The Endesa Foundation, the owner until now, and the Mequinenza City Council have formalized the sale of the property and the adjoining lands.
The Mequinenza Town Council has formalized the acquisition of the town's castle, a historic milestone that will strengthen heritage protection and usher in a new era focused on boosting tourism and generating future opportunities for both the municipality and its surrounding area. The iconic monument, whose origins date back to a Muslim fortification built by the Berber tribe of the Miknasa, who gave the town its name, is now municipal property for the first time, reinforcing its role as a collective symbol.
The signing ceremony, held in the Chapter Room of the fortification, was attended by the Mayor of Mequinenza, Antonio Sanjuán, and the Regional Director of Endesa in Aragon, Ignacio Montaner, the Deputy for Institutional Relations of the Provincial Council of Zaragoza, Alfredo Zaldivar, along with the municipal council, authorities, and representatives of local associations, who witnessed this historic moment. Nuria Puebla, Secretary-Auditor of the Mequinenza Town Hall, acted as notary. During the ceremony, Javier Rodes, Coordinator of the Museums of Mequinenza, reviewed the history of the site, while Juan Ignacio Pérez, a tourism consultant, spoke about the future opportunities that arise following the acquisition.
Antonio Sanjuán affirmed that “Mequinenza is experiencing a historic day in which a long-held dream, shared by generations, has become a reality,” and emphasized the support of the Endesa Foundation, “to whom we are grateful for their role in the conservation and in this decisive step we have taken.” He also noted that Mequinenza Castle, more than just a symbol of the municipality, “is part of our identity and an opportunity for the future that we embrace with the commitment to care for it, open it up, and fill it with life, projecting it as an engine of development for the town.”
For his part, Ignacio Montaner noted that “today we share a special moment in Endesa’s relationship with Mequinenza and Aragon,” emphasizing that the transfer of the Castle to the City Council “reflects our understanding of our connection to the region.” He also underscored that for years the Endesa Foundation “has cared for and preserved this historic site with the conviction that heritage should serve the community, respecting its identity and symbolic value.”
This operation, which involves an investment of 1,9 million euros, will allow the council to fully integrate the Castle into its local development strategy, with the aim of enhancing its value as a key tourist resource and generating new opportunities linked to heritage, culture and the territory, reinforcing and expanding the current offer, beyond its emotional and symbolic value, also generating an impact on neighboring towns.
The City Council is committed to a model based on quality tourism, complementary to the fishing sector, in which the Castle acts as a driving force that boosts the activity of the hospitality industry and local commerce, as well as the implementation of other initiatives that position Mequinenza as a tourist benchmark in Aragon, taking advantage in a pioneering way of the potential of the confluence of the Cinca, Segre and Ebro rivers, the bodies of water that form the reservoirs of Riba-roja and Mequinenza and its rich natural environment, in the same way that other territories have been able to develop successful models around resources such as snow.
Furthermore, public ownership of the Castle will guarantee its social and cultural use, facilitating public access and its use for educational, cultural, and community activities, integrating local associations into its development. In the short term, measures such as extended visiting hours and shifts will be implemented to meet the growing demand. In the medium and long term, other measures will be added through a Master Plan, which is currently being developed and whose development and implementation have already been confirmed by both the Government of Aragon and the Provincial Council of Zaragoza (DPZ).
Thus, the acquisition reflects the municipal commitment to ensuring the direct management of this strategic space, guaranteeing its public use and its alignment with the needs and expectations of the population. With this step, Mequinenza Castle becomes the property of its residents, consolidating its position as a key element in the town's future development and contributing to population retention, especially among young people, by generating new job opportunities and personal development opportunities linked to the area.
Mequinenza Castle
Mequinenza Castle has an irregular shape and is reinforced with several towers around its perimeter. It stands on a spur at a height of approximately 230 meters, offering a privileged view of the Aiguabarreig, the confluence of the Ebro, Segre, and Cinca rivers, and of the old and current town of Mequinenza. Inside, the rooms are arranged around a central courtyard with a cistern, and on the hillside, remnants of ancient walls that once protected both the fortress and the town are still preserved.
Its origins date back to a Muslim fortification built by the Berber tribe of the Miknasa, who gave the town its name. After the Christian reconquest, it passed into the hands of the Moncada family, who expanded it between the 14th and 15th centuries. Throughout its history, the Castle was the scene of numerous wars and battles and adapted to new forms of warfare. Its resistance during the Napoleonic siege of 1810 stands out, earning Mequinenza a place on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It also played a prominent role in the Carlist Wars and witnessed the Battle of the Ebro during the Spanish Civil War. In 1958, the company ENHER acquired the castle and restored it under the direction of the architect Adolf Florensa.
In 2006 it was declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC).
