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106-459: Bajo Cinca ( Spanish: [ˈbaxo ˈθiŋka] ) or Baix Cinca ( Catalan: [ˈbaʃ ˈsiŋka] ; Aragonese : Cinca Baxa , [ˈθiŋka ˈβajʃa] ) is a comarca in eastern Aragon , Spain . It is named after river Cinca . This comarca is located in the southeastern corner of the Huesca province . The administrative capital is Fraga , with 13,592 inhabitants the largest town of

212-599: A considerable increase in production due to the modernization of agricultural holdings and the increase of the Mequinenza irrigable area, reaching more than 3,000 hectares. Mequinenza has become a regional engines that leads this sector mainly dedicated to peach, cherry, olive and almond. Industry in Bajo / Baix Cinca is based mainly on industrial activities. The agrobusiness sector has a high percentage of companies, and its prominence in relation to direct and indirect employment

318-593: A first Aiguabarreig between the towns of La Granja d'Escarp, Massalcoreig and Torrente de Cinca, a few kilometers downstream they converge with the waters of the Ebro, already in the municipality of Mequinenza , forming one of the largest river confluences of the entire Iberian Peninsula. Aragon, occupying the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula has served as a bridge between the Mediterranean Sea ,

424-524: A fish whose characteristics have already made it mythical, achieving catches of 250 centimeters and more than one hundred kilograms of weight. Other species such as common carp, pike perch, blackbass or bathrobes can also be found. About 30 sport fishing competitions are held every year in the Mequinenza reservoir. Mequinenza has a race course considered one of the best in Spain for its excellent accessibility, its stable sheet of water and its sports facilities on

530-535: A logo that represents a wind rose on a yellow background and the signature granted by the Government of Aragon. It is about guaranteeing visitors by offering quality standards, something that in the case of Mequinenza is highly valued, a fact that has made the town a benchmark for fishing in Europe and the preferred destination of many international fishermen. The Bajo / Baix Cinca is an area of orchards, where there

636-629: A lot in common with Occitan and Catalan , but also Spanish . The definite article in Aragonese has undergone dialect-related changes, with definite articles in Old Aragonese similar to their present Spanish equivalents. There are two main forms: These forms are used in the eastern and some central dialects. These forms are used in the western and some central dialects. Neighboring Romance languages have influenced Aragonese. Catalan and Occitan influenced Aragonese for many years. Since

742-478: A new law in 2013 (Law 3/2013). [See Languages Acts of Aragon for more information on the subject] Aragonese has many historical traits in common with Catalan. Some are conservative features that are also shared with the Asturleonese languages and Galician–Portuguese , where Spanish innovated in ways that did not spread to nearby languages. Before 2023, Aragonese had three orthographic standards: During

848-611: A new orthographic standard has been published by the Academia Aragonesa de la Lengua . This version is close to the Academia de l'Aragonés orthography, but with the following differences: /kw/ is always spelled ⟨cu⟩, e. g. cuan, cuestión (exception is made for some loanwords: quad, quadrívium, quark, quásar, quáter, quórum ); /ɲ/ is spelled ⟨ny⟩ or ⟨ñ⟩ by personal preference; final ⟨z⟩ is not written as ⟨tz⟩. The marginal phoneme /x/ (only in loanwords, e. g. jabugo )

954-405: A new population. Part of the ancient population of Mequinenza can be visited today because it has become a large outdoor memory park. The original paths of the streets and houses that were above the water level have been recovered from the runes. The old Mequinenza, the "Old Town", is an invitation to walk through the memory of its streets and alleys, to rediscover part of the old Church, to imagine

1060-718: A paradise for biodiversity. Territorially, the Aiguabarreig is at the center of the Middle Depression of the Ebro. It borders to the west with the Monegros, to the east with the Tossals de Montmeneu and Almatret and to the south with the tail of the Ribarroja reservoir. This space is named with Catalan word of origin that designates the place where two or more water streams meet and form one. The Segre and Cinca form

