Citadel of Jaca

Few fortresses hold so many battles in so little space. Inside the citadel of Jaca, in one of its pavilions, lies the Museum of Military Miniatures: 23 dioramas in which more than 35,000 lead figures, barely two centimetres tall, faithfully and artfully recreate scenes of war from every era. The tour begins with the army of an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh and runs right up to the present day, with particular attention paid to Spain's military history.

The building that houses them is worth a visit in its own right. It is an Italian-style fortress that, until the 19th century, was known as the Castle of San Pedro. Its value was recognised in 1951, when it was declared a historic-artistic monument, and in 1968 it underwent a restoration that helped preserve it just as it appears to visitors today.

For a long time it was a strictly military site: the Spanish Army used it until 2008, when its management passed to Jaca town council. That change finally opened it up to the town and to those who visit, turning its spaces into a place of memory and culture.

In June 2021 the miniatures collection was joined by the Hall of Battles, opened by the then Chief of Staff of the Spanish Army, General Francisco Javier Varela Salas. It hosts the permanent exhibition «Hechos de armas, hechos de arte» (Feats of Arms, Feats of Art), a collection of works by various artists from different periods donated to the State by Pedro Ramón y Cajal. It is the perfect complement for understanding how, over the centuries, war has also been a source of artistic inspiration.