Some 40km/25mi west of Teruel, in the Sierra de Albarracín, lies the little town of Albarracín (alt. 1,182m/3,878ft), situated on the slopes above the Río Guadalaviar. In the 11th century Albarracín was a petty Moorish kingdom; later it became an independent territory held by the Azagra family; and at the beginning of the 14th century it was
incorporated in Aragon. The whole town, with its picturesque narrow streets and circuit of walls, is now protected as a national monument. Something of the atmosphere of the Middle Ages still lingers in the town, particularly around the Plaza Mayor. The fine Cathedral (13th-16th centuries) contains a museum, housed in the sacristy and chapterhouse, the most valuable items in which are 16th century Brussels tapestries.