Iglesia de la Merced

One of the most interesting monuments in Teruel is the Iglesia de la Merced, a church with a Mudejar-style tower, located on a square of the same name. This church was built in the 14th century as part of the monastery of the Mercedarian order, which settled in one of the districts outside the walls of the medieval city. Only a few archaeological traces of the original building have been preserved, as the church was rebuilt in the second half of the 16th century, and then again renovated in the 18th century.




The tower of the church is the most characteristic element of the complex. It consists of three floors, of which the two lower ones are built in the Mudejar style, and the upper one in the neoclassical style. The first floor is square in shape and is adorned with a band of teeth and pointed arch windows with interesting motifs on the sides. The second floor is octagonal in shape and is richly decorated with arcades, teeth, and columns of ladrillo aplantillado, or brick formed on a template. On the corners of the tower, there are also crosses with many arms, forming rhombuses and circles. The third floor is open on all sides with semicircular windows and topped with a pyramidal helmet.




The tower of the church is a testament to the Mudejar art in Aragon, which was recognized as a world heritage by UNESCO in 2001. This art arose from the coexistence of Christians, Muslims, and Jews on the Iberian Peninsula and is characterized by the use of brick, ceramics, and wood as building and decorative materials. The tower of the church is one of the last examples of this art in Teruel, where other well-known Mudejar monuments were also built, such as the cathedral, the San Pedro church, and the San Martín and El Salvador towers.




In addition to the tower, it is also worth paying attention to the interior of the church, which has three naves with four sections and a rectangular presbytery. The interior is covered with barrel vaults with lunettes, which replaced the original star vaults in the 18th century. In the main altar, there is a painting of the Virgin Mary of Mercy, the patroness of the Mercedarian order, and on the side walls, there are paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Peter Nolasco, the founder of the order. The church is also the seat of the Semana Santa brotherhood, which organizes annual Easter processions in Terue