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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