Novallas: Castle, Church and Cultural Landscape

Novallas combines a multifaceted cultural heritage with a landscape where irrigation and orchards play an important role. If you’re looking for a hotel in Novallas, historic buildings, collections and trails provide a specific theme to guide your trip planning. The attractions range from the former castle to the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin and the interpretation centre and Casa de Novallas. The trails also vary: the Senda de los Azudes follows an irrigation canal, while Route 16 runs through the valley of the Río Queiles.

Castle, Town Layout and Irrigated Landscape

The former Castillo de Novallas was built by Muslims and handed over to the Knights Templar in the 12th century; only the tower remains. Novallas’s heritage from the Muslim period also includes the layout of the oldest part of town and a network of irrigation canals that supplies the town’s orchards. The landscape includes grain fields, olive and almond groves, poplar stands along the river and orchards that evoke the Andalusian period. The canals supplying the orchards make the connection between water infrastructure and cultural landscape tangible.

Trails Along the Canal and Through the Queiles Valley

The Senda de los Azudes is an accessible 500-metre trail that runs alongside an irrigation canal. Route 16 leads from Malón to Vozmediano through the Río Queiles valley and Novallas. This gives you two different trail options: the short, accessible stretch by the canal and the route through the valley between Malón and Vozmediano. If you’re including trails in your trip plans, you can decide whether to focus on the canal or the route through the valley.

Romanesque and Baroque Church Art

The Iglesia de la Asunción de la Virgen evolved from a Romanesque building into a Baroque structure. Its Romanesque apse features ashlar masonry and decorated columns. Inside are Baroque altarpieces from the 18th century dedicated to San Marcial and Santa Bárbara. The contrast between the Romanesque apse and the Baroque altarpieces brings together the building’s design and interior decoration, highlighting different aspects of the church’s development.

Archaeological Exhibition and Casa de Novallas

The interpretation centre for archaeological remains from the Tarazona y el Moncayo region opened in January 2016 in Novallas’s town hall-castle. The centre features a replica of the Novallas bronze artefact, made by the Museo de Zaragoza. Casa de Novallas has a different focus: it is an ethnographic museum that collects and preserves objects from the region’s traditional culture. Exhibits include an extensive collection of agricultural tools and an original collection of birds’ nests. Novallas therefore brings together an archaeological display and a range of collections reflecting traditional culture. Visits to Casa de Novallas are arranged by prior appointment by telephone.

Discover more destinations: Saragossa, Aniñón, Castejón De Las Armas, Puebla De Alfindén, Mesones De Isuela, Juslibol, Alborge, Alfajarín

Go to the main travel overview: Saragossa.