During the Middle Ages, as the Muslims retreated, the Christian conquerors saw the need to colonise their new territories through religious entities and the creation of stable population centres. It was in this period that Romanesque art – the formal characteristics of which came from continental Europe – flourished as a natural expression of the new feudal society.

The burgeoning Kingdom of Aragon started being filled with enormous defensive fortresses constructed of solid stone and monasteries and churches built in the same material but decorated with paintings and sculpture in geometrical, vegetable or figurative themes. This sculpture combined an ornamental value with a symbolic and didactic function as it conveyed biblical instruction to the faithful.

In the province of Zaragoza there are many examples of Romanesque architecture, though perhaps the most spectacular can be found in the town of Daroca and, especially, in the Upper Cinco Villas (Five Towns) – notably in the enclaves of Uncastillo and Sos del Rey Católico.

A further way of expression in the mediaeval era is the Cistercian which is also present in the territories of Zaragoza. This came due to the expansion of a monastic order, with its roots in France, which sought a return to the austerity of early Christianity. This sober style of decoration – featuring structures of exquisite construction that prefigure the gothic style – was used in the construction of the imposing Monastery of Veruela (in the foothills of Moncayo), the Monastery of Piedra (near to Calatayud) and the Monastery of Rueda (halfway along the course of the Ebro).

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