¿What if we told you that there is an Aragonese village that is not entirely Aragonese? This is the case of Valverde, located right on the border between Aragon and La Rioja. But this limbo does not end there, since, given its geographical position, Valverde is just a few kilometers from Navarre and Castile and León.
If you want to know everything about this bridge village between four autonomous communities, as well as the situations residents face because of these circumstances, this article tells you all about Valverde, a village of 204 inhabitants (INE 2024), technically in the province of Zaragoza, although not exclusively in Aragon.
VALVERDE, THE VILLAGE IN ZARAGOZA THAT BELONGS TO FOUR AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES
Valverde is one of the five districts of Cervera del Río Alhama. Its autonomous-community border runs from La Rioja into Aragon and divides the street of the old railway station in two; in other words, the border itself passes through the village. One side belongs to Cervera, and the other to Tarazona. As soon as you arrive in the municipality, the first unusual feature you will notice is that, given the short distances between the territories, you can pass through four different autonomous communities in less than 15 minutes.
According to historical records, this geographical condition dates back to the former convergence of the kingdoms of Castile, Navarre and Aragon, and the story of the “Mojón de los Tres Reyes” (Three Kings’ Boundary Marker). The story says that monarchs Alfonso VII (Castile), Sancho the Strong (Navarre) and Alfonso II the Chaste (Aragon) used Valverde as a meeting point where none of them would be outside their own domains, at a time when Navarre also controlled part of Valverde.
Valverde is one of the five districts of Cervera del Río Alhama
In fact, the village is said to have been the setting for a triangular table where each monarch ate while seated in his own kingdom. This curiosity alone makes the village in this limbo worth visiting. Of course, its Church of Our Lady of the Rosary is also a tourist attraction.
However, not everything is as it seems, since this village in Zaragoza faces several difficulties because of its unusual situation.
MOST RESIDENTS ARE REGISTERED IN LA RIOJA
To begin with, most of the village’s inhabitants are registered in La Rioja, which means the municipality is considered predominantly Riojan. As a result, the vast majority of the locality’s essential services are located on the Rioja side, almost all of them along the main road.
The road connecting Pamplona and Madrid, the main transport route serving the village, leaves the Aragonese part of Valverde, with barely 20 residents, “annexed” and with hardly any resources. As the village’s residents explain, everything essential is in La Rioja, from schools and garbage collection to the church and swimming pools.
In terms of healthcare, half of Valverde’s residents on the La Rioja side must go to hospitals in Calahorra or Logroño, while Aragonese residents registered in Tarazona have to be treated at Zaragoza Provincial Hospital.
Interestingly, during the pandemic, Aragonese residents had to travel along a road belonging to Castile and León to shop in Tarazona, something that was not permitted. Faced with this situation, residents from the Rioja side crossed the border to shop from their Aragonese neighbors.
HOW TO GET TO VALVERDE
Now that you know where Valverde is and about its unusual geographical position between La Rioja and Aragon, here is how to reach this village in Zaragoza if you are planning to visit it in the near future.
From Zaragoza
Given Valverde’s unique sociogeographical circumstances, the best option for traveling from Zaragoza is by car, taking the AP-68 on a journey of approximately one hour and 15 minutes. From La Rioja, this is also the route to take from Logroño, bringing you to Valverde in about one hour.
From Huesca
In the province of Huesca, traveling by car is also the most affordable option. You can take the A-23, continue onto the AP-68 toward Corella and finally reach Valverde in a journey of nearly two hours.
From Teruel
Once again, from Teruel, traveling by car is also the most advisable option. You can take the A-222 and then continue along the AP-68 to Corella, arriving in Valverde after an approximate journey of two hours and 45 minutes.
Despite the challenges facing the village of Valverde, it is important to focus on the positive. Its limbo status gives it a position as a symbol of connection, wealth, cultures and histories. Visiting Valverde means discovering a unique corner of Spain that continues to showcase the potential and heritage that villages—at least partly Aragonese in this case—have to share with the world. Visit Valverde and stroll through the link it represents for these four communities!
