More than 1,000 people visited Santa María de Iguácel during the month of August. In view of this reception, the Department of Environment and Tourism of the Government of Aragón, through the General Directorate of Tourism and Hospitality, has decided to extend until October 12 the period of visits to this Asset of Cultural Interest and one of the main references of Aragonese Romanesque.
The wide response of visitors during these weeks has led the Government of Aragon to extend the initiative launched this summer to guarantee the opening of the iconic place. The service will be available in September on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 26th and 27th and also on the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th and 12th in October. The budget amount allocated to this action is around 11,000 euros.
VISITS IN AUGUST FROM THURSDAY TO SUNDAY
During this last month, from Thursday to Sunday, among the thousand visitors have registered people from various European countries such as France, the United Kingdom and Belgium, as well as tourists from more than ten autonomous communities.
«The more than 1,000 visitors who have passed through Santa María de Iguácel show that there is a real interest in learning about our heritage and our history. These results endorse the decision to extend the visits until October 12 and allow us to continue offering new opportunities to discover this enclave,» celebrated the general director of Tourism and Hospitality, María Nogueras.
«From the General Directorate of Tourism we are firmly committed to identity tourism, linked to the history of Aragon, to our heritage and to those resources that are part of who we are. Santa María de Iguácel is a magnificent example of that Aragon that we want to value and make known,» added Nogueras.
SUCCESS MODEL
Nogueras also pointed out that this summer’s experience is a «model of success». «We have recovered visits to a monument of enormous value, we have received visitors from more than ten autonomous communities and also from other European countries and now we are expanding the offer. We want Aragonese heritage to also generate tourist activity and opportunities for our territories», he concluded.
The service will maintain the access system organised from the Acín car park. Visitors will be able to access this point with a private vehicle and, from there, walk along the signposted path or use the authorized nine-seater vehicle enabled for the transfer free of charge.
The transport departs from the Acín car park every 30 minutes from 10:00 a.m., with the last departure going up at 12:00 p.m. The last return service from Iguácel will depart at 2:00 p.m. The guided tours, also financed by the Government of Aragon, are taking place at 10.30 and 12.15 hours.
SANTA MARÍA DE IGUÁCEL
Santa María de Iguácel is a Romanesque temple from the eleventh century, erected during the reign of Sancho Ramírez and declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. The monument is one of the main heritage references of the Garcipollera Valley and the Jacetania and houses inside some Gothic paintings of great artistic and heritage value.
The extension of the visits allows us to continue to value this historic enclave for Aragon and expand the tourist offer of the area during the first weeks of autumn, favouring deseasonalisation and offering visitors a new opportunity to discover the monument and its surroundings.
The system of orderly access by authorised transport also makes it possible to make tourist use compatible with the protection of the natural environment in which Santa María de Iguácel is located, especially sensitive due to its forest nature.