1166-555: A possible field of study for a bachelor's or postgraduate degree in any official capacity, nor is Aragonese used as a medium of instruction. A bachelor's or master's degree may be obtained in Magisterio (teaching) at the University of Zaragoza; however, no specialization in Aragonese language is currently available. As such those who wish to teach Aragonese at the pre-school, primary, or secondary level must already be competent in

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1272-691: A renaissance of Aragonese literature in several dialects. In 1844, Braulio Foz's novel Vida de Pedro Saputo was published in the Almudévar (southern) dialect. The 20th century featured Domingo Miral's costumbrist comedies and Veremundo Méndez Coarasa's poetry, both in Hecho (western) Aragonese; Cleto Torrodellas' poetry and Tonón de Baldomera's popular writings in the Graus (eastern) dialect and Arnal Cavero's costumbrist stories and Juana Coscujuela's novel A Lueca, historia d'una moceta d'o Semontano , also in

1378-614: A rich geopolitical and cultural history from its pre-Roman , Celtic and Roman days, four centuries of Islamic rule as Marca Superior of Al-Andalus or kingdom (or taifa ) of Saraqusta , as lands that once belonged to the Frankish Marca Hispanica , counties that later formed the Kingdom of Aragon , and eventually the Crown of Aragon . The area of Aragon is 47 720  km of which 15 636  km belong to

1484-647: A river that receives the waters of the Alcanadre and finally joins the Segre river that ends up depositing its waters in the Ebro river in Mequinenza. The region treasures numerous vestiges of prehistoric villages (such as the archaeological sites of Castellets or Riols in Mequinenza) Iberians, Ibero-Romans, Romans (such as Villa Fortunatus in Fraga), Visigoths, Arabs, Jews and Christians. The result of this

1590-513: A week. In the 2014–2015 academic year there were 262 students recorded in pre-school Aragonese lessons. The subject of Aragonese now has a fully developed curriculum in primary education in Aragon. Despite this, in the 2014–2015 academic year there were only seven Aragonese teachers in the region across both pre-primary and primary education and none hold permanent positions, whilst the number of primary education students receiving Aragonese lessons

1696-742: Is a broad perpendicular corridor. Its best represented section is the Canal de Berdún , which limits on the south with the reliefs of San Juan de la Peña ( 1 552  m ) and Oroel Rock ( 1 769  m ), modeled on conglomerates of the Campodarbe Formation. The pre-Pyrenean outer ranges are in the Huescan foothills and constitute the southernmost unit of the Pyrenees; formed by predominantly calcareous materials, reach heights between 1 500 and 2 000 meters. The Sierra de Guara , one of

1802-618: Is a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic and Mudejar art that invades the heritage of an ancient region. They are declared Sites of Cultural Interest in the category of archaeological zone: Villa Fortunatus and El Pilaret de Santa Quiteria in Fraga, Mas de Fayonet I, Vallbufandes, Valmayor I, Valmayor IV in Mequinenza, and El castellazo in Ballobar . In the category of monument are the Tower of the Friars,

1908-471: Is an autonomous community in Spain , coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon . In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to south): Huesca , Zaragoza , and Teruel . Its capital is Zaragoza . The current Statute of Autonomy declares Aragon a historic nationality of Spain. Covering an area of 47 720  km ( 18 420  sq mi),

2014-414: Is an abundance of fresh fruit and quality nuts, something that is collected in traditional desserts such as elmostillo, farinosos, pumpkin dumplings, Fraga coc or dried figs. Huerta and sheep are also basic in the dishes of the area with special importance on game meat such as rabbit, hare, partridge, wild boar and deer. The Bajo / Baix Cinca provides a unique space for viticulture that can be found north of

2120-461: Is concentrated, followed by Mequinenza with almost 9.64% of the comarca's total. All municipalities have a historical decrease with the exception of Fraga. The Bajo / Baix Cinca region is one of the most dynamic regions in Aragon , mainly promoted by the agricultural sector. The percentage of the population employed in agriculture with respect to the total is 25.5%, creating an important added value in

