From Tithia to Atienza: a walk through history without leaving the site (EN)

During the late Middle Ages, the Jews had to live apart from the rest of the Castilian population, which led to the formation of Jewish quarters in many cities and towns of the kingdom. The Jewish quarter of Atienza was settled on this hill where you are today. After the expulsion decree of 1492, its inhabitants were forced to leave the place, leaving the land uninhabited until today. This community had its own wall, the remains of which are still visible: a small section at this point, the tower behind it and, on the northern slope of the hill, a stretch of about four hundred meters long that also belonged to the wall. These architectural vestiges allow us to imagine the extension and configuration of the old Jewish quarter. In addition, from this natural viewpoint you can see one of the most spectacular views of Atienza, which helps to understand the strategic importance of the site.

After the War of the Infantes of Aragon, in the mid-fifteenth century, Atienza was practically razed to the ground. It was necessary to rebuild it almost completely. Some neighborhoods were abandoned and the original medieval plant was modified. It is then when the current Plaza del Trigo was designed, officially known as "Plaza de don Bruno Pascual Ruilópez", in honor of a senator from Atienza in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The square is structured with buildings of traditional Castilian architecture, with lime plastered facades, exposed wooden beams and pillars, and continuous arcades that evoke the model of a typical main square. Several of these houses with stone pillars were managed by the Cabildo and the Town Hall. Their columns with composite capitals and the eaves decorated with hand-carved pineapples stand out. Also outstanding in the square are the church of San Juan Bautista, the corner balcony and the building of the old jail, located behind the gate, next to the church.

Atienza was founded by the Celtiberians, who gave it the name of Tithia. From that time archaeological excavations have been carried out in the necropolis of Cerro Pozo, located on the outskirts of the village, where valuable funerary remains were found that provide information about the first inhabitants of the place. These Celtiberians offered fierce resistance to the expansion of Rome, fighting at the same time as their neighbor Numantia. However, after heavy fighting, they were finally subdued by the Roman legions. From the Roman period there are hardly any material remains in Atienza, being one of the few visible elements the well-known fountain of "La Salida", which owes its name to its proximity to the arch of the same name, where in the past those who left the town used to go out. This fountain, probably of Roman origin, today represents one of the few visible witnesses of an imperial presence that, although brief, left its mark on local history.

Atienza was conquered several times by Christians and Muslims during the Middle Ages. Alfonso VI definitively incorporated it into the Kingdom of León, and it was Alfonso I of Aragon who consolidated its control for the Christians as consort king of Castile, a kingdom to which it never ceased to belong. Its name was Castilianized as Atiença, the origin of the current place name. The old Muslim citadel was remodeled, two belts of walls were built and up to fourteen churches, of which seven are still preserved. Although initially all were built in Romanesque style, the passage of time and the conflicts of war significantly reduced this heritage. Nevertheless, elements that recall its splendor still survive: the porticoes of Santa María del Rey and Virgen del Val, the porticoed gallery of San Bartolomé and the apses of San Gil and the church of the Santísima Trinidad, right in front of the place where you are standing.

During the Muslim domination, the ancient Celtiberian name of "Thithia" was adapted to Arabic, becoming known as "Tizia" or "At-Titia", denominations documented in various sources. At that time, a powerful defensive fortress was built on the same site where the castle of Atienza stands today. This fortress, due to its strategic location and solidity, must have impressed even its enemies, as evidenced by its mention in the Cantar del Mío Cid, where it is described as a "very strong rock". The Muslim citadel, the core of the defensive system of the town, had advanced structures for the time, including several cisterns dug directly into the rock. These deposits fulfilled a vital function: to store the water necessary to resist long sieges and to guarantee the supply of the walled enclosure. Two of these original cisterns can still be seen today, silent witnesses of the Andalusian legacy of Atienza.

During the seventeenth century, all the churches of Atienza were decorated with baroque altarpieces, reflecting the artistic taste of the time. Already in the eighteenth century, part of the Romanesque gallery of the church of San Bartolomé was destroyed to raise in its place the majestic chapel of Santo Cristo de Atienza, patron saint of the town. Also built in this century, next to the entrance of the village, was the hospital of Santa Ana, now converted into a hotel. In the same period an ornamental fountain was commissioned to the famous workshop of Ventura Rodriguez, prestigious architect of the eighteenth century, responsible for such emblematic fountains as those of Cybele or Neptune in Madrid. This fountain was originally located next to the hermitage of Humilladero, accompanied by a stone bench from the same period. In the mid-twentieth century, when the Plaza de España -where you are- was remodeled, the fountain was moved to its current location as part of the new urban design.