The municipality of Santa Cilia includes the villages of Santa Cilia (administrative centre) and Somanés, as well as a number of scattered farmhouses known as “pardinas” such as Los Fosatos (upper and lower) and Escartin.

The village of Santa Cilia lies in the bottom of the valley on the left bank of the Aragon river. The limits of the municipal area are defined by the surrounding mountains. The Canet mountain to the north has an altitude of 1252m and the Cuculo mountain to the south measures 1552 m. The latter is a spur of the San Juan de la Peña range and the highest point in the municipality.

The origins of Santa Cilia are unclear but it already existed in 1336, date of the Repopulation Charter awarded during the Reconquest. The layout of the village, which has surprised historians due to its arrangement in grid form, could date from this period.

Santa Cilia was founded next to the Santiago Pilgrimage Route and had secular links with San Juan de la Peña, which owned a palace in the village that still exists today. It has a famous bridge over the Aragón river where, until recently, a toll was charged to passing flocks on their way to summer pastures.

The parish church is dedicated to St Cecilia (Santa Cilia in Aragonese) which has interesting frescoes and altarpieces and has recently been restored. The traditional architecture of the village has been largely conserved, in particular its doorways and chimneys.

To the south of Santa Cilia, in the foothills below Cuculo mountain, there is a famous chapel dedicated to the Virgin of the Rock hanging on a rocky outcrop. A yearly pilgrimage takes place there on the 29th of April along a narrow pathway which is almost as spectacular as the position of the chapel itself.

A tarmac road leads from Santa Cilia to Somanés. It is a quiet village with few inhabitants on the slopes of a hill. The main building of interest is the parish church of St Julian and a palace belonging to the noblemen that used to own the village. Nowadays, Santa Cilia is famous for its aerodrome, the only one in the area and a venue for countless air sports exhibitions. To the west of Santa Cilia and next to the main road to Pamplona is the renowned Camping Pirineos, an touristic establishment with an excellent reputation.

Other villages in the municipality: Somanés

Text taken from the Jacetania Area Signposting Plan. 2001-2006