2226-633: Is presence of Phoenician , Greek and Etruscan products. In the 6th century BCE there are six groups with different social organization: Vascones , Suessetani , Sedetani , Iacetani , Ilergetes and Citerior Celtiberians . They are Iberized groups with a tendency towards stability, fixing their habitat in durable populations, with dwellings that evolve towards more enduring and stable models. There are many examples in Aragon, among them Cabezo de Monleón in Caspe , Puntal of Fraga , Roquizal del Rullo or Loma de los Brunos. The type of social organization

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2332-608: Is spelled j in the Uesca, Academia de l'Aragonés and Academia Aragonesa de la Lengua standards (not mentioned in the SLA standard). Additionally, the Academia de l'Aragonés and Academia Aragonesa de la Lengua orthographies allow the letter j in some loanwords internationally known with it (e. g. jazz, jacuzzi , which normally have /tʃ/ in the Aragonese pronunciation) and also mention the letters k and w , also used only in loanwords ( w may represent /b/ or /w/ ). Aragonese grammar has

2438-487: Is very significant. Services sector is also relevant for the economy of the area, representing the second source of income for the population, with a special importance of the tourism sector in areas such as Mequinenza that have numerous companies of active tourism, sport fishing and cultural tourism that attract both national and international visitors throughout the year. Historically, the energy production sector has been concentrated also in Mequinenza. Initially, in 1850s it

2544-733: The Biosphere Reserve of Ordesa-Viñamala and is cataloged as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . In addition there are 4 other natural parks: the Moncayo Natural Park with an extension of 11 144  ha , the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park with 47 453  ha and 33 286  ha of peripheral area of protection, the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park with 33 440 .6 ha and 5 920 .2 ha of peripheral area of protection, and

2650-533: The Bronze Age by Pyrenees until reaching the Lower Aragon area, supposed an important ethnic contribution that prepared the way to the invasions of Iron Age. The Mediterranean contributions represented a commercial activity that will constitute a powerful stimulus for the iron metallurgy, promoting the modernization of the tools and the indigenous armament, replacing the old bronze with the iron. There

2756-587: The Catalan counties and the Kingdom of Aragon which formed the 12th-century Crown of Aragon did not merge the languages of the two territories; Catalan continued to be spoken in the east and Navarro-Aragonese in the west, with the boundaries blurred by dialectal continuity . The Aragonese Reconquista in the south ended with the cession of Murcia by James I of Aragon to the Kingdom of Castile as dowry for an Aragonese princess. The best-known proponent of

2862-704: The Ebro basin, can be traced back to the High Middle Ages . It spread throughout the Pyrenees to areas where languages similar to modern Basque might have been previously spoken. The Kingdom of Aragon (formed by the counties of Aragon , Sobrarbe and Ribagorza ) expanded southward from the mountains, pushing the Moors farther south in the Reconquista and spreading the Aragonese language. The union of

2968-684: The Valles Occidentales Natural Park with 27 073  ha and 7 335  ha of peripheral area of protection. There are also three nature reserves, five natural monuments and three protected landscapes. At the confluence of the Segre and Ebro rivers, the Aiguabarreig Ebro-Segre-Cinca is a space with great natural wealth and a great variety of ecosystems that range from Mediterranean steppes to impenetrable riverside forests, making this space

3074-465: The Zaragoza , Huesca and Lleida. The Cinca River, historical and cultural axis, divides the comarca asymmetrically and brings together almost all the villages, except Candasnos. Its geography is characterized by the contrast of the fertile banks of the Ebro, Cinca and Segre and the arid land that extends outside the valleys. In recent years, irrigation has also been developed in rainfed areas, so that

3180-426: The historical region of Lower Aragon . The region includes the municipalities of Ballobar (Vallobar), Belver de Cinca (Bellver de Cinca), Candasnos , Chalamera (Xalamera), Fraga , Mequinenza (Mequinensa), Ontiñena (Ontinyena), Osso de Cinca (Ossó de Cinca), Torrente de Cinca (Torrent de Cinca), Velilla de Cinca (Vilella de Cinca) and Zaidín (Saidí). The 11 municipalities that comprise it are from

3286-447: The province of Huesca , 17 275  km to the province of Zaragoza and 14 810  km to the province of Teruel . The total represents a 9.43% of the surface of Spain, being thus the fourth autonomous community in size behind Castile and León, Andalusia, and Castile-La Mancha. It is located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula , at a latitude between 39º and 43º'N in the temperate zone . Its boundaries and borders are in

