On the left bank of the Aragon river, between the latter and the San Juan de la Peña range, is the municipal area belonging to Santa Cruz de la Serós. The village of the same name is the administrative centre of a municipality which includes the village of Binacua, the farmhouse of Lacuey and the hotel/inn of “Esculabolsas”.
The surname “De la Serós” has its origins in the village’s secular links with the nuns (“serores” in Aragonese) that lived in the convent of St Mary (the principal monument of the village) until the 16th century.
Local history from the 11th to the 19th centuries revolves around the powerful convent of Santa María and the nearby monastery of San Juan de la Peña. They are both leading touristic sites in the area, although San Juan de la Peña is not actually within this municipality despite its proximity to the village.
The convent of St Mary was founded by Ramiro I of Aragon around 1060 and was originally intended as a royal convent for the daughters of the monarch and of the Aragonese high nobility. The church of St Mary, an impressive historical monument, is a prime example of the Aragonese Romanesque style of the 12th century. It has survived almost intact, whereas the numerous other sections of the convent disappeared gradually over the course of time.
The traditional architecture of the village is well-known, with stone houses, stone roofs and spectacular conical inglenook chimneys.
The church of St Caprasio, in the lower part of the village, is also of interest as a typical example of the Romanesque of Lombardy popular in the 11th century.
The small village of Binacua, with its beautiful, Romanesque parish church, looks down on the Santiago Pilgrimage Route and the main road that traverse the arable plains below.
The inn at Esculabolsas has welcomed travellers and pilgrims for almost a thousand years. Located on the crossroads between the “Camino” and the main road, what used to be the ancient hospital of Anol is now a modern hotel.
There is a wealth of resources in this municipality for nature lovers, including the San Juan de la Peña range, the gullies of La Carbonera and Orcal and the walk up to the chapel of San Salvador, which at an altitude of 1,547 m is the highest summit in the range and a spectacular viewpoint from which to look down on the entire Jacetania area.
Other villages in the municipality: Binacua
Text taken from the Jacetania Area Signposting Plan. 2001-2006