The Maestrazgo region, in recent years, has seen how new and colorful murals adorn some of the walls of the villages.

One of the strongest bets has been made by Allepuz which, linked to the Festival against Depopulation, since 2021 every year decorates its village with a new mural.

The first of the Allepuz murals was done in 2021 and was painted by Elisa Gómez(@nylon_silvestre), an artist from Aliaga (Teruel). The mural is located on the wall of the school and is a tribute to the rural school with the slogan “Open school, living village”. The mural highlights the quality of the education system in the rural world, with a very close relationship with the students that other centers do not have.

The second year was done by Tania Traver(@taniatraver_art), from Culla (Castellón). It was painted in autumn, so its colors are yellow, red, green and orange. The mural reflects a fusion between a witch and mother nature, which is no coincidence, since the people of Allepuz are known as “witches”. In the mural, in addition to this, also appears the village ratchet, mushrooms, children picking spoons in summer and a small tribute to the masovero world through the shepherds with sheep in the valley of Sollavientos.

The third one is from 2023, made by Ana Repullo Vique (@annarepullovique), from a village in Menorca. The mural she made is based on a real photo from the 40s and 50s, in the Mas Quemao farmhouse, at the entrance of the Sollavientos valley. It portrays a summer day where the owner of the farmhouse is with his son, and the children of those who take care of the building during the rest of the year.

The one for 2024 was made by Hugo Casanova (@hugo.elhugo). It has contrasted a lot of color, in order to pay homage to the festivals of yesteryear. The mural reflects the festivities that have been held in the municipality since many years ago, where people went to the countryside to celebrate with guitars while making paellas. We could call it “A day in the country”.

The last three murals share a wall next to or facing the road and have contributed to bring life and color to a space that was once too gray.

Mirambel also has a mural, but you will not see it when you walk through the streets, because, to respect the careful environment of the municipality, it was made inside the pavilion, occupying the entire front. This mural is a tribute to Ken Loach and the film “Land and Freedom” shot in the town. The mural was made in 2019, when the director visited the town again, in the tribute that was made on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the shooting of the film. The mural was made by @rocblackblock and its main feature is that it is made with a range of “brown”, ochre and toasted colors. The mural depicts the director, on one side, and on the other, Mirambel in the background and the militiamen who were the image of the film in front.

In La Cuba we have another mural that gives life to the large wall outside the swimming pools. It was executed by Lolo (@quepintoaqui), a young man from Fuentes Claras, in 2022. This painting wanted to reflect something representative of the village, such as the work of esparto grass in the houses of the village; it shows the interior of a house seen from the outside, where a man and a woman are shown doing housework by the light of the fire. In addition, there is also the presence of ardachos, a nickname given to people from the municipality.

Tronchón has a mural by Elena del Castillo(@elenacastilloilustraciones), created in May 2022. This mural in favor of gender equality was created thanks to the initiative of the Provincial Council of Teruel in collaboration with the Aragonese Institute of Youth. The mural depicts different women of different age, culture and era helping each other. The mural is working under the slogan “Tronchón x la igualdad” and is located on a wall next to the municipal pavilion.

Finally, we show you the mural executed in Castellote by Yasmina Oliveros (@yasmina_oliveros), from Alcorisa, and Hugo Saliente(@piniacolada), from Perales del Alfambra. Both artists gave shape to this mural through a collage of old photos of the town taken between 1956 and 1970. The print pays tribute to rural women and recognizes their contributions to the village. It was financed with funds from the State Pact against gender violence of the Ministry of Equality of the Government of Spain. The photos on which the mural is based were obtained thanks to Sonia Olmedo, granddaughter of Rodolfo Bellés, a local photographer. She has been digitizing her grandfather’s archive since 2018.

We hope that knowing these murals is one more reason to encourage you to visit the Maestrazgo. Through these works of art our territory and its inhabitants are represented in one way or another.