Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Province of Huesca

The inner city of Huesca had changed significantly over the last year, as the main road was now a pedestrian area. Huesca´s silhouette is seen from a distance. In the center is the Catedral de Santa Maria. -- You´ll find many more photos taken in Huesca in the album "Aragon".

I had been in Jaca a couple of times before, but I just had to return in 2014. This was not only for the Romanesque cathedral, but as well for the "Meson Serrablo" a very agreeable restaurant. mesonserrablo.com/ -- The Jaca Cathedral is one of the oldest of the Iberian peninsula, dating back to the 1070s. The building, that was altered many times later, was commissioned by King Sancho Ramírez, who established an episcopal seat in Jaca, then the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. -- A roped monkey sitting under the roof. This is a typical "singe cordé", that can often be found in France (especially Burgundy). -- You´ll find many more photos taken in Jaca in the album "Aragon". Many more monkeys are in the album "Medieval Apes and Monkeys".

I had been in Jaca a couple of times before, but I just had to return in 2014. This was not only for the Romanesque cathedral, but as well for the "Meson Serrablo" a very agreeable restaurant. mesonserrablo.com/ -- The Jaca Cathedral is one of the oldest of the Iberian peninsula, dating back to the 1070s. The building, that was altered many times later, was commissioned by King Sancho Ramírez, who established an episcopal seat in Jaca, then the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. -- Together with lions and apes a hare holds up the roof of the apes. -- You´ll find many more photos taken in Jaca in the album "Aragon".

I had been in Jaca a couple of times before, but I just had to return in 2014. This was not only for the Romanesque cathedral, but as well for the "Meson Serrablo" a very agreeable restaurant. mesonserrablo.com/ -- The Jaca Cathedral is one of the oldest of the Iberian peninsula, dating back to the 1070s. The building, that was altered many times later, was commissioned by King Sancho Ramírez, who established an episcopal seat in Jaca, then the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. -- For a while I saw a fettered monkey on the right corbel, but it may be another animal. Between this corbel and the middle one (lion) is a dromedary. -- You´ll find many more photos taken in Jaca in the album "Aragon".

I had been in Jaca a couple of times before, but I just had to return in 2014. This was not only for the Romanesque cathedral, but as well for the "Meson Serrablo" a very agreeable restaurant. mesonserrablo.com/ -- The Jaca Cathedral is one of the oldest of the Iberian peninsula, dating back to the 1070s. The building, that was altered many times later, was commissioned by King Sancho Ramírez, who established an episcopal seat in Jaca, then the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. -- Here are the corbels under the roof of the cathedral´s apse. -- You´ll find many more photos taken in Jaca in the album "Aragon".

I had been here before and I have uploaded many photos already in 2013, but I just had to return to this church. And add some more photos.. -- The Iglesia de Santiago stands surrounded by macchia at the end of a dust road about a kilometer southeast of Agüero. This isolated place is probably why it is named as well "Ermita de Santiago". It is a very strange structure and I did not have much information about. At one time within the 12th century somebody had started to build a pretty large basilica (- in the middle of nowhere). Obviously money was not an issue, as gifted sculptors and experienced builders left their marks here. Then - some decades later, the building process stopped, the church was never completed. No wonder, that the artist/workshop known as "Master of San Juan de la Peña" is even better known under the name of "Master of Agüero". I had seen his works in San Juan de la Peña and Sangüesa, but what he created here are real masterpieces. Here are capitals of the portal´s right side. A female dancer, flanked by two musicians. To the right is a flautist and another very flexible dancer. -- You´ll find more photos in the album "Aragon".

I had been here before and I have uploaded many photos already in 2013, but I just had to return to this church. And add some more photos.. -- The Iglesia de Santiago stands surrounded by macchia at the end of a dust road about a kilometer southeast of Agüero. This isolated place is probably why it is named as well "Ermita de Santiago". It is a strange structure and I did not have much information about. At one time within the 12th century somebody had started to build a pretty large basilica (- in the middle of nowhere). Obviously money was not an issue, as gifted sculptors and experienced builders left their marks here. Then - some decades later, the building process stopped, the church was never completed. -- You´ll find more photos in the album "Aragon".

