Villanueva de Jalón

Villanueva de Jalón is an abandoned village on elevated ground overlooking the Jalón River valley in the Valdejalón region of Aragón. The settlement consists of stone structures scattered across agricultural terraces and is marked by a church with a Mudejar brick tower.

The village was founded in the 13th century and developed as an agricultural community along the river. The final residents departed in the mid-20th century when water management and access to modern services became untenable.

The settlement reflects a rural way of life where residents built their homes from stone and shaped the landscape through generations of work. The architecture and abandoned fields speak of a community tied closely to the land around them.

The site is best explored on foot and requires physical effort due to steep terrain and unmaintained paths. It is wise to wear sturdy footwear and choose times of day when daylight is sufficient for exploration.

The abandoned irrigation systems visible today demonstrate how residents diverted river water through channels and shafts using remarkably simple methods. This infrastructure allowed the settlement to sustain itself for hundreds of years until conditions changed in modern times.