways, and even an escape route. Between the wall and the body of the castle a watchtower rises. To the northeast of the complex stands that of the tribute and consists of three floors.

The part corresponding to monastery it is double. The first consists of a simple chapel, built on the highest part of the mound, consisting of a nave and dating from the first Romanesque (mid-11th century). The second is made up of the church, the most outstanding building in the entire complex, whose construction began at the end of the 11th century and ended a century later. It is made up of a single nave, a barrel vault and an apse.

Access to the enclosure is made through a door, located between two semicircular towers, on the wall. Then, through an open space, you reach the lookout tower. Then, after overcoming a steep hill, you enter the only entrance door adorned with Romanesque capitals, where a simple inscription reads.

Inside the royal palace, strolling through arches, passageways and turrets, you access the Queen's balcony, from where you can see some spectacular views over the Hoya de Huesca.

La Hoya de Huesca - Castle of Loarre (Spain) (April 2024)