Uncastillo

Uncastillo is one of those places where you discover something new every time you visit. A charming town. Very charming. It is as if it had been planned from its very beginning to create a harmonious result in all its streets, squares and alleys. Surprise yourself at every step, and you will fall in love with Uncastillo: it’s inevitable.

How do you play Hunt the Treasure?
We’re going to give you some clues so you can find the treasure. They are spread throughout the city, and you need to collect them in the correct order. Remember to bring paper and pen. When you have them all, you will have the key to unlocking the location of the gold coins. At the bottom of the page, you have access to the treasure. You have to enter the clue numbers in the correct order: the first number of the first clue, the second number of the second clue, and so on.

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CLUE NO.1 CHURCH OF ST. JOHN (SAN JUAN)

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Church of San Juan is the necropolis of tombs carved into the rock foundations. It is a somewhat unsettling place to locate a temple, surrounded by a large stone burial ground.
But the most interesting part is inside. Guided tours can be reserved at the tourist office. Inside it has some 13th-century wall paintings that may be some of the best preserved in Aragon.

Treasure location:
At the door of San Juan, stone beams hold up a horizontal lintel. How many? That will be your clue.
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CLUE NO.2 SANTA MARIA

Six 13th-century churches! One for each neighbourhood. And of course, the inevitable happened – there was a sculptor who got tired of the usual stuff.

In Santa María the maestro of Uncastillo and his helpers gave free rein to their imagination. And what an imagination! In the corbels of the apse, (above, almost on the roof) you can see sexual scenes, musicians, acrobats and even dentists — the realities of the world.

The arched main entrance is profusely decorated. There is not a space left to be carved. Spend some time looking at it. You will be surprised at what you can see,

Treasure location:
Romanesque sculptors were fascinated by variety: dragons, lions, monkeys, women, birds, and a special friend… You will only see it when you go into the church and look up to heaven. What is it? How many letters does it have?
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CLUE NO.3 BARRIONUEVO STREET

Barrio Nuevo Street (Calle Barrio Nuevo) is where the Jewish quarter of Uncastillo was located – one of the most important in Aragon. The presence of Jews in the Cinco Villas was significant in the middle ages because they contributed about 30% of the income that went to public coffers.
The Jewish quarters were usually gated off, and had, therefore, limited space. For that reason, there are so many alleyways in this area. Due to the lack of space, second floors were created between buildings, leaving a covered alley below.
You can also see small holes in some doorways. This is where the Mezuzah was fixed to the doorway – a small box with some verses of the Torah that a good believer has to touch every time he enters and leaves the house.

Treasure location:
At number 18 of this street, you have a beautiful example of traditional architecture. In this house, as in others in the city, you will see an unusual way to beautify the doors. This thing showed the quality and economic power of the householders. But of course, then you have to make doors that fit, and that is more expensive, which is why they were not too fussy about perfectly rectangular doors. If you know what we are talking about, write down: What shape is the thing that you are seeing?
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CLUE NO.4 CASTLE

The most privileged place of the town and from where the whole area can be seen is the Peña Ayllón (Ayllón rock), upon which the castle is sited.
There are several preserved buildings here: the old wall and its towers, the “Tower of Homage”, a second tower, and the Gothic palace that was built by Pedro IV between 1356 and 1358. Only an octagonal tower and two walls remain of the palace, but they are of such beauty that it is worth a visit to see them and enjoy the view from the tower

Treasure location:
During your visit to the Tower of Uncastillo, they will teach you about an object that was used to give warning of danger. The one you’ll see here is a copy of Gastón de Bearn’s (1090-1131) original. He was Uncastillo’s tenant Lord. The original is in the museum in Zaragoza. Do you know what object we are talking about? Add up the letters
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CLUE NO.5 SAN MARTIN DE TOURS

San Martín is a clear example of what happens in Uncastillo. A temple with a lot of different styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Lombard – an architectural Frankenstein you might think. Yes. But it is so harmonious and so beautiful that it will surprise you. How is that possible? Because it is Uncastillo. And here everything is tremendously aesthetic.
But inside? Inside you will be even more surprised. In 1999, it became the “Centre for Religious Art of the Pre-Pyrenees”. The pieces of goldsmith work and religious imagery are displayed in glass cases and belong to collections from other churches in Uncastillo and other towns in the Pre-Pyrenees; as well as the altarpieces that adorn the different chapels.

Treasure location:
In the interior of San Martín de Tours, you will be surprised by lots of things. But there is an access way to the chapel on the right side of the presbytery that deserves some special attention. Among the elephants, griffins, centaurs and lions, how many unicorns are there?
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CLUE NO.6 MARKET SQUARE AND THE FISH MARKET

In Uncastillo do not think that they only went from Church to Church. The abundance of architectural works is a reflection of the economic strength of the town. And here is where it would come to life: in Market Square.
Who traded in Uncastillo? Certainly the abundant Jewish residents of the town, which had one of the oldest, most populated Jewish quarters in Aragon, and of course one of those that paid most taxes to the kingdom.

Treasure location:
If you had any doubt about being cheated when buying fabric in the Uncastillo market, you had no problem. At the door of the fish market, you will find a measuring rod carved in stone. Having a yardstick to measure length indicates the strong presence of the wool and cloth trade in the town. But how long is the Uncastillo measuring rod? Add the numbers until you have a single digit.
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CLUE NO.7 CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL (SAN MIGUEL)

The interesting thing about this temple is what you do not see. Look, look … what’s missing? And in its place, they made a wall instead, but not as well made as in the original temple.
Yes! The façade is missing! And where is it? You might well ask. Well, it is in Boston, USA. It went there after it was sold in 1919 by the Bishop of Jaca and the priest of Uncastillo. They sold it all for the paltry sum of 800 pesetas. A figure that even in 1919 was cheap for the great sculptural work that was lost.

Treasure location:
The facade of St. Michael’s is full of stonemason’s marks. What letter is it, and what place does it occupy in the alphabet? That is the clue. Bonus track. The writer scribbled his full name, but not everywhere. You will find the complete signature next to the access doorway of the house located on the south side of the first section of the nave, and on the lower part of the buttress that serves as the right side of the portal. Do you know what it says? We accept bets.
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CLUE NO.8 TOWN HALL

A large building that seems impenetrable houses the Uncastillo Town Council. This Town Hall was built in the 16th century in the Renaissance style, just like the Church of St. Andrew (San Andrés).
On the façade are depicted the three theological virtues and the four cardinal virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity, Temperance, Justice, Strength and Prudence. Let’s see if you know which is which.

Treasure location:
In addition to the seven virtues, there are two sculptures on the façade of the Town Hall. It was not known who they represented until José Manuel López studied them. After analysing engravings of the time as well as other sculptural items, he concluded that they were Carlos V and Isabel de Portugal. The sculptors included them to epitomise an ideal of good and just government. But that is not the clue. At the entrance door, where the information panel is located, how many blowing figures can you see?
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Do you have all the clues?

Unlock the treasure

Remember that you must put all the numbers you have obtained on the tracks in their order according to the web

!Come on! look for the treasure
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