- Not to be confused with Zagora.
Zaragoza |
Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and the Ebro River |
Flag |
Coat of arms |
|
Location of Zaragoza within Spain
|
Coordinates: 41°39′N 0°53′W / 41.65°N 0.883°W / 41.65; -0.883Coordinates: 41°39′N 0°53′W / 41.65°N 0.883°W / 41.65; -0.883 |
Country |
Spain |
Autonomous community |
Aragón |
Province |
Zaragoza |
Comarca |
Zaragoza |
Districts |
Actur, Casco Antinguo, Centro, Delicias, Universidad, San José, Las Fuentes, La Almozara, Oliver-Valdefierro, Torrero-La Paz, Margen Izquierda, Barrios Rurales Norte, Barrios Rurales Oeste |
Government |
• Type |
Mayor-council |
• Body |
Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza |
• Mayor |
Juan Alberto Belloch (PSOE) |
Area |
• Total |
1,062.64 km2 (410.29 sq mi) |
Elevation |
199 m (653 ft) |
Population (1 January 2010)INE |
• Total |
701,090 |
• Density |
660/km2 (1,700/sq mi) |
Demonym |
zaragozano (m), zaragozana (f) |
Time zone |
CET (GMT +1) |
• Summer (DST) |
CEST (GMT +2) (UTC) |
Postcode |
50001 - 50018 |
ISO 3166-2 |
ES-Z |
Website |
http://www.zaragoza.es/ |
Zaragoza (Spanish pronunciation: [θaɾaˈɣoθa]), also called Saragossa in English,[1] is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is situated on the Ebro river and its tributaries, the Huerva and the Gállego, near the centre of the region, in a valley with a variety of landscapes, ranging from desert (Los Monegros) to thick forest, meadows and mountains.
On 1 September 2010 the population of the city of Zaragoza was 701,090,[2] within its administrative limits on a land area of 1,062.64 km2 (410.29 sq mi), ranking fifth in Spain. It is the 35th most populous municipality in the European Union. The population of the metropolitan area was estimated in 2006 at 783,763 inhabitants. The municipality is home to more than 50 percent of the Aragonese population. The city lies at an elevation of 199 metres.
Zaragoza hosted Expo 2008 in the summer of 2008, a world's fair on water and sustainable development. It was also candidate for the European Capital of Culture in 2016.
The city is famous for its folklore, a renowned local gastronomy, and landmarks such as the Basílica del Pilar, La Seo Cathedral and the Aljafería Palace. Together with La Seo and the Aljafería, several other buildings form part of the Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Fiestas del Pilar are among the most celebrated festivals in Spain.
The Sedetani, a tribe of ancient Iberians, populated a village called Salduie, Salduba in Roman sources. Later on, Augustus founded there a city called Caesaraugusta to settle army veterans from the Cantabrian wars. The foundation date of Caesaraugusta has not been set with total precision, though it is known to lie between 25 BC and 12 BC. The city did not suffer any decline during the last centuries of the Roman empire and was captured peacefully by the Goths in the 5th century.
In 714 the Berbers and Arabs took control of the city, renaming it Saraqusta (سرقسطة). It later became part of the Emirate of Cordoba. It grew to become the biggest Muslim controlled city of Northern Spain and as the main city of the Emirate's Upper March, Zaragoza was a hotbed of political intrigue. In 777 Charlemagne was invited by Husayn, the Wali (governor) of Zaragoza, to take the submission of the city but having marched an army to the city gates he found Husayn to have had a change of heart and was forced to give up after a month-long siege of the city, facing Basque attacks on his rear guard on his withdrawal. Four years later Emir Abd ar-Rahman I sent an army to reestablish firm control over the city. Husayn's family rebelled again in 788, and the head of the Banu Qasi was killed trying to put down the insurrection. Subsequent rebellions were launched there by Matruh al-Arabi (789), Bahlul Ibn Marzuq (798) and Amrus ibn Yusuf (802), who reached an accord with the Emir and retained control of the city. In 852, control of the city was awarded to Musa ibn Musa of the Banu Qasi, but following a defeat at Christian hands in 861 he was deprived of the city by the Emir, only for it to be retaken by his son Isma'il a decade later. Muhammad ibn Lubb ibn Qasi rebelled against the Emir in 884, and according to chronicler Ibn Hayyan he sold Zaragoza to Raymond of Pallars, but it was immediately retaken by the Emir and in 886 was given to the Banu Tujibi. In spite of a 17-year siege by the Banu Qasi, the Banu Tujibi continued to hold the city, growing in power and autonomy, until in 1018 they broke from Cordoban control and founded an independent Taifa state.
