In Somontano, Huesca, 48 km from from the provincial capital, we find the town of Alquézar. Perched at 660 metres above sea level, on a mountain range parallel to the Pyrenees, the village is seamlessly integrated into an spectacular limestone landscape shaped over time by the Vero River, to form an incredible canyon for the practice of canyoning, impressive cliffs, caves of rock art…

Its majestic Collegiate Church was declared a National Monument in 1931 and the architecture and medieval layout of its urban centre has been a Historic-Artistic Site since 1982.

An ornithological paradise, visitors will also find numerous hiking and mountain biking trails nestled within the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park. From its many scenic viewpoints, photography lovers will be able to capture endless images of its wild beauty, including the fields of almond trees that fill the air with the scent of their blossom in spring.

Without a doubt, visiting this town is a must for anyone who visits the province of Huesca at any time of the year.

Its origins can be traced back to an Arab fortification built in the ninth century and commissioned by Khalaf ibn Rashid during the struggles against the Carolingians who occupied the county of Sobrarbe. From this period no visible architectural remains are preserved. In 1064, after the capture of Barbastro by King Sancho Ramirez, the fortress passed into Christian hands and a military garrison and religious community were established. Various military, defensive and religious constructions were built. The complex is surrounded by a crenelated double wall and protected by several towers, one of which was later used by the collegiate church as a bell tower. The upper square is accessed through an arched gateway via a stepped zig-zagging slope.

King Sancho Ramírez ordered the canonical institution of Alquézar, which was entrusted to Abbot Sancho and attached to the monastery of San Cucufate in Lecina, between 1071 and 1074. In 1074, King Sancho Ramírez attempted to create a canon, although in 1080 it became part of Roda de Isábena. Subsequently, around 1083, Abbot Galindo initiated expansion work by ordering the construction of the canonical dependencies and the church of Santa Maria. Its consecration took place in 1099. 

Some sections of the wall, the lower part of the bell tower, the albarrana tower, north and east walls of the watchtower and the remains of the chapel of Santa Maria Magdalena all similarly belong to this early Romanesque period.