We only had one full day in Ejea de los Caballeros,1 but it was an interesting day. Ejea is the ‘capital’ of the Cincos Villas, three of which we had already visited Sadaba, Uncastillo, and Sos del Rey Catholicos.
A very brief history2
The area was inhabited a long time before the Romans arrived c.184BC. They renamed the town ‘Segia’, developing agriculture and roads during their time in Spain. The Muslims arrived in Ejea around 714, and reached an agreement with the landowner. Count Cassius, who converted to Islam. In the La Corona area (the Juderia and the area in which the hotel stands) the Muslims built defences, the walls, and mosques. Ejea was mainly of interest to the Muslims because it was their most northerly position against the Christians. However, in 1105 Alfonso I retook the town
In the Juderia
The hotel was situated next to the Juderia, at the top of the old town. The Jews established a community here in the 1100s and 1200s. and apparently there was a community of c.300 people. We walked through the area, towards the walls overlooking the river, but felt uncomfortable. There were derelict buildings and fly-tipping, and we were eyed with suspicion by a few young men, hanging about. We moved on as quickly as possible, and I only ‘sneaked’ one photograph of the streets.
The Juderia lay inside the walls, of which a few sections are still visible. The Church of Santa Maria, consecrated in 1174, was also inside the walls; it was firmly closed..
In the old town
There are signs of wealthy people in the past – mansions with grand eaves and some with coats of arms over the front entrances. This part of the town, outside the Juderia, was smarter too. It lies within the second ring of walls, built in the Middle Ages. Apparently the 16th to 18th centuries were the heyday of Ejea.
The Church of Salvador, consecrated in 1222, looked interesting but unfortunately it was inaccessible – a funeral was in progress. I photographed the information board for a view of the interior of the building!
Museum of Modern Art
Ejea also has a new town, and this is where we found the beautiful and elegant Centre of Art and Exhibitions,3https://www.centroexposicionesejea.es[/en_note] with an exhibition called ‘Ash and Sowing’, a disturbing protest against war. I have been reading about Ada Salter (a significant figure in the new book, ‘Green Greenwich’), who, together with her husband was a pacifist. We had, oddly, been talking about pacifism over coffee before visiting the exhibition, and felt that the paintings depicted only too clearly the dilemma posed by this approach to fighting. The Centre is an elegant building, spotlessly clean of course – really very impressive. And the Curator was very proud of his position, and his building.
The pictures in the exhibition were created through various means, not all of which I understood, but you don’t need to understand the techniques in order to hear the message.
I enjoyed the ‘abstract’ below, until I realised the white patches are probably skulls…
The new town
A completely different, new town lies on the other side of the main road through the town. There are several wide boulevards, with plenty of good shops, and many blocks of flats. And of course bars, cafes, and restaurants. Today, Ejea is a centre of agriculture, flour production, and the production and maintenance of agricultural machinery. The Bardenas Canal, opened in 1959, is an important source of water for farming
On the edge of the town is a small park where we strolled along the river.
Ejea de los Caballeros is best described as a working town, living with both old and new aspects, and able to accommodate visitors without being self-conscious or exploitative. It was a very interesting short stay.
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