Bajo Cinca/Baix Cinca - Misplaced Pages Continue

3392-796: The province of Huesca , with the exception of Mequinenza that belongs to Zaragoza . The Bajo / Baix Cinca limits to the east with the Autonomous Community of Catalonia , to the north with the Region of Cinca Medio and La Litera , to the west with the Monegros and to the south with the Bajo Aragón . The region sits on the final stretch of the Cinca River, in the center of the Middle Ebro Depression, between

3498-417: The southern dialect. The 1997 Aragonese law of languages stipulated that Aragonese (and Catalan) speakers had a right to the teaching of and in their own language. Following this, Aragonese lessons started in schools in the 1997–1998 academic year. It was originally taught as an extra-curricular, non-evaluable voluntary subject in four schools. However, whilst legally schools can choose to use Aragonese as

3604-554: The 12th and 13th centuries; the history Liber Regum  [ an ] , Razón feita d'amor , Libre dels tres reys d'orient , and Vida de Santa María Egipcíaca date from this period; an Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea also exists, differing also in its content and written in the late 14th century called Libro de los fechos et conquistas del principado de la Morea . Since 1500, Spanish has been

3710-426: The 15th century, Spanish has most influenced Aragonese; it was adopted throughout Aragon as the first language, limiting Aragonese to the northern region surrounding the Pyrenees . French has also influenced Aragonese; Italian loanwords have entered through other languages (such as Catalan), and Portuguese words have entered through Spanish. Germanic words came with the conquest of the region by Germanic peoples during

3816-573: The 16th century, Aragonese Moriscos wrote aljamiado texts (Romance texts in Arabic script), possibly because of their inability to write in Arabic . The language in these texts has a mixture of Aragonese and Castilian traits, and they are among the last known written examples of the Aragonese formerly spoken in central and southern Aragon. x as in xoriguer and xilófono Ex: zona, Provenza, fetz, centro, servicio, realizar, verdatz In 2023,

3922-716: The Acheulean industry that found its best weapons in the hand axes of flint or the cleavers of quartzite . In the Upper Palaeolithic appeared two new cultures: Solutrean and Magdalenian. The Epipaleolithic was centered in Lower Aragon , occupying the epoch between the 7th and the 5th millennium. In the first half of the 5th millennium BCE , Neolithic remains are found in the Huescan Outer Ranges and in Lower Aragon. The Eneolithic

4028-581: The Aiguabarreig in Mequinenza and the Sierra de Alcubierre and Valcuerna, Serreta Negra and Liberola. In these places it is possible to observe birds such as the vultures, partridge eagles, bustards and royal herons. One of the most peculiar species that can be found in Mequinenza is catfish. It has become its largest habitat in Spain. Mequinenza has become an international place of reference for fishing enthusiasts from all over Spain and abroad (mainly Germans, French, English, Americans and Japanese), willing to face

4134-577: The Arabs called the lower course of the Cinca River as "river of the olive trees" ("Nahr al-Zaytún") term that was incorporated in the toponyms of some localities like Mequinenza, then known as Miknasa al- Zaytun. Mequinenza cherry is particularly appreciated since the area offers a microclimate that allows to obtain the first open-field cherry productions from all over Europe offering cherries with exceptional organoleptic qualities both in hardness and color and in sweetness. The earliest varieties are destined for

4240-745: The Aragonese language was Johan Ferrandez d'Heredia , the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes at the end of the 14th century. He wrote an extensive catalog of works in Aragonese and translated several works from Greek into Aragonese (the first in medieval Europe). The spread of Castilian ( Spanish ), the Castilian origin of the Trastámara dynasty , and the similarity between Castilian (Spanish) and Aragonese facilitated

