Calatorao combines a distinctive architectural history with opportunities for walks. The town’s buildings include Castillo de los Priores and Capilla del Santo Cristo; its Mudéjar heritage and details of traditional architecture also shape its character. Along the Jalón River, the Sotos invite you to walk amid Aragonese flora and fauna. You can tailor your stay to your interests in architecture, history or nature.

Castle, Chapel and Sacred Tradition

Castillo de los Priores, also known as Castillo de Calatorao, stands in the upper part of the town, next to the parish church of San Bartolomé. It is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the Monument category. The square castle-palace has sides measuring about 25 metres, is built of solid brick masonry and comprises three floors arranged around an open central courtyard.

The castle retains a kitchen from the early 20th century that is almost unchanged. It also includes two complete bathrooms, the roof, the battlements and a restored coffered ceiling in the Salón de los Reyes. The details range from the building’s basic form and courtyard to its preserved rooms and decorated ceiling.

Capilla del Santo Cristo was built in 1734. Its square floor plan supports a dome on pendentives. A lantern sits within an octagonal brick structure, topped by a small dome. Pendentives are curved transitions that allow a dome to be built above a square room. The sequence of dome, lantern and uppermost feature gives the chapel a distinct architectural form from the open courtyard of the castle-palace.

The image of Santo Cristo is known as El Tostado de Calatorao and El Cristo de los Endemoniados. On Good Friday, it is venerated with the participation of Calatorao and its comarca. The parish church of San Bartolomé is a neoclassical building from the 18th century.

Mudéjar Heritage and Architectural Details

Another historical layer is represented by the Mudéjar aljama mosque, dating from the 14th to the 15th century. It survives in the building formerly known as Hospital de los Peregrinos. Next to the prayer room is a small building: its ground floor served as a Quran school, or madrasa, and its upper floor as the imam’s residence. The former use of the two floors gives this building a distinctive place in the town’s history.

Smaller architectural features also contribute to Calatorao’s character. The tour titled Traditional Architecture Walks documents a traditional wrought-iron door knocker on a courtyard gate on C/ Canfranc. There are also numerous ceramic cornices; one example is on C/ Berengueles. These details complement the larger buildings with examples of craftsmanship on doors and rooflines.

Walks and Travel Information

The sculpture parks, enhanced by the symposium, invite visitors to take a walk and are considered an additional tourist attraction for the municipality. Another activity is the route Circular Route from the Rural School, adapted for Calatorao and linked to the town’s cultural and historical-artistic heritage. Both offer ways to explore the town on foot, but each has a different focus.

In the Sotos along the Jalón, walks bring you into contact with Aragonese flora and fauna. For travel planning, the municipal area offers a general guide to the transport network: it is crossed by a railway line, the Autovía de Aragón and regional roads. The regional roads connect it to the Autovía de Logroño and the road to Valencia. Check route conditions before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Pina De Ebro, Sabiñán, Tauste, Ejea De Los Caballeros, Brea De Aragón, Sobradiel, Gallocanta, La Muela.

For the main travel overview: Zaragoza.