Sagunto - Teruel - Albarracin

Route: Valencia - Sagunto - Teruel - Albarracin - Valencia
Duration: 12 h
Our first stop we will make in the town of Sagunto, distinguished for its remarkable Roman heritage and significant place in ancient history. We will walk swimming inside more than 25 centuries of history. We will visit the Roman Theatre, with a capacity of 4.000 seats we will introduce the meaning of its “cavea” and its functions. After we will get to the historical city of Sagunto for walking in the main jewish neighborhood and discovering its narrow streets, palaces and different church. We will explore the Santa Maria church, dating back to 1334, which was originally constructed as a Moorish mosque, as well as a medieval mansion that now houses the remains of the Roman Temple of Diana and a Jewish bath or ‘Mikveh’. Sagunto was an important and prosperous Iberian settlement in the 5th century BC, with the (rather unfortunate) name of Arse – to the amusement of many an English-speaking tourist. It sided with Rome against Carthage, attracting the attention of the Carthaginian general Hannibal, who laid siege to the town for eight months with his army of elephants.  After fierce local resistance, Hannibal conquered Sagunto and most of the population was put to death (many killing themselves and destroying their wealth rather than surrender). This tragic episode gave way to the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome. Following the Roman victory, Sagunto prospered once again as a Roman town, and the heritage can still be seen today. The castle contains the remains of the forum, walls, and a Roman theatre. Our next stop will be at Teruel.Immerse yourself in the world of Mudejar art, historical fortifications, decorated watch towers, legends, the pink mountain villages, the famous hot chocolate and mountain cuisine. The setting of Romeo and Juliet’s Spanish equivalent “Los Amantes de Teruel”. The city of Teruel is surrounded by a medieval wall and dotted with unique square towers with unparalleled views over the city. We start our visit in Plaza del Torico , the heart of thetown, where the famous Torico fountain is situated next to Casa La Madrileña and Casa Tejidos el Torico, two of the best examplesof Modernist art in Teruel.  We will be headingfor Plaza de la Catedral, where there are buildingssuch as Casa del Dean  , whose fountain dates backto thesixteenth century, Ayuntamiento, Escuela de Hostelería and, of course, Santa María de Mediavilla Cathedral, where highlights include the impressive belltower, dome and Modernist façade. Once inside the Cathedral the mainattraction is the beautiful ceiling, the gem of Teruel’s Mudéjar art, considered by many to be equivalent of the Sistine Chapel in this styleof architecture. In the Venerable Francés de Aranda Square , you will see the 17th century Palacio Episcopal, where you will find the Museo de Arte Sacro , housing a collection of works from medieval timestogether with valuable Renaissance and Baroque pieces. From there we walk to FrayAnselmo Polanco Square. Later on, our next stop will be Casa de la Comunidad , a building from the Aragonese Renaissance that houses the Museo Provincial , withits interesting collections which will enlighten you about the traditionalculture of Teruel. Also you will see Torre el Salvador, Church of San Pedro Teruel, City Council of Teruel, San Martin Tower, Aqueduct of the arches, Santa Clara Convent. Our last stop will be at Albarracín, which is one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. We will start in the Plaza Mayor, where after listening to the historical comments  and see its Renaissance City Hall, we will continue touring the medieval streets of this picturesque town. Admire the original architecture of the Albarracín, patent in places like the Julianeta House, the Abanico Corner or Casa Azagra. We will walk contemplating the noble houses with their blazons, while we listen to the explanations about the decorative styles of both wrought iron and pine eaves. Some of these houses of renown are the House of the Monterde and Antillón, Casa Navarro and Arzuriaga, the old Episcopal Palace and the Noble House-Museum of the Perez y Toyuela, of the s. XVII. We will access the interior of the latter Houses-Museum, to know how it was lived in the Albarracín of the time, with furniture, oil paintings, decoration and original equipment. We will visit the hallway, the block, the bedrooms, living rooms and the spectacular cellar of more than 6 meters. We will also visit the exteriors of churches such as Santa María, Santiago or the Cathedral and Virgen del Carmen. We will continue our tour to get to know the emblematic wall that embraces the city, and finally we will delight ourselves with the panoramic views towards the Guadalaviar river.After that we will return to Valencia.
Price: Per person