Villanueva de Sigena
Huesca · Aragón
Villanueva de Sigena or Villanueva de Sijena is a town in the county of Los Monegros, in the northern province of Huesca, in Aragon (Spain). Located near the Alcanadre river, the local economy is primarily agricultural-based. The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Sigena is located on the outskirts of town. Mount Sigena is a hill of the Sierra de Alcubierre located 5 km to the south. Villanueva de Sigena is the birthplace of the physician and heterodox theologian, Michael Servetus (1511?–1553). Servetus was the discoverer of pulmonary circulation. A museum and interpretation center, maintained by the Michael Servetus Institute, is now located in the original house were Servetus was born. Nearby there is the original settlement, based round the partially ruined, and once wealthy and aristocratic Romanesque convent of Santa María la Real de Sijena, founded in 1183 by Sancha of Castile, Queen of Aragon. This was largely destroyed by fire in 1936 by anti-clerical Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. It is now in the process of restoration, and has been reoccupied by nuns since 1985. Several royal burials were made in the convent church, including Sancha, who died there, her son Pedro II of Aragon and two of his sisters. The chapter house housed extremely important Romanesque frescos of about 1200 by largely English artists, probably including some of those who produced the Winchester Bible; this was only realized after their destruction. The artists also appear to have visited Palermo before Sigena, as some influence from mosaics there can be seen. The frescos had been fully photographed in black and white shortly before their destruction, and the remaining damaged sections, mostly having lost their colour, are in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona.
History
El pueblo es conocido por ser el lugar de nacimiento del teólogo heterodoxo y científico Miguel Servet. Desde 2002 existe un centro de interpretación en la casa familiar restaurada, que es sede también del Instituto de Estudios Sijenenses Miguel Servet. En las inmediaciones se encuentra también el Real Monasterio de Sigena, cuyo retablo mayor fue pintado por el pintor renacentista conocido como Maestro de Sigena.
Gallery
Festivals
November 2026
Festivals this month
- No festivals recorded this month.
Famous people
•Miguel Servet, teólogo y científico español
Town hall
Web oficial: http://www.villanuevadesigena.com
Town hall of Villanueva de Sigena
Web oficial: http://www.villanuevadesigena.com
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How to get there
- 🚗 72 km from Huesca (about 51 min by car)
- 🚗 91 km from Zaragoza (about 64 min by car)
- 🚗 211 km from Terrassa (about 149 min by car)
🧭 Travelling around the villages of Spain: a practical guide — Opening hours, transport, money and customs, before you set off.
- ✈️ 57 km from Lleida-Alguaire airport (about 40 min by car)
- ✈️ 59 km from Huesca-Pirineos airport (about 42 min by car)
Practical info
🅿️ Where to park
- Where to park · 1.1 km away
⛽ Nearest petrol station
- Combustibles Monegros S.L · 1.1 km away
- Moeve · 3.3 km away
- COOP. LAS ONTINAS · 9.2 km away
Wall
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News
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Videos
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