From 1018 to 1118 Zaragoza was one of the taifa kingdoms, independent Muslim states which emerged in the eleventh century following the destruction of the Cordoban Caliphate. During the first three decades of this period, 1018–1038, the city was ruled by the Banu Tujibi. In 1038 they were replaced by the Banu Hud, who had to deal with a complicated alliance with El Cid of Valencia and his Castilian masters against the Almoravids, who managed to bring the Taifas Emirates under their control. After the death of El Cid his kingdom was overrun by the Almoravids, who, by 1100, had managed to cross the Ebro into Barbastro, which brought Aragon into direct contact with them. The Banu Hud stubbornly resisted the Almoravids and ruled until they were eventually defeated by them in May 1110.
The last sultan of the Banu Hud, Abd-al-Malik Imad ad-Dawla, the last king of Zaragoza, forced to abandon his capital, allied himself with the Christian Aragonese under Alfonso the Battler and from that time the Muslims of Zaragoza became military regulars within the Aragonese forces.
In 1118 the Aragonese conquered the city from the Almoravids and made it the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. After Alfonso's death without heirs in 1134, Zaragoza was swiftly occupied by Alfonso VII of León and Castile, who vacated it in 1137 only on condition it be held by Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona as a fief of Castile.
Assault of the French army at Santa Engracia Monastery on 8 February 1809 during the
Peninsular War.
Zaragoza was the scene of two controversial martyrdoms related with the Spanish Inquisition: those of Saint Dominguito del Val, a choirboy in the basilica, and Pedro de Arbués, head official of the inquisition. While the reality of the existence of Saint Dominguito del Val is questioned, his "murder" at the hands of "jealous Jews" was used as an excuse to murder or convert the Jewish population of Zaragoza.[3]
Zaragoza suffered two famous sieges during the Peninsular War against the Napoleonic army: a first from June to August 1808; and a second from December 1808 to February 1809 (see Agustina de Aragón, Siege of Saragossa (1809)), surrendering only after some 50,000 defenders had died.[4]
Despite a decline in the outlying rural economy, Zaragoza has continued to grow. During the second half of the 20th century, its population boomed as a number of factories opened in the region. In 1979 the Hotel Corona de Aragón fire killed at least 80. The armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization ETA from northern Spain has been blamed, but officially the fire is still regarded as accidental. ETA carried out the 1987 Zaragoza Barracks bombing in the city which killed eleven people, including a number of children, leading to 250,000 people taking part in demonstrations in the city.
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bar:1970 text:"1971"
bar:1981 text:"1981"
bar:1991 text:"1991"
bar:1994 text:"1994"
bar:1996 text:"1996"
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bar:1950 color:brightblue from:0 till:264
bar:1960 color:brightblue from:0 till:326
bar:1970 color:brightblue from:0 till:480
bar:1981 color:brightblue from:0 till:591
bar:1991 color:brightblue from:0 till:594
bar:1994 color:brightblue from:0 till:607
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bar:2001 color:brightblue from:0 till:611
bar:2004 color:brightblue from:0 till:639
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bar:2008 color:brightblue from:0 till:682
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Historical population of Zaragoza
Year |
1991 |
1996 |
2001 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2008 |
Population |
594 394 |
601 674 |
610 976 |
638 799 |
647 373 |
660 895 |
682 283 |
Zaragoza climate chart (Airport)
Zaragoza has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), as it lies in a wide basin entirely surrounded by mountains, but shows characteristics of a Continental Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) such as drier summers and winters, and wetter springs and autumns. The average precipitation is a scanty 310 mm with abundant sunny days, and the rainfall centers in spring. There is drought in summer. The temperatures are high in summer reaching up to 40 °C (104 °F).
