Jaca

Huesca

Max 17ºC / Min 1ºC

Huesca / Aragón

Jaca is known as “the pearl of the Pyrenees”. It is a cosmopolitan European city, and a key stop on the St James Way (Camino de Santiago).

In Jaca it is essential to visit the Citadel, an example of military architecture from the 16th century and declared a Historical-Artistic Monument. Construction on the citadel began in 1592. As a result, the monument features a pentagonal ground plan of grandiose dimensions, including a moat, and is built on flat ground.There are other very important buildings, such as its Romanesque Cathedral (11th century), declared a National Monument, the Benedictine Monastery, the Church of Santiago, the Hermitage of Sarsa, the San Miguel Bridge, the Clock Tower (15th century) and City Hall.

One of its most important festivals is held on the first Friday in May, commemorating a medieval battle. There are tournaments, jousting, a beautiful flag-bearing procession, and trials of ancient Aragonese sports such as the bar throw.On June 25, Jaca celebrates the big day of its patron saint festivities. This features a procession in which the urn holding the remains of the patron saint - Saint Orosia - is paraded while dancers perform ancient castanet dances around it, accompanied by sacred and ancient instruments: the chiflo and the stringed psaltery.

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