San Adrián de Sasabe

This is one of the most important monuments, although one of the least known in the valley of the river Aragón. Erected in the district of Borau, it was hidden under the ground for years and damaged by the torrent that runs through its structure.

The church remained hidden until 1957

In 1957 it came to light again but the constant water leaks are still a great problem. A few weeks ago, it has been reported that public works will start shortly to stop its constant deterioration. The Romanesque church built in the 17th century and which we can see today is the only remainder of a larger monastery built next to where the streams of Calciol and Lupán meet, giving birth to the river Lubierre.

At the end of the 16th century, the people of Borau decided to recover the religious worship and they erected a chapel over the remaining wall kept from the original church. The two mixing constructions can be made out without difficulty. Several hypotheses claim that St Adrian was a Visigothic monastery in which the bishops of Huesca took refuge in the escape from the Arabic invasion. They took with them the Holy Grail, which explains the historic significance that this monastery holds for Christianity. In fact, it seems clear now that the monastery was the seat for the bishops of Aragón from the 10th century until the seat of Jaca was created in 1077.

San Adrián de Sasabe consists of only one rectagular nave with presbytery and a semicircular apse covered by a quarter sphere vault. The inside is extremely severe. The only ornament on the walls is a flying imposta (the top brick course upholding the arch). In the outside, architectonic details are more abundant and thus we can see a simple ajedrezado (chessboard pattern) which frames the arch of the southern doorway. The western facade shows much influence from the Romanesque art of Jaca, and some characteristics that remind us of the nearby chapel of Santa María of Iguacel.