Spain is once again discussing the fate of its small villages: this time, the spotlight is on an incident from Teruel, where the head of a village with just 18 residents made an unusual move to save the local church. The situation highlights the pressing issue of preserving cultural landmarks in regions where the population is shrinking rapidly and resources for restoring infrastructure are almost nonexistent.
The mayor of Jabaloyas grew tired of waiting for a response from regional and national authorities. After numerous appeals and failed attempts to secure help for the dilapidated church, he set out for the Vatican. On the day of a public audience, weaving through crowds of pilgrims, he came face to face with Pope León XIV to personally explain the dire state of the church.
A fight for the church
The meeting with the pontiff became a turning point: soon after, experts from the Teruel diocese arrived in the village to assess the building’s condition. In a short span, they visited the church three times: first to inspect it, then to seal off hazardous areas, and finally to reinforce the choir. The Iglesia de la Asunción, built in the 15th–16th centuries, is regarded as the pride of Jabaloyas and a unique example of a defensive church in Aragón. But today, the building is deteriorating: cracks run through the columns, the floors are rotting, the vault is crumbling, and dampness is destroying the walls.
The bell tower, reinforced with metal beams, stands as a reminder of the constant threat of collapse. Inside, the passage of time is visible: a device for measuring cracks near the entrance records new shifts every year. The mayor has repeatedly tried to acquire rights to the church in order to access subsidies, but has faced bureaucratic obstacles. Even the proposal to temporarily take the church onto the municipal balance sheet did not change the situation.
Life on the verge of extinction
Jabaloyas is located in the mountains of Sierra de Albarracín, where the population density does not exceed four people per square kilometer. The entire province of Teruel is among the least populated regions in Europe. Public transportation comes here only once a week, and access to medical care or a priest’s visit requires special arrangements. Under these conditions, every resident becomes a guardian of history and tradition.
The mayor is actively fighting for the future of the village: he managed to get fiber-optic internet connected, opened a coworking space, organizes sports and cultural events, and promotes Jabaloyas in tourist routes. However, the system for distributing government subsidies often remains inaccessible to such villages: requirements for deadlines, financing, and documentation are nearly impossible to meet for small municipalities.
Focus on rural Spain
Yabaloyas’ story is not an isolated case. In Spain, there is a growing interest in the issues facing small towns, where residents are forced to get creative to prevent their communities from disappearing. As El Pais reports, such initiatives are becoming increasingly visible amid demographic decline and urbanization. A recent feature by RUSSPAIN.COM provided an in-depth look at why residents of rural areas support change and new political movements — how new leaders are gaining trust in small towns.
In response to the appeal from Yabaloyas’ mayor, the diocese promised to draft a restoration project with the involvement of architects. However, even such measures do not guarantee a quick resolution: over four years, the crack measuring device recorded a shift of only 1.25 mm, but for local residents this is a matter of preserving their cultural heritage.
In recent years, cases have increased in Spain when residents of small villages independently draw attention to their problems. In the provinces of Castilla y León, Galicia, and Aragón, activists organize campaigns to save historic buildings, host festivals, and attract tourists. In some regions, such initiatives have already led to an increase in visitors and the creation of new jobs. However, most small towns still face a lack of funding and difficulties in receiving government support.
