Parish church of Santa María la Mayor

The parish church of Mazaleón, dedicated to Santa María la Mayor, displays a blend of architectural styles that reflect the various extensions and modifications carried out throughout its history. The original construction dates from the mid-14th century and consisted of a single nave, the polygonal apse with a ribbed vault of seven ribs, and the three bays of the central nave with a simple ribbed vault, following the Gothic style typical of the period in the comarca. This first building was under the jurisdiction of the archbishopric of Zaragoza, whose incumbent was the Lord of the town.

In the 15th century a defensive tower was added adjoining the apse, which is still preserved, and another tower was possibly also built on the façade, of which a corbel can be seen. In the 16th century the church was extended with the construction of the Epistle nave, and the façade was reformed, which included the construction of a bell gable at the top and the superimposition of a Renaissance portal over the original Gothic-style one. In the 18th century, a further extension was carried out with the construction of the Gospel nave in Baroque style.

It is quite unusual to find a church reformed in the 18th century that has no altarpiece. This is due to what happened during the Spanish Civil War, at which point the parish church of Santa María la Mayor was dismantled, and all the altarpieces and the statuary housed inside were destroyed.

In addition, the anarcho-syndicalist collectivisation used it as a social centre: café, place for assemblies, for trials... To this end, a door and two windows were opened in the 18th-century nave, and another in the apse that connected to the terrace of the Abbey house.

These successive transformations and architectural styles make the church of Santa María la Mayor in Mazaleón a building that reflects the evolution of religious architecture over the centuries in the region.

In 2005, this building was recognised and catalogued as a Bien Catalogado, meaning it was granted a protected status and its historical and architectural importance in the region was acknowledged. This recognition reflects the appreciation of its history and architecture over time and its significance to the local community.