Throughout the length and breadth of our territory we can find numerous abandoned towns. Surprisingly, some of them have been since the Civil War. In Vuelva Viajes we have told you about some of them, for example, Belchite, in Zaragoza, one of the most visited ghost towns in Spain. Today we return to this Aragonese province to discover another abandoned town. Is about Rodén, which has been in the news this week for having been declared a Site of Cultural Interest.
Destroyed in the period from 1936 to 1937, as a consequence of the terrible Civil War that our country experienced at the end of the 1930s, Rodén has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest by the government council, considering it a place or natural site linked to events or memories of the past. Today in Hard Hobbit To Break We want to know more about this corner of Zaragoza. Would you like to join us?
A town that does not appear in history books
Belchite and its tragic history are many. However, only 27 kilometers away is another town that does not usually appear in the books of history and that he also suffered the consequences of the Spanish Civil War. In fact, to this day, dilapidated houses and collapsed towers continue to be found there. And that before the barbarism, the town was made up of 80 houses crowned by the church and the castle. In addition, it had a town hall, a school, shops and flour and oil mills. It is important to note that we are referring to Rodén Viejo, a “surname” that has been given to differentiate it from the new town, which is built in the lower part, on flat land.
What happened in Rodén?
A few years ago, a neighbor from Fuentes de Ebro, a municipality to which Rodén belongs, created the Torre de Rodén association with the aim of asserting the heritage of its ruins. And we must not forget that this place is much more than boulders. Of course, what exactly happened in this place is not clear. Some believe that the houses were raided to obtain materials to build parapets and trenches in the front. However, others claim that it was razed by artillery and bombarded by planes before dismantling. In any case, the 200 inhabitants who were then living in the town decided to flee for their own safety.
Architectural monument of great interest
Regardless of what will happen in Rodén during the Civil War, the town has architectural monuments of great interest. In addition, it stands out at a landscape level, since it looks like an acropolis when found on a mound. Among the buildings of interest are the Rodén Castle and the San Martín church. One of its most notable elements is the tower, that a few years ago had to be intervened to consolidate its cover, since the water that entered was causing serious damage. It is important to note that this tower is built of alabaster ashlars, something very rare in our country.
The declaration of Well of Cultural Interest is not the goal
Thanks to Rodén's declaration as a Site of Cultural Interest, a Special Protection Plan for the area must be drawn up. Of course, from Fuentes de Ebro they are very clear that this declaration is not the goal, but rather the objective is to obtain resources to be able to recover the punished patrimonial elements and generate a space tourist and visitable. Until the plan is drafted, any activity that could deteriorate what remains of this town will be prohibited.
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