The building of this fortress was started by Sancho III of Navarre (aka "Sancho el Mayor") in 1020, after his troops had reconquered the surrounding lands from the Muslims. This was a strategic place, near the frontier between Christian and Muslim lands. In 1073 a community of Augustinian canons was installed here and the church and the crypt date probably back to the end of the 11th century. Unfortunately I hit the siesta-hours again, so the castle was locked for visitors.

West of Ruesta a very long ascent starts onto afforested heights, but as soon as I left the shadows it got really hot. On my way to Undués de Lerda, seen in the hazy distant, I descendet via the ruins of an ancient Roman road, before I had to climb up again to the village. The first house, I reached, was a public washhouse, where I poured water over my head and took a break. I knew, that there was an alberge somewhere in the village - and I hoped for an icecold beer.

I found the bar in Undués de Lerda and it was open! So I had the icecold beer I had thought about the last hour walking in the sun. The staff here was mulitingual - obviously I was not the first walker, who had a beer in this bar.

Ruesta was a fortress, erected by the Moors within the 10th century. The place got conquered during the Reconquista and was an important fort, owned since 1054 by the Kings of Aragon. The town prospered and survived the times upto the 1950s, when the Yesa reservoir was constructed and the rising sea level submerged great parts of the valley. Not only the historical "Camino Aragonés" got destroyed, the villagers lost all the fields, they had cultivated over the centuries. They lost their basis of existence. In 1959 the village was abandoned and since then fell in ruins. Some years ago a trade union (CGT) has started a program to rebuild and revitalize Ruesta. So far there is a albergue and a nearby campsite. Unfortunately it is not allowed to "explore" the many ruined structures, as they are all very unstable. Here is a Spanish website with lots of information: www.iberica2000.org/Es/Articulo.asp?Id=3646

This ruin is all, what is left "in situ" of a hermitage, erected within the 11th century, belonging to San Juan de la Peña. Two days ago, I had seen marvelous and impressing frescoes in the museum in Jaca. They had been taken from this church - and saved. Nowadays the walls of the ruin are covered with graffiti.

Walking on the southern shore of the Yesa reservoir, approaching Ruesta on a crisp morning. After the shadowless stretches of the last days, this was a lovely hike. On one of the trees to the right are two markers: the yellow arrow - and the white/red square.

After having crossed some dried out tributary rivers of the Rio Aragon, I passed Artieda, from where I could see the Yesa reservoir, that I would follow for the next 20 kms. I was startled, when exactly at noontime three loud firecrackers rocketed from the village into the sky.

I could still see Berdún on the horizon (right), when this post told me that Santiago de Compostella was exactly 800kms west.

What I saw first as a wide, mostly shadowless plane was indeed the valley of the Rio Aragon, bordered to the north by the foothills of the Pyrenees and another mountain ridge to the south. Within this valley are some steep little mountains, often used for fortified settlements. Seen here in a distant is Berdún, north of the Rio Aragon.

What I saw first as a wide, mostly shadowless plane was indeed the valley of the Rio Aragon, bordered to the north by the foothills of the Pyrenees and another mountain ridge to the south. Within this valley are some steep little mountains, often used for fortified settlements. Here is the hamlet Arrés.

Just south of Jaca the camino turns west, it still follows the Rio Aragon. There is a detour, that takes the walkers to San Juan de la Peña. I was a little lazy and as I had been there some years ago, I choose the shorter "main-camino", that runs through a very hot, wide plane. Around noontime I reached Santa Cilia, where the camino crosses the N-240. As you can see (right), car-drivers are warned of limping pilgrims here - while the pilgrims (left) follow the advice to cross the road. Santa Cilia was the first village, where I noticed an obvious abundance of new streetlights. Santa Cilia has a population of about 200. In some villages I had the impression, that there were more streetlights, than inhabitants.