Calatayud, Provincial municipality in Zaragoza, Spain
Calatayud sits at 530 meters (1,740 feet) elevation along the Jalón River, surrounded by the Sistema Ibérico mountains in northeastern Spain. The municipality spreads across nearby hills and valleys, connecting different settlements in a semi-arid landscape with grain and olive cultivation.
The Romans founded Augusta Bilbilis near the present town, later a Moorish fortress named Qal'at Ayyub arose in 716. After Christian reconquest in the 12th century, the town developed into a regional trade center along the route between Zaragoza and Madrid.
The name comes from Qal'at Ayyub, meaning 'fortress of Ayyub,' a reminder of the Moorish period. Visitors today see brickwork and ceramic decorations in the Mudéjar building tradition, which combines Christian and Islamic design.
The municipality lies on the road between Zaragoza and Madrid and is easy to reach by car or train. Visitors find lodging and restaurants in the historic town center and can walk through the streets and to the churches on foot.
Excavations nearby uncovered the birthplace of Roman poet Martial, who wrote numerous epigrams in the first century. His poems describe life in Rome and his longing for the Spanish homeland, which he never forgot after decades in Italy.
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Augusta Bilbilis
4.6 km
Castillo Mayor
746 m
Church of San Juan el Real
102 m
Collegiate church of Santa María
272 m
Real Basílica-Colegiata del Santo Sepulcro
276 m
Mesón de la Dolores
120 m
Recinto amurallado de Calatayud
789 m
San Andrés, Calatayud
320 m
Church of St. Tecla
11.9 km
Bullring of Calatayud
501 m
Church of San Pedro de los Francos
110 m
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Castillo (Aniñón)
11.4 km
Hoces del río Jalón
7.5 km
Church of Saint Felix
7.8 km
Calatayud Museum
405 m
Gate of Terrer
356 m
Torre Mocha
746 mClock Castle
375 m
Santuario de la Virgen de la Peña, Calatayud
578 mDoña Martina Castle
432 m
Hermitage of Saint Roch
951 mCastillo de la Peña
564 m
Antigua azucarera labradora, Calatayud
884 m
Castle of Belmonte de Gracián
9.7 kmCastle of Terrer
6.6 km
Torre Alba
7.8 km
Archaeological site of Valdeherrera
3.8 km
Castle-palace of Belmonte de Gracian
9.9 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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