Villanueva de Sigena

Mount Sigena is a hill of the Sierra de Alcubierre located 5 km to the south. 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.

• Name — Villanueva de Sigena • Settlement Type — Municipality • Official Name — Villanueva de Sigena • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Spain • Subdivision Type1 — Autonomous community • Subdivision Name1 — Aragon • Subdivision Type2 — Province • Subdivision Name2 — Huesca • Subdivision Type3 — Comarca • Subdivision Name3 — Monegros • Elevation M — 230 • Area Total Km2 — 146.37 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Timezone — CET • Utc Offset — +1 • Timezone Dst — CEST • Utc Offset Dst — +2 • Postal Code Type — Postal code • Postal Code — 22231 • Area Code Type — Dialing code • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Ildefonso Salillas Lacasa