The immense masses of reddish stone seem to guard this beautiful town of Hoya de Huesca
no one i know Omen The news surprised him. In recent weeks, the list of secret European destinations from the European Best Destinations agency and Agüero, the only Spaniard, ranked third rubbing shoulders with islands of the Azores or Sirmione, in northern Italy. This list indicates European places far from the main mass tourist circuits
The Mallos of Aguero? “The ones from Riglos sound familiar to me”-many would say. It is true that they are larger than those of Agüero and also visible from the road. It is what happens when the neighbors are more famous, that it is difficult to highlight what one has despite the fact that merits are not lacking.
The first is to be a postcard town. The panoramic view of Agüero with its Mallos just behind is simply impressive. The immense masses of reddish stone seem to guard this beautiful town of Hoya de Huesca.
Aguero, Huesca
To get to Agüero you have to take one of those detours that are worth choosing. In front we will find the aforementioned postcard. The imposing Mallos are conglomerates of reddish rock that playfully change color intensity with the tonality of the light.
They are unique in Europe. They were formed in the same period as the Pyrenees, to the south of the mountain range, ago about 65 million years. The erosion produced by the water and the wind has been leaving the bare rock revealing all its colossal dimension. It is a paradise for climbers and, for this reason, it has numerous routes equipped to safely ascend these natural watchtowers. Vultures and other birds of prey nest on them.
And for those who are not able to climb them, there is the possibility of surrounding them in a circular route of four and a half kilometers. It is a path without too much unevenness, perfectly signposted and that starts from the same town of Agüero to return to the starting point. The stone giants will be watching out of the corner of their eyes as we skirt them and photograph them from all possible perspectives, especially the most characteristic one: Peña Sola, a monolith broken off from the complex.
Geology lessons extend this far. The chapter of History begins, in which it is necessary to mention that It was Queen Berta (1075 -1110) who received different towns as a wedding dowry, including Agüero, Murillo or Riglos, over which she reigned for a short time.
Nothing common is to find a church without finishing building
Despite the fact that little is known about this historical period, it is the one that propitiates This area is called The Kingdom of the Mallos. Quite a movie plot: a queen of Italian origin at the head of a tiny territory made up of colossal rocks and small villages.
AN UNFINISHED CHURCH
It is common for religious buildings to mix or overlap different architectural styles, but nothing common is to find a church without finishing building. We find another of Agüero's strengths: the Church of Santiago, which dates from the 12th century and is not finished. There are various theories about what caused the building to remain unfinished, but the reason is not known for sure.
Despite everything, her beauty is such that she is declared as a National Monument.
This Romanesque temple, with beautiful capitals, has a relief on its cover in which the adoration of the Three Wise Men can be seen.
THE TOLLING OF BELLS
Just over a hundred people are registered in Agüero. However, the effort made by these neighbors to preserve the tradition of their town is remarkable. Some houses house small samples of old trades. In one of them, for example, it is preserved almost intact a grocery store where anything was bought, from jugs to liquors through socks or matches.
Through the streets of Aguero
Four bells have served as a clock for the people of Agüero for centuries. The tradition of making them ring has been maintained to the present day by a group of young people who took over the peculiar trade when the last bell ringer died. The rhythmic tolls happily call for mass on Sundays or turn plaintive when a funeral is announced.
Life in Agüero runs under the imposing presence of his Mallos. A secret destination that well deserves to be known.
The panoramic view of Agüero with its Mallos just behind is simply impressive