Jérica (Castellón)

 

What you can do and see in Jérica

On the Royal Road that used to connect Teruel and Valencia, its particular geography and presence of the River Palancia are the cause of the semi-circular structure of its medieval streets, which the Mudejar bell-tower and its castle, with an Arab origin, stand over. It is in this area that you can find the town’s most important monuments.

The castle is located on Peña Tajada, although this hill is also known as the ‘Torreta Hill’ because of the castle keep that crowns the fortress. It was built on Arab and probably also Roman ruins. The building that you can see today dates back to the Christian period in the 13th century.

It is also called the Fort with the Mudejar Tower, because it includes the Mudejar Bell-tower, the most emblematic building in Jérica. It is the only clearly Mudejar tower in the Community of Valencia and is dated in the 18th century.

Finally, the hermitage of San Roque or Santa Águeda la Vieja is located in the area of the castle but is today in a deficient state of conservation. It cannot be visited but it is interesting to see it and observe its magnificence. It was built in 1236 over the old mosque and was reformed in 14th and 15th centuries.

On your stroll around Jérica, you can also find remains of the triple walls that at one time protected the town: towers, gates and fragments of the walls.

Jérica has kept some of its original festivals with a medieval component, which is based on Doña Teresa Gil de Vidaurre, with whom King James I had two children. Although the king did not name her queen or even his wife, he gave her the castle and town of Jérica. The Festival of Santa Águeda is held on February 5th, the anniversary of the conquest of the town by Aragonese troops. Finally, the Fenced Fair, which is held on the Wednesday following Whit Sunday, sinks its roots in the Middle Ages.

Rev.: JGG 21.09.21