4346-568: The Aragonese mountain ranges of the Pyrenees, in the comarcas of Somontano, Jacetania, Sobrarbe, and Ribagorza. Cities and towns in which Aragonese is spoken are Huesca , Graus , Monzón , Barbastro , Bielsa , Chistén , Fonz , Echo , Estadilla , Benasque , Campo , Sabiñánigo , Jaca , Plan , Ansó , Ayerbe , Broto , and El Grado . It is spoken as a second language by inhabitants of Zaragoza , Huesca , Ejea de los Caballeros , or Teruel . According to recent polls, there are about 25,500 speakers (2011) including speakers living outside

Bajo Cinca/Baix Cinca - Misplaced Pages Continue

4452-633: The Cave del Moro of Olvena , the Masada del Ratón in Fraga , Palermo and the Cabezo de Monleón in Caspe . From the metallurgical point of view there seems to be a boom given the increase in foundry molds that are located in the populations. The Iron Age is the most important, since throughout the centuries it is the true substratum of the Aragonese historical population. The arrival of Central Europeans during

4558-649: The Creu de Sant Jordi granted by the Generalitat of Catalonia in 2001. In 2004 he received the Aragonese Letters Prize. Ramón José Sender Garcés was a Spanish novelist, essayist and journalist born in Chalamera in 1901. Several of his works were translated into English by the distinguished zoologist, Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, including "Seven Red Sundays" ("Siete domingos rojos"), "Mr Witt Among

4664-917: The Ebro River, the Tagus River (which originates in the Sierra de Albarracín range), and the Júcar , which has as its main river in this community the Turia . In Aragon, protected natural spaces are managed through the Red Natural de Aragón , an entity created in 2004 to protect all elements with ecological , landscape and cultural value and at the same time coordinate and establish common standards that contribute to their conservation and sustainable use. In this entity are integrated national parks , natural parks , nature reserves , biosphere reserves and other protected natural areas that have been declared by

4770-901: The French government until 1814. "Mequinenza" was inscribed in large letters on one of the outer columns of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to commemorate one of the great French victories in the Iberian Peninsula. Currently the castle is privately owned by the ENDESA Foundation. In order to visit the castle it is necessary to put in a request in advance at the Tourist Office of the City Council of Mequinenza. Guided free tours are held on Tuesday mornings with prior request. In

4876-408: The Latin inde and ibi : en / ne and bi / i / ie ; unlike Ibero-Romance. Such pronouns are present in most major Romance languages ( Catalan en and hi , Occitan ne and i , French en and y , and Italian ne and ci / vi ). En / ne is used for: Bi / hi / ie is used for: Aragonese was not written until

4982-430: The Museums of Mequinenza it is possible to explore an underground coal mining gallery with more than 1000 meters in the Museum of the Mine, explore the history of the population until the disappearance of the old town under the waters of the Ebro river in the Museum of History or discover how was the Prehistory in the Museum of the Prehistoric Past. Inaugurated in 2010, they are located in the old Maria Quintana School Group,

5088-465: The Muslim era. With the franquismo and the arrival of the ENHER company and the construction of the Mequinenza and Riba-roja dams, life changed for the old town on the banks of the Ebro. The industries began to close due to the significant increase in the water level of the waters and the population began to demand alternatives to the flooding of the urban nucleus. Thus began an exodus for the inhabitants of Mequinenza who had to leave their homes to move to

5194-415: The Palace of Montcada. The castle stands at the edge of a great cliff overlooking the confluence of the Ebro, Segre and Cinca rivers. Its plan is an irregular quadrilateral with seven rectangular towers except one which is pentagonal. Two towers flank the small semicircular door protected by a portico. Few fortresses will have a better location than this, contemplating an extensive and impressive landscape on

5300-490: The Rebels" ("Mr Witt en el cantón") and "The War in Spain" ("Contraataque"). The Bajo / Baix Cinca region is bilingual. The municipalities of Mequinenza, Torrente de Cinca , Velilla de Cinca and Zaidín are mostly Catalan speakers while Fraga brings together a similar percentage of Catalan-speaking and Spanish-speaking population. The municipalities of Ballobar , Belver de Cinca , Candasnos , Chalamera , Ontiñena and Osso de Cinca are Spanish speakers. More than 80% of

5406-407: The Tower of the Pilaret of Santa Quiteria and the San Miguel church in Fraga, the Cross of Escarpe and the Castle of Mequinenza in Mequinenza, the castle of Zaidín, the Hermitage of Santa María in Chalamera and the Castle of Torrente de Cinca. In addition, the region has three museums in Mequinenza (grouped in the Museums of Mequinenza) and two located in Fraga as the House Museum of Salvador Sabaté and

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5512-557: The University of Zaragoza's Huesca campus. The University of Zaragoza's Huesca campus also offers a Diploma de Especialización (These are studies that require a previous university degree and have a duration of between 30 and 59 ECTS credits.) in Aragonese Philology with 37 ECTS credits. Aragon Aragon ( / ˈ ær ə ɡ ən / ARR -ə-gən , US also /- ɡ ɒ n , - ɡ oʊ n / -⁠gon, -⁠gohn ; Spanish and Aragonese : Aragón [aɾaˈɣon] ; Catalan : Aragó [əɾəˈɣo] )

5618-414: The area were rebelling, except for the Ilergetes who negotiated peace with Cato. There were different uprisings of the Iberian peoples against the Romans, in 194 BCE sees a general uprising with elimination of half of the Roman army, in 188 BCE Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus , praetor of the Citerior, must confront in Calagurris ( Calahorra ) with the Celtiberians , in the 184 BCE Terentius Varro did it with

5724-457: The autonomous community, the Ramsar Convention or the Natura 2000 . Within the protected areas is the only national park of Aragon: the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park , the second national park created in Spain , in 1918, it is found in the Pyrenees in the comarca of Sobrarbe , occupies an area of 15 608   ha , a part of the 19 679  ha of the peripheral area of protection. It also enjoys other figures of protection like

5830-477: The banks of the reservoir. In the calm waters of its reservoir it is possible to practice many sports. The rowing teams of Oxford and Cambridge, and other rowing national teams, choose Mequinenza as a place to do their preparation stages. Mequinenza is the locality that registers a greater number of companies of active tourism and adventure of the province of Zaragoza and the fifth at the level of Aragon. The companies of active tourism and adventure are identified with

5936-422: The central areas. In mountain areas winters are long and rigorous, average temperatures can be up to 10 °C lower than in the valley. The two most important winds of Aragon are the cierzo and the bochorno or levant . The first is a cold and dry wind that crosses the Ebro Valley from northwest to southeast and that can become quite strong. The second is a warm wind, more irregular and smooth, coming from

6042-405: The cold and dry wind called cierzo that descends along the Ebro valley. The average rainfall level ranges between 300 and 400 mm, distributed very irregularly throughout the year. Prolonged periods of drought are common. The socio-economic transformation experienced in Spain in the 1960s caused territorially a double current of emigration: from the interior areas to the periphery and from

6148-412: The comarca. Bajo Cinca/Baix Cinca borders La Litera/La Llitera , Cinca Medio , Monegros and Bajo Aragón-Caspe/Baix Aragó-Casp in Aragon and Segrià and Ribera d'Ebre in Catalonia . About half of the comarca, including the two largest towns (Fraga and Mequinenza), belongs to the Catalan-speaking strip in eastern Aragon known as La Franja ; some municipal terms of Bajo Cinca/Baix Cinca are part of

6254-446: The community has as the central axis the Ebro valley (with heights between 150 and 300 meters approx.) which transits between two foothill areas, the Pyrenean and the Iberian, preambles of two mountain formations, the Pyrenees to the north and the Sistema Ibérico mountain range to the south; the Community has the highest peaks of both mountain ranges, the Aneto and the Moncayo respectively. The Aragonese Pyrenees are located in

6360-405: The community in two. Of the tributaries of the left bank of the river, the ones originating in the Pyrenees, the Aragón River stands out. Its headwaters are in Huesca, but it ends at the community of Navarre, the Gállego and the Cinca , which joins the Segre just before emptying into the Ebro at the height of Mequinenza . On the right bank, the Jalón , Huerva and Guadalope stand out. In

6466-419: The confluence of the Cinca, Segre and Ebro rivers in Mequinenza. The weather is continental with little rainfall, a fact that determines the vegetation of the area. The warmest months are July and August, when the temperature can reach 35 °C or sometimes up to 40 °C. On the other hand, in the cold months of December and January the temperatures range between 0 °C and -5 °C. The region receives

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6572-406: The confluence of the three rivers and their surrounding lands until reaching the Pyrenees at the horizon. The noble family of Moncada, lords of the barony of Mequinenza, chose this eagle's nest to create a castle-palace fortification. The building is an authentic masterpiece, one of the best that Gothic art bequeathed to the Crown of Aragon. It is dated from the 14th and 15th centuries. Initially, it

6678-439: The cultural language of Aragon; many Aragonese wrote in Spanish, and during the 17th century the Argensola brothers went to Castile to teach Spanish. Aragonese became a popular village language. During the 17th century, popular literature in the language began to appear. In a 1650 Huesca literary contest, Aragonese poems were submitted by Matías Pradas, Isabel de Rodas and "Fileno, montañés". The 19th and 20th centuries have seen

6784-405: The entire community. From the High mountain Alpine climate of the central Pyrenees to the north, with perpetual ice (glaciers), to the Humid subtropical climate (which is very common in Huesca 's lower altitude areas) to the steppe or semi-desert zones , such as the Monegros Desert , passing through the intense continental climate of the Teruel-Daroca area and the Mediterranean climate in

6890-686: The fifth century, and English has introduced a number of new words into the language. Words that were part of the Latin second declension —as well as words that joined it later on—are usually masculine: Words that were part of the Latin first declension are usually feminine: Some Latin neuter plural nouns joined the first declension as singular feminine nouns: Words ending in -or are feminine: The names of fruit trees usually end in -era (a suffix derived from Latin -aria ) and are usually feminine: The genders of river names vary: Just like most other Occitano-Romance languages, Aragonese has partitive and locative clitic pronouns derived from

6996-448: The first weekend of February were declared in 2018 as Fiesta of Tourist Interest of Aragon with code F.I.T.A. Number 844. Aragonese language Historically, people referred to the language as fabla ('talk' or 'speech'). Native Aragonese people usually refer to it by the names of its local dialects such as cheso (from Valle de Hecho ) or patués (from the Benasque Valley). Aragonese, which developed in portions of

7102-498: The hermitage of San Marcos are also celebrated. in Chalamera, the celebrations of Santa Agatoclia de Mequinenza, the celebrations of Santa Reliquia in Ontiñena, the equestrian concentration of Bajo / Baix Cinca in the month of June in Osso de Cinca, the verbena of San Juan in Torrente de Cinca, the celebrations of San Lorenzo in Velilla de Cinca or the feasts of the Virgin of the Assumption in Zaidín. The "Fiestas de San Blas and Santa Águeda" that are celebrated in Mequinenza (Zaragoza) on

7208-439: The highest peaks like: the Aneto ( 3 404  m ), Maladeta ( 3 309  m ) and the Perdiguero ( 3 221  m ). The inner Pre-Pyrenees, composed of more modern rocks (limestones) also has large mountains such as Monte Perdido ( 3 355  m ), Collarada ( 2 886  m ) and Tendeñera ( 2 853  m ). The main Pyrenean valleys are formed by the rivers that are born there, which are: The intrapirenaic depression

7314-423: The inhabitants of Bajo / Baix Cinca speak Western Catalan. The successive civilizations that passed throughout history through this territory left their culture and also their language. In this sense, the Catalan landed in this territory at the time of the Reconquest initiated by Ramón Berenguer IV who repopulated this region with people coming from the Ribagorza, the Pallars and the Urgel. The language has survived to

7420-464: The interior. In the territorial distribution that Rome made of Hispania , the current Aragon was included in the Hispania Citerior . In the year 197 BCE, Sempronius Tuditanus is the praetor of the Citerior and had to face a general uprising in their territories that ended with the Roman defeat and the own death of Tuditanus. In view of these facts the Senate sent the consul Marcus Porcius Cato with an army of 60 000 men. The indigenous peoples of

7526-408: The international market in central and northern Europe, for the Emirates or even for Asia. Likewise, varieties of peach, nectarine, grape, Paraguayan or platerina can also be found. El Bajo / Baix Cinca is a frontier land where many traditions that live in full bloom survive. The Major Festivities of each municipality, become one of the great festive axes although the parties are distributed throughout

7632-488: The landscape has been slightly modified to adapt it to agricultural needs. Its relief has been the result of thousands of years of work in the Cinca River that, with the evolution of the years, was excavating its channel forming large and uneven terraces on both banks of its channel, which historically have been converted into fertile orchards. The landscape is a true natural heritage that the people of Bajo / Baix Cinca are committed to conserve. The impressive contrast between

7738-431: The language by being a native speaker or by other means. Further, prospective instructors must pass an ad hoc exam curated by the individual schools at which they wish to teach in order to prove their competence, as there are no recognized standard competency exams for the Aragonese language. Since the 1994–1995 academic year, Aragonese has been an elective subject within the bachelor's degree for primary school education at

7844-547: The language of instruction, as of the 2013–2014 academic year, there are no recorded instances of this option being taken in primary or secondary education. In fact, the only current scenario in which Aragonese is used as the language of instruction is in the Aragonese philology university course, which is optional, taught over the summer and in which only some of the lectures are in Aragonese. In pre-school education, students whose parents wish them to be taught Aragonese receive between thirty minutes to one hour of Aragonese lessons

7950-613: The most important mountain ranges of the Spanish Pre-Pyrenees , stands out; its summit, the Guara Peak , reaches 2 077 metres. The Mallos de Riglos , near the town of Ayerbe , stand out for their beauty. The Aragonese central depression includes a wide lowland area, which is also the central part of the Depression of the Ebro . North of the river there is the Sierra de Alcubierre ranges ( 811 m ) one of

8056-540: The native area. In 2017, the Dirección General de Política Lingüística de Aragón estimated there were 10,000 to 12,000 active speakers of Aragonese. In 2009, the Languages Act of Aragon (Law 10/2009) recognized the "native language, original and historic" of Aragon . The language received several linguistic rights , including its use in public administration. Some of the legislation was repealed by

8162-495: The north of the province of Huesca and are arranged longitudinally in three large units: High Pyrenees, Internal Depressions and Outer Ranges. The Aragonese High Pyrenees contains the maximum heights of all the Pyrenees mountainous chain. The High Pyrenees is formed in turn by the axial Pyrenees and the Inland Ranges. In the axial Pyrenees are the oldest materials: granites , quartzites , slates and limestones and

8268-523: The north with France (the regions of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie ), in the west with the autonomous communities of Castile-La Mancha (provinces of Guadalajara and Cuenca ), Castile and León ( province of Soria ), La Rioja and Navarre , and in the east with the autonomous communities of Catalonia (provinces of Lérida and Tarragona ) and the Valencian Community (provinces of Castellón and Valencia ). The orography of

8374-419: The old docks and to know a thousand stories, curiosities and legends from a millenary and historic town of navigators and miners on the banks of the Ebro river. Mequinenza is also a reference point for literature lovers. Jesús Moncada , the most universal writer from Mequinenza, turned the old village into the main location of the many personal stories told in his books. His novel Camí de Sirga ("The Towpath")

8480-420: The old schools of the town built in 1929. The old town of Mequinenza was located on the left bank of the Ebro River, just at the point where they converge with the waters of Segre and Cinca. It was demolished almost completely during the construction of the Ribarroja reservoir. It constituted an urban nucleus with characteristics of the localities of the lower section of the Ebro, with an urban plot dating back to

8586-644: The peninsular center and the coasts of the Cantabrian Sea . The human presence in the lands that today form the autonomous community date back several millennia, but present-day Aragon, like many of the current historical nationalities, was formed during the Middle Ages . The oldest testimonies of human life in the lands that today make up Aragon go back to the time of the glaciations, in the Pleistocene , some 600 000 years ago. This population left

8692-464: The population of Aragon was 1 326 261 , with slightly over half living in the capital city, Zaragoza . In 2020, the economy of Aragon generated a GDP of €34 687 million, which represents 3.1% of Spain's national GDP, and is currently 6th in per capita production