Valjunquera: Baroque Churches, Traditions and Landscapes
Accommodation in Valjunquera
Valjunquera offers several specific points of interest to help you plan your trip: baroque religious architecture, local festival traditions and views of the surrounding landscape. If you are considering whether the town suits your interests, the building history of its churches, the dates of particular customs and the landscape features described here can help guide you.
Churches and Hermitages with Their Own Building History
The Church of San Miguel was built between 1734 and 1747 under the direction of master builder Cosme Bayod. It is considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the entire Comarca del Matarraña. Its two-part retablo on the façade was designed by Juan Antonio MartĂn; sculptor JoaquĂn Espada, from Valjunquera, also contributed to its artistic design. The church also follows the influential architectural model known as the “estela pilarista.” The collegiate church of Alcañiz is considered the center from which this style spread.
The Hermitage of the Virgen de la Piedad, popularly known as “la Mare de Déu,” dates from a different period. It was built between 1697 and 1699 and is an example of Aragonese Baroque architecture. The Hermitage of Santa Bárbara, in turn, is protected as a Cultural Heritage Site (Bien de Interés Cultural). It is the older of Valjunquera’s two hermitages and offers panoramic views over the municipality.
Viewpoints and Landscapes Around Valjunquera
Santa Bárbara stands on a hill. The hermitage can be reached via an unpaved track that branches off a road on the opposite side of Valjunquera. Another viewpoint is La Parra: from its elevated position, you can see olive and almond groves, neighboring villages and the surrounding mountain ranges.
The Valjunquera–Mas del Labrador–Valdeltormo route also offers a glimpse of the agricultural landscape. It passes old threshing floors and dry-stone walls, and crosses fields of almond trees, olive trees and grain. These landscape features provide a tangible contrast with the churches and hermitages in the town.
Mas del Labrador: Settlement, Film History and Tradition
In the abandoned settlement of Mas del Labrador, the Church of San Juan Bautista is the only building still standing. The place also has a connection to film history: Mas del Labrador served as a filming location in the 1990s for Vicente Aranda’s film “Libertarias,” which is set during the Spanish Civil War.
Since the 1990s, residents of Valdeltormo and Valjunquera have gathered there for a communal meal in late August. The place thus combines a distinctive building with a recurring gathering of the two municipalities. The Valjunquera Museum holds an archive of more than 3,000 images documenting the Matarraña’s more recent history. The photographs cover the period from the late 19th century to the 1960s.
Festivals and Customs Throughout the Year
The San Antón and Quintos festival begins on January 17 with the lighting of a large bonfire. Firewood is brought in on trailers to build the traditional fire. “Choriset” is the local name in Valjunquera for Jueves Lardero, or Lardero Thursday.
The annual San Cristóbal festival includes a Mass, the distribution of blessed bread and the blessing of residents’ vehicles. On the feast day of San Cristóbal, residents of Valjunquera also make an annual pilgrimage to the Hermitage of Santa Bárbara.
The Fiestas Mayores in honor of San Miguel begin around September 29. On the third day of the festivities, a floral offering with a ceremonial procession takes place each year: the route leads from the parish church to the Hermitage of the Virgen de la Piedad. If a particular festival is important to your stay, check the dates before you travel.
Discover more destinations: Villarroya De Los Pinares, Torres de AlbarracĂn, La Puebla de HĂjar, Bronchales, La Ginebrosa, Molinos, Teruel, Monteagudo Del Castillo.
Go to the main travel overview: Teruel.
