Love of legend: the lovers of Teruel

The legend of the lovers of Teruel has been heard on many occasions. There is even a saying that refers to them ‘She is stupid, he is stupid‘. However, For many people it is an unknown legend.

The story of these illustrious lovers, called Isabel de Segura and Juan Diego de Marcilla, It dates back to the 13th century in the town of Teruel. Legend has it that the young people knew each other since they were children. They played and had fun together until they grew up and… fell blindly in love.

She is the only daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Teruel, the Seguras. He, the second of the Marcilla that, although it was also a noble family, as stipulated at the time at that time, being the second of the brothers did not allow you to inherit more than a horse, so Diego was not going to have any fortune to offer Isabel.

The lovers of Teruel

The young people from Teruel were in love, but their love could not be consolidated since, in the eyes of the Segura family, He was not a good match for his beautiful daughter, as a result of lack of money.

Diegoupon hearing that he was only denied the hand of his beloved due to his lack of wealth, he promised that He would go to war to make his fortune and would return in five years to marry his beloved Isabel.

Before leaving, The young people from Teruel promised to keep the promise and wait for each other during those five years. Everyone believed that it was an impossible love, but Diego, convinced of his feat, would go to war in search of the necessary fortune that would allow him to marry Isabel.

During the course of those five years, Isabel had to deal with possible suitors presented to her by her family and make excuses that would allow her to continue fulfilling her part of the bargain while counting each passing day. For his part, Diego, was in different battles that allowed him to achieve what she had been looking for: fortune.

Isabel’s father began to bother and tell his daughter that she had to get married. Time passed and the five years were getting closer. to be fulfilled and Isabel, did not know anything about her lover, so she believed that he had died.

With great sadness, Isabel ended up agreeing to her father’s request and finally agreed to get married. with a nobleman much older than her, but with a great fortune, just as her father wanted.

The weddings of Isabel de Segura

Once Isabel believed that Diego had died in the war and accepted the request to marry another, her father quickly organized the wedding. The entire town was celebrating the wedding of the Segura’s daughter on the same day that her five years expired. that had been promised to Diego.

What no one expected is that, in the midst of their celebrations, A group of guerrillas would appear celebrating their victory in the battle. Among them was Diego.

Diego made his triumphant entry to Teruel. She had gotten what she had promised and was beaming with happiness. He was only thinking about meeting her beloved Isabel to give her the great news. It is, then, when he discovered that the celebrations that were taking place in the Villa were the weddings of his beloved herself.

He ran to Isabel’s house and legend has it that she sneaked into her room while she was sleeping with her husband. He woke her up and he asked her for a kiss to help him forget all the deaths he had been seeing during the war. She denied him the kiss since she was already a married woman and she owed loyalty to her husband. Diego begged him again and when he didn’t get it, he died instantly because he felt so much sadness.

Funeral

The next day, Diego’s funeral was held and the entire Villa de Teruel went out to say goodbye to his neighbor at the Torre de San Pedro. The Villa was sad and moved by the death of the young man. They say that there was not enough room for so many people in the Tower.

It is said that, without anyone expecting it, it appeared a young woman whose face was hidden under a cloak. He approached the deceased and after hugging him… gave him a kiss that made him die in the arms of his loved one. It is then that they understood that that kiss was the one denied in life and that she was the Segura daughter, Isabel.

For this reason, Their funerals were held together and it was arranged that they would be buried together holding hands.

Today you can visit their tombs in the Mausoleum of the Lovers of Teruel.

Lovers of Teruel: the Legend made a Party

In the 13th century, this story was understood as a story of sadness and death, but Teruel, its city, prefers to remember it as a love story, trying to take its legend as far as possible.

It is because of that Every October and every February, Teruel is decorated and travels to the 13th century where not only the city dresses up medieval, but all its people participate in the recreation to celebrate its most famous legend to which they put the finishing touch with everyone giving each other a kiss that recreates the love that their loved ones had for each other. illustrious lovers.

There are many who have written about this legend and its party has always tried to be as faithful as possible to the documentation found since much has been written about it throughout history.

Among the illustrious writers who have brought history to life we ​​can find Antonio Serón or the legendary Tirso de Molina. In addition, It has been declared a festival of National Tourist Interest in Spain. A party to make you fall in love.

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