Loarre castle, Huesca, Aragón, Spain

© Sebastian Wasek/Alam

Suspended in time

The castle of Loarre we show you today is a Romanesque jewel that has remained suspended in time for almost a thousand years near the Spanish side of the Pyrenees mountain range. It was built by king of Navarre: Sancho ‘the Great’ in the 11th century and there’s no better preserved fortress of this style in all of Europe.

Once finished, in 1070, it became an unbreakable bastion that played a crucial role in the “Reconquest” of the Aragonese territories occupied during the Arab invasion three centuries ago, since it was in the battle frontline and mounted on a rocky hill that made it impregnable.

Today, Loarre is a protected national monument that is visited by over 100,000 people every year. If you like epic cinema, you will surely recognise this place, as it has served as stage in several films, for instance 2005’s “Kingdom of Heaven” directed by Ridley Scott.