The municipality of Lascellas-Ponzano welcomes visitors to Somontano as they cross into the territory over the huge ravine carved by the power of the River Alcanadre.

The course of the river in this area is boxed in by the cliffs of the canyon, making it impossible to access its waters for irrigation. Because of this the inhabitants have traditionally cultivated crops that do not need irrigation such as cereals and, more recently, vines.

However, man’s difficulty in reaching the water has favoured the presence of birds of prey, many in danger of extinction, such as the Egyptian Vulture, the Golden Eagle and the Eagle Owl; jewels of nature that fly undisturbed in the skies of Somontano.

The urban centre is concentrated around a square, which has many good examples of popular architecture such as arched doorways and attractive facades with coats of arms.

The mass of the 16th century parish church of Santa María la Mayor stands out in the centre of the village. Two Basque stone masons who had worked on several other churches in Somontano were commissioned for its construction by the municipal council in 1572. The builders were paid for over 5 years’ work, and in addition many villagers contributed to the construction with simple tasks carried out in their time away from the fields.

The church is an excellent example of 16th century architecture in general (Renaissance doorway, Gothic rib vaults) and of Somontano in particular. The mouldings follow the style of the tower in Pertusa, the interior plasterwork is similar to that in Barbastro cathedral, the door imitates the model of the church in Lascellas and the small turrets on the bell tower (from where the storms were “conjured away”) are replicas of the tower in Castejón del Puente.

There is a spring well on the outskirts of the village as well as a chapel dedicated to San Ramón.

The wine producing tradition of this area has endured in the shape of Bodega Osca. Its facilities combine modern production methods with historic buildings, such as underground cellars dating back to the 16th century, where high quality wines are left to rest and mature.

 

  • Ponzano 1
  • Ponzano 2
  • Ponzano 3
  • Ponzano 4
  • Ponzano 5
  • Ponzano 6
  • Ponzano 7