SANTA MARÍA LA MAYOR COLEGIATE CHURCH

This church is built in an Aragonese Gothic style, which was erected over the remains of the old mosque and the castle defensive area. The nave of the church is 30 meters long and is covered by a vaulted ceiling of tiling stretches and ribbings forming four parts, and crowned (topped) with a starry closing polygonal apse. A classical window gallery runs all over the nave. It also has seven beautifully crafted domed side chapels (Capilla del Ángel, Capilla del Pilar, Capilla de San Antonio, Capilla del Obispo, Capilla de la Milagrosa, Capilla de San José, Capilla del Sepulcro). There is also a stunning low chancel built over a kind of crypt.
The access is situated to the South, with a Renaissance main front doorway, which is preceded by a starry-vault atrium.
On the North side is the tower, there are three clearly differentiated sections constructed in the typical style of the era. The most significant is the bell tower. The crypt can be found on the East side.
History of this church
It is dated from the second half of 16th century (1580) and was probably built over the remains of a Muslim mosque. After the Christians arrived in 1095, they built a small Romanic temple, which later proved too small for 16th century men who began renovations in the Aragonese gothic style which continued into the 17th and 18th centuries.
In March 1983 this church was designated a Historic-Artistic Monument.