Aínsa

Few towns in the Pyrenees have kept their medieval character as intact as Aínsa, whose entire old quarter is a listed historic ensemble and a Site of Cultural Interest. Wandering its streets means exploring the former capital of the County of Sobrarbe, a territory that first belonged to the Kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona, before that kingdom gave rise to Navarre, and which was eventually absorbed into the Kingdom of Aragon.

It all began with the castle, built in the 11th century as part of the defensive line of the Christian territories that stretched as far as Abizanda. The town grew up around it and was encircled by walls in the Middle Ages. The frontier nature of the place is also evident in the Church of Santa María, designed to serve as both a place of worship and a stronghold: just look at the arrow slits in its tower. In 1124, Alfonso I the Battler granted Aínsa a settlement charter that gave its inhabitants the Fuero of Jaca.

Tradition, however, prefers a more epic origin. Legend has it that the town was conquered in 724 by the troops of King Garci Ximénez thanks to the miracle of a fiery cross, and since the 16th century the so-called Cruz Cubierta has marked the spot where this is said to have happened. It is worth bearing in mind, though, that historical sources indicate the Muslims never actually settled in these lands.

The passing centuries were not kind. With the decline of Sobrarbe, Aínsa lived for centuries on a subsistence economy, and in the 20th century the reservoirs and hydraulic works built to generate electricity and irrigate the plains of the Ebro flooded farmland and drove many locals to emigrate; several nearby villages were left empty or almost empty, and came to depend on Aínsa.

The way forward came through rural and nature tourism. Today the town is an excellent starting point for the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park or the Sierra de Guara, and a fine base camp for mountaineering and adventure sports.