Church of Santa María in Aínsa

Santa María is one of the most notable churches in Sobrarbe, sober and bare. It was begun at the end of the 11th century, continued through the 12th and was consecrated in 1181. Its tower had a dual role, religious and military, because of its height and its position over the valley. It is in the medieval old town, beside the Plaza Mayor.

What to See

The plan is rectangular, with a nave of three bays and a semicircular apse. The main doorway, on the south, has five archivolts on columns with simply decorated capitals. Inside are preserved a medieval chrismon and a carving of the Virgin and Child, transitional between Romanesque and Gothic, which comes from the old village of Tricas.

Under the presbytery is the crypt, built to deal with the slope of the ground and held up by a group of columns; its vaults were rebuilt in the restoration. Beside the church is the cloister, of irregular plan, which mixes Romanesque elements with Gothic-era alterations. Aragón Tourism counts it among the best examples of Romanesque in Alto Aragón and asks you not to miss that cloister, where the two styles meet.

The tower, square in plan, is one of the village's most recognisable silhouettes. Very close is the Arco del Hospital, a passage linked to an old pilgrims' hospital.

How to Visit

The Tourist Office offers a guided visit to the collegiate church for €4, a rate that the listing itself gives as indicative. The dates, times and free places are chosen on the booking platform linked from the town council website. The listing gives no duration or meeting point: they are confirmed when booking. For any queries, the Municipal Tourist Office, at Avenida de Ordesa, 5, telephone 974 500 767, or [email protected].

To Combine

The church is a short walk from the Plaza Mayor, so it fits into the walk round the square and the castle. If you prefer to have it all explained together, the guided visit to the old town leaves from the castle on Saturdays. And to see the tower from outside, with the valley behind it, the walk to the Cinca viewpoint gives the best perspective.