This route will take to us to know the part oldest the town, thing that is difficult to appreciate by the continuous reforms that have undergone the houses during the time but still they are left details that can abstract to us to the medieval times, times that in our town begin in 1363, although ours first documentation dates from 1142. It will be difficult to find vestiges previous to that year because the Town totally was destroyed by the invasion of Castile and was necessary to reconstruct it. (Push here to see the Tourist Plane of Cossonda) (Original version in castilian)
So we initiated our way in "la Plaza'l Mercáu" (Plaza de España) [1], before "Fosal of San Juan" and urbanized in 16th century for the market outdoors and the public executions, being this ampler place and fitting much people.
In this square we can appreciate the old inn and some traditional eaves in the houses, in addition to being able to imagine to us where now is "la Casa Lugar", the yellow building that for of Town Council, the old hermitage of St. John, building recovered in 1986, and which, although now has not been having much architectonic value, if that has enough historical value for us.
This hermitage was alienated to the Curacy of Cossonda in the Mendizabal’s Redemption of 1836, happening to be jails, schools, bull pens and, finally, seat of the Town Council. The walls of this hermitage were quite simple and a small bell ended that was on the door. Inside it had three altars: the power station, dedicated to St. John Evangelist, of linen cloth, the one of the side of the epistle, with an image of Our Lady, sculpture golden, and to the other side a picture on table representing St. Anne and a sculpture of St. Nicholas. In this place one assumes that they follow his rest of Mosen Pablo Romeo, promoter of the "Treaty of the Union", because it was buried in this hermitage the 3 of October of 1672.
Of the two streets that raise we will choose the one that it puts Calle Trévedes, that in brief leaves in "la Plazuela las Estrebedes" [2], recollet square where still we have a characteristic traditional shed, of half point, and one old slab of ceramics with the name of the square.
From here and upwards, from now on the footwear is necessary to tighten itself because we are going to raise an unevenness of 40 meters, we entered the medieval enclosure itself by "la Calle l’Horno", by hand left was the old furnace, and in meters we will arrive at "la Replaceta’l Cura" [3], by hand left, where still we can appreciate, but very transformed, the old "Casa Retorial", that is to say, where it was the Ecclesiastical Chapter of Cossonda and the tithes were paid, left the wine in the wine presses, etc...
We will raise by "la Cuesta la Retoría" (Calle Rectoría), where we have some traditional eaves, and when arriving at the crossing of streets we entered "el Rabal de la Serreta" [4]. In the strait that go in level [5] we have several traditional houses and some of them with the traditional shed. In one of these houses, it counts the legend, that when in 1833 Carlist General Conesa controlled Cossonda, the non partizan of these, that looked for to them to catch them, hid in his passages without they were found, saving therefore the life.
We retraced our steps and we continued raising left by hand by first (Calle Serreta Alta), where if the slope leaves us we can begin to admire the views of the town, to a side, and of the Castle, to the other, in addition to some warehouse that leaves to our step.
When we arrived at a crossroad [6], we even followed by the one of the right, that is raising boxed by an old pit of defense of the Castle turned way, by where we can appreciate some small hollows underneath the wall which they say the legend of popular tradition which they comprised of the old tunnels that existed below the Castle and which they communicated with some houses, arriving until "la Caseta las Brujas", next to the river.
We continued until the height that we have won allows us to arrive between "la Torre la Lisalta" and "el Peirón de la Forma Perdida" [7].
From we will follow here by a small footpath that leaves by hand right and in few meters it leaves us in which was the Castle of Cossonda [8].
This castle seems to be that it was commanded to rebuild, the previous one had been destroyed in the invasion of Castile of 1363, by the then Archbishop of Saragossa García Fernández de Heredia at the end of 14th Century, although some historians date it from 15th Century. To the being of ecclesiastical regime he organized myself in two parts, the refuge, to the north, and the church to the south, serving the refuge for lodging as future visits of the Archbishop and the church for the withdrawal of our ancestors.
From this castle we have left "la Lisalta", old tower of the church of gothic-toledan, gothic style by their geminate large windows, that as much characterized works sponsored people by this Archbishop, and toledan by the mixture of the rubblework work with brick, and detail to mudejar upon his large windows, located in a strategically important point, since from its closing all the term without being seen can be descried almost. In her were two bells and two small bells, in addition to another placed small bell in a large window of the choir of the Church. When entering the enclosure of this one four altars could be seen: To the left the one of St. Blas, painted on linen cloth. In the center it was the Greater Altar, dedicated to the Virgin Maria and had a small wood altarpiece adorned by four turned columns and two angels who took the attributes of the passion, in addition to a linen cloth painted in his central part and the crucifix that now the Greater Altar of the Church presides over.
Later it was the altar of St. Bernabeu, with a picture of the pattern of Cossonda, of the 16th Century, and finally the one of St. Michael, also represented with a linen cloth of the Archangel homonym, also of the 16th Century.
In addition there was small crucifix of silver of 15th Century. This church had total use to the cult until end of the 17th Century, that became the Church of down.
Also, if we occur a return by the plateau that is the tower we will be able to appreciate the rest of wall which they conformed the enclosure of the castle and the church, that although very deteriorated, can do an idea to us of the life in those times.
This set is was disentailed in 1836 by 9500 spanish reals and at the moment it is of private property.
We return on our passages until "el Peirón de la Forma Perdida" [7], that tells a history us of second half of the 16th Century, in a tile, that seems to be that he was the detonating to lower the Church next to the river.
We reproduce of chronicles of the time: “Á pocos anyos que estaba Rector el Dr. Torres baxaban el Viatico de la Yglesia antigua, el día ocho de agosto, digo día siete de agosto de 1.674, para comulgar acá baxo á Ygnacio Lescano, quién murió á el otro día ocho, baxaban el globo con dos formas; la una, para el enfermo; la otra, para la adoración del pueblo: E aquí que se levanta una tempestad furiosa de aire, que las varas del palio hirieron á el Sacerdote en la cabeza. El Sacerdote levantó la mano derecha sobre la capita y cubierta del vaso, o globo, el viento descubre el vaso; arrebata la una Forma. Estubo perdida hasta el otro día. Púsose en penitencia todo el pueblo y buscó con lágrimas á su Dios perdido, hallole un niño hijo d'algo. Y en acción de gracias se hace la fiesta todos los años como el día del Corpus; el Señor hizo un potente sermón y procesión”. What it means "To few years that were Rector the Dr Torres lowered the Viatic of the old Church, the day August 8th, I say August 7th of 1,674, to agree here down to Ygnacio Lescano, who died to other day eight, lowered the globe with two forms; one, to the patient; and another one, for the adoration of the town: and here that rises a furious air storm, that the twigs of the pallium hurt to the Priest in the head. The Priest raised to the right hand on the capita and cover of the glass, or globe, the wind he discovers the glass; refute the Form. Was lost until the other day. Put in penance all the town and looked for with tears its lost God, it found a boy hidalgo. And in thanksgiving is made the celebration every year as the day of the Corpus; the Gentleman made a powerful sermon and procession". Of similar way talks about to the fact the tile of "el Peirón de la Forma Perdida", located where it was, putting, moreover, the name of the boy who found it, José Vallés, of six years old.
From "el Peirón de la Forma Perdida" we lower, by hand right, by a small way, that takes by some warehouses and houses to us demolished, until arriving at a small square and joining to us with "la Cuesta’l Fosal” (Calle Cementerio) [9]. Let us lower to the hill a little until it leaves a small by hand right street to us that we will take and will take to us until "el Vico l’Amargura” [10], where we can appreciate the set of the houses in himself, very deteriorated, but that still it conserves the originality and some traditional element that the town characterized, like a shed of average point that there is.
Also we have a small tile that informs to us of the number.
From here downwards by hand left by "la Cuesta l’Amargura” (Calle de la Amargura) until the following crossing [11], neuralgic center of the Medieval Cossonda since was there the abbey, building very transformed down to the right, that governed the destinies of the town and that soon lowered to “la Retoría”.
We followed the left, raising a small hill and when we began to lower we turned to the right. We are in la Cuesta los Narros” (Calle Narros) [12], flowery costs, whose name revokes us to the medieval repopulation that had east town when it was in the aragonese extremadura, and in that still we can appreciate some traditional eaves while we lowered it.
When arriving down at the crossing we followed the right by "la Calle Nueva” [13], street opened in the 16th Century,, that then would be new, where in addition to several traditional eaves we have a pair of shed worthy to name, one of them with one of the few mudejar details that still we conserved, although by the ruin of its building, at the moment is threatened of demolition
Only we have left to arrive at "la Calle l’Horno", by hand left, and to retrace steps by "la Plazuela las Estrebedes” [2] until arriving at our starting point, "la Plaza’l Mercáu” [1].