In winter the temperatures are low (usually 0 to 10 °C) either because of the fog (about 20 days from November to January) or a cold and dry wind blowing from the NW, the Cierzo (related to other northerly winds such as the Mistral in the SE of France) on clear days. Frost is common and there is sporadic snowfall.
Climate data for Zaragoza |
Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
Average high °C (°F) |
10.3
(50.5) |
13.3
(55.9) |
16.6
(61.9) |
18.7
(65.7) |
23.2
(73.8) |
27.7
(81.9) |
31.5
(88.7) |
31.0
(87.8) |
26.7
(80.1) |
20.7
(69.3) |
14.3
(57.7) |
10.7
(51.3) |
20.4
(68.7) |
Daily mean °C (°F) |
6.4
(43.5) |
8.4
(47.1) |
10.9
(51.6) |
13.0
(55.4) |
17.2
(63.0) |
21.3
(70.3) |
24.5
(76.1) |
24.4
(75.9) |
20.7
(69.3) |
15.5
(59.9) |
10.0
(50.0) |
7.1
(44.8) |
15.0
(59.0) |
Average low °C (°F) |
2.4
(36.3) |
3.5
(38.3) |
5.2
(41.4) |
7.4
(45.3) |
11.2
(52.2) |
14.8
(58.6) |
17.6
(63.7) |
17.8
(64.0) |
14.7
(58.5) |
10.3
(50.5) |
5.8
(42.4) |
3.5
(38.3) |
9.5
(49.1) |
Precipitation mm (inches) |
22
(0.87) |
20
(0.79) |
20
(0.79) |
35
(1.38) |
44
(1.73) |
31
(1.22) |
18
(0.71) |
17
(0.67) |
27
(1.06) |
30
(1.18) |
30
(1.18) |
23
(0.91) |
318
(12.52) |
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
50 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours |
133 |
165 |
210 |
221 |
263 |
295 |
337 |
311 |
231 |
192 |
148 |
116 |
2,614 |
Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[5] |
In addition to the advantageous geographic situation, an Opel factory was opened in 1982 in Figueruelas, a small village nearby. The progressive decline of the agrarian economy turned Opel into one of the main pillars of the regional economy, along with Balay, which manufactures household appliances; CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A.), which builds railway engines for both the national and international markets; SAICA and Torraspapel in the stationery sector; and various other local companies, such as Pikolin, Lacasa and Imaginarium SA.
The city's economy benefited from projects like the Expo 2008 (the official World's Fair, with the theme of water and sustainable development, held between 14 June and 14 September 2008), Plataforma Logística de Zaragoza (PLAZA), Parque Tecnológico de Reciclado (PTR), as well as being on the route of the AVE high-speed rail route since December 2003, which consolidates the city role as a communications hub. Currently, Zaragoza's Airport is a major cargo hub in the Iberian Peninsula, only behind Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon.
Zaragoza is home to a Spanish Air Force base, which was (until 1994) shared with the U.S. Air Force.[6] In English, the base was known as Zaragoza Air Base. The Spanish Air Force maintained an F/A-18 Hornet wing at the base. No American flying wings (with the exception of a few KC-135's) were permanently based there, but it served as a training base for American fighter squadrons across Europe. It is also the main headquarters for the Spanish Land Army, hosting the Academia General Militar, a number of brigades at San Gregorio, and other garrisons.
Zaragoza is linked by legend to the beginnings of Christianity in Spain. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously to Saint James the Great in the first century, standing on a pillar. This legend is commemorated by a famous Catholic basilica called Nuestra Señora del Pilar ("Our Lady of the Pillar").
The event, called "Las Fiestas del Pilar", is celebrated on October 12th, which is a major festival day in Zaragoza. Since it coincided in 1492 with the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, that day is also celebrated as El Día de la Hispanidad (Columbus Day, literally Hispanic Day) by Spanish-speaking people worldwide.
"El Pilar" lasts for nine days, with all kinds of activities: from the massively attended Pregon (opening speech) to the final fireworks display over the Ebro, there are bands, dances, procession of gigantes y cabezudos (carnival figures made of papier mache), concerts, exhibitions, the famous "vaquillas" bulls and the bull festival. Some of the most important features are the Ofrenda de Flores (Flower offering) to the virgin on the 12th, when an enormous cloak is made of the flowers
Education in Aragon starts when children are 6 years old at Primary School. From 11 to 16 pupils have to go to Secondary School (E.S.O or "Educacion Secundaria Obligatoria). These two periods are compulsory for all students. After that, those who wish to continue their studies can take "Bachillerato". This is the last stage before going to the university. "Bachillerato" lasts two years in which you can choose subjects to prepare for the course of your choice at University. There are four options to take: sciences (chemistry, biology,...), technology (physics, technical design), social sciencies (economy and maths) or Greek and Latin and arts (music, drawing, dance...)
When students finish "Bachillerato", they have to do global exams in order to get a good mark to enter university. This set of exams is called P.A.U. ("Prueba de acceso a la universidad").
The University of Zaragoza is based in the city. As one of the oldest universities in Spain and a major research and development centre, this public university awards all the highest academic degrees in dozens of fields. Zaragoza is also home to the MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program, a unique partnership between MIT, the Government of Aragon and the University of Zaragoza.
There is also a private university, Universidad San Jorge, which is located in Villanueva de Gállego, 14 km to the north.
The city is connected by motorway with the main cities in central and northern Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao, all of which are located about 300 kilometres (200 miles) from Zaragoza.
Zaragoza Airport is a small commercial airport. It also is the home of the Spanish Air Force 15th Group, as well as was used by NASA as a contingency landing site for the Space Shuttle in the case of a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL).
Zaragoza is also connected to the Spanish High Speed railway (Renfe's AVE), by the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed rail line. Madrid is reachable in 1 hour 15 minutes, and Barcelona in approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. The central station is "Intermodal Zaragoza Delicias Station", which serves both railway lines and coaches. In addition to long distance railway lines and the high speed train, Zaragoza has a network of commuter trains (Renfe's cercanías).
The city has a network of buses which is controlled by TUZSA[7] (Urban Transport Company of Zaragoza). The network consists of 31 regular lines (2 of them circle lines), 2 scheduled routes, 6 shuttle buses(1 free), and 7 free night buses operating on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
There is also an interurban bus network operated by CTAZ[8] (Transport Consortium Zaragoza Area) with 17 regular lines.
The first line of the Zaragoza tram (Valdespartera-Parque Goya) is fully operational along the first phase from Valdespartera to Plaza Paraíso. Construction of the second phase (Plaza Paraíso-Parque Goya) began on 19th July 2011 and the works are scheduled to be finished in 18 months, followed by a 3-month trial period.
Around the city, cycle lanes facilitate easy two wheeled travel around the city and cyclists can thus avoid conflict with pedestrians and the dangers of motor vehicles, as well as the obvious advantages of improving fitnes and helping to reduce pollution. Furthermore, the city council has a public bicycle hire scheme. In return for a small annual charge, you can collect a bicycle from one hire point in the street and ride to another part of the city and leave the bike at a different hire point. Although not without a few drawbacks, by using a hired cycle, you can make sure your own bike is not stolen if you leave it in the street!
Torre del Agua in the
Luis Buñuel Metropolitan Water Park, at the Expo 2008 site.
Zaragoza's football team, Real Zaragoza, plays in the Primera División. One of the most remarkable events in the team's recent history is the winning of the former UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1995. The team has also won the Spanish National Cup "Copa del Rey" six times: 1965, 1966, 1986, 1994, 2001 and 2004 and an Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1964).
Zaragoza's handball team, BM Aragón, plays in the Liga ASOBAL.
Their local basketball team, Basket Zaragoza 2002, is now on the Liga ACB. They play at the Príncipe Felipe with a capacity of 11,000 and their head coach is José Luis Abós and Basket Zaragoza plays in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto.
Zaragoza was strongly associated with Jaca in its failed bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
A permanent feature built for Expo 2008 is the pump-powered artificial whitewater course "El Canal de Aguas Bravas."
Zaragoza has a lot of facilities to practice sports, you can swim, play soccer, basketball, tennis, etc. for a low price. You can also enjoy other outside sports such as cycling because there a lot of bicycle routes by the river.
Pavilion of Aragon in the Expo 2008.
Santa María Magdalena church.
Near the basilica on the banks of the Ebro are located the city hall, the Lonja (old currency exchange), La Seo (literally "the See" in the Aragonese language) or Cathedral of San Salvador, a magnificent church built over the main mosque (partially preserved in the 11th-century north wall of the Parroquieta), with Romanesque apses from 12th century; inside, the imposing hallenkirche from the 15th to 16th centuries, the Baroque tower, and finally, with its famous Museum of Tapestries near the Roman ruins of forum and port city wall.
Some distance from the centre of the old city is the Moorish castle (or palace) Aljafería, the most important Moorish buildings in northern Spain and the setting for Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore (The Troubadour). The Aragonese parliament currently sits in the building.
The churches of San Pablo, Santa María Magdalena and San Gil Abad were built in 14th century, but the towers may be old minarets dating from the 11th century; San Miguel (14th century); Santiago (San Ildefonso) and the Fecetas monastery are Baroque with Mudéjar ceilings of the 17th century. All the churches are Mudéjar monuments that comprise a World Heritage Site.
Other important sights are the stately houses and magnificent palaces in the city, mainly of the 16th century: palaces of the count of Morata or Luna (Audiencia), Deán, Torrero (colegio de Arquitectos), Don Lope or Real Maestranza, count of Sástago, count of Argillo (today the Pablo Gargallo museum), archbishop, etc.
The most important Zaragoza museums are the Museum of Fine Arts, with paintings by early Aragonese artists, 15th century, and by El Greco, Ribera and Goya, and the Camón Aznar Museum, with paintings ranging from Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Velazquez and Goya to Renoir, Manet and Sorolla.
On 14 June 2008, the site of Expo 2008 opened its doors to the public. The exhibition ran until 14 September.
- Puente de Piedra
- San Ildefonso church
- Santa Engracia Monastery
- San Nicolás de Bari church
- Palacio de Larrinaga
- Santo Tomás de Aquino church
- San Agustín Convent
- Church of Santa Isabel de Portugal
- Casa Solans
- Palacio de los Luna
- Arch of Deán
- Arguillo Palace
- Casino mercantil
- Bullring
- The Giants of Zaragoza
- Jose Antonio Labordeta Park
- San José Bajo Arena
- Casa Rivero Lahoz
- "Quique" Stadium (Home of El Salvador Football Club)
The following are Sister cities of Zaragoza:[9]
- Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
- Skopje, Macedonia[10]
- Biarritz, Aquitaine (Basque Country), France
- Móstoles, Community of Madrid, Spain
- Bethlehem, Palestinian Authority[11][12][13]
- León, Nicaragua
- La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
- Zaragoza, Guatemala
- Tijuana, Baja California Mexico
- Ponce, Puerto Rico, United States
- Coimbra, Portugal[14]
- Zamboanga City, Philippines
- Kyoto, Japan
- Tirana, Albania[15][16]
- La Paz, Bolivia
- Cúcuta, Colombia
- Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, France
- Barnaul, Altai Krai, Russia
- Dalian, Liaoning China
- Yulin, Guangxi China
- Mdina, Malta
- Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
- Notes
Articles Relating to Zaragoza
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