OLD QUARTER OF CALACEITE

Where: Calaceite.
Distance*: 50m. to 500m.

Calaceite’s past dates back to prehistoric times with the arrival of the Iberians, evidence of whose presence can still be seen today in the many settlements and other archaeological sites in the area, most of them open to the public. Signs and information boards provide insights into the lives of the Iberians and the places they lived. Among the most important of the Iberian cities in the Matarranya area is the Sant Antoni settlement, which has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside stretching from Els Ports d’Horta-Beseit in the south to the Pyrenees in the north.

The archaeologist Juan Cabré was one of the leading figures in the excavation and study of the Iberian legacy. His work in Calaceite in the 1910s brought him considerable success, including the discovery of a number of examples of rock art.

The Museo Juan Cabré is home to a permanent exhibition about the life and work of this eminent pioneering archaeologist and on the Iberians in Calaceite. In addition, the museum has an exhibition room given over to rural life in times gone by and hosts contemporary art exhibitions.

As you stroll through the old part of Calaceite, you will see evidence of the town's venerable history in its architecture and other urban features, most of them dating from the restoration begun in the 18th century following the destruction caused by the troops of King Philip IV in the mid-17th century.

* From Rural Matarranya (c/Travesía del Sol).