The Romans produced the urban layout of Huesca, and it has survived
in its main elements to this day. Conquered by the Arabs in 1096,
it was capital of the kingdom until the twelfth century. During
the reign of Ramiro II 'the Monk' (1134-1137), the macabre legend
of the bell of Huesca was said to have occurred. Seeing himself
threatened by the nobility, the king killed the rebels and hung
their heads in the bell of a tower.
In 1275, James I 'the Conqueror' began the construction of the Cathedral
on the site of the former mosque. The Gothic main front is a sober
work due to the French influence, though it is not lacking in the
decorative elements of the florid Gothic style. The most valuable
piece is the main altarpiece, by Damian Forment. As required by
his contract, he followed the form of the altarpiece in Zaragoza's
La Pilar church, also by the sculptor. He kept the Gothic structure
and ornamentation, but in the figures the Renaissance influence
can be seen. The main section is made up only of three large scenes
from the Passion. The sculptor left his own portrait and that of
his daughter in two medallions. The grandeur of Renaissance sculpture
appears in relief in the Sacramenta chapel. Both works are in alabaster.
The choir stalls date from the end of the sixteenth century.
San Pedro el Viejo was built on the site of churches from the Mozarab
and Visigothic era. The sculptural work in the cloister is reminiscent
of those in San Juan de la Pefia. It is a royal burial site. Several
Romanesque and Gothic monuments, together with the university, bridge,
fountain and churches, make Huesca a city with a personality all
its own.
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