Interesting facts

LUCENI: The name of the town, which has about 1000 inhabitants, is certainly connected to an ancient Roman presence (Lucius); the town was on the road which linked the Mediterranean to the northern part of the peninsula.  Archeological excavations of the first settlements have unearthed coins and medals of the emperor Antonius Pius (2^nd century A.D.), as well as Visigoth coins from the reigns of Wamba and Witiza (7^th and 8^th centuries).  The church, dedicated to the Virgin of Candelaria, dates from the 13^th century.  It is probably on the outskirts of this town that we find the spot where Ignatius debated about whether to kill or spare the life of a Muslim with whom he had an argument. God wanted to guide Ignatius in such a way that it was Life that came out victorious.  Luceni offers the pilgrim a bicycle shop, restaurants, pharmacies, health center, supermarkets, and banks.

ALCALÁ DE EBRO: The castle ruins give us a hint about the origin of the town’s name: it comes from the Arabic, al-calat, the castle.  In the impressive baroque church of the Most Holy Trinity (17^th c.) there is a picture dedicated to St. Francis Borgia, third superior general of the Society of Jesus.  There are two obligatory photos: one of the Ebro River and the other of the statue of “Sancho Panza” in the outskirts of town.  With just 300 inhabitants, the town offers us a restaurant, a pharmacy, a health center, a supermarket, and a bank.

CABAÑAS DE EBRO: Before reaching this small town (500 inhabitants) we pass by the “Ínsula de Barataría,” the place governed by “Sancho Panza” in the famous novel Don Quijote de La Mancha, by M. Cervantes. The town offers restaurants, pharmacies, health center, supermarkets, and banks.

ALAGÓN: This town, situated where the Jalón River flows into the Ebro, has its origins in the Iberian city of Alaun, the most easterly of the Vascon cities. Here coins were minted with inscriptions in the Iberian alphabet. The town was conquered by Muslims in 714. From its Muslim period there is an impressive Moorish work in the church of St. Peter the Apostle. The church, situated on the site of the former mosque, is well worth a visit, especially for its main altar (16^th century). In the old part of town there is a former college of the Society of Jesus, beside the church of St. Anthony of Padua. Just wandering for a while through the old district is a valuable experience.  The town offers a bicycle shop, restaurants, pharmacies, health center, supermarkets, and banks. Contact can be made with the tourism office at turismoalagon@hotmail.com or by telephoning 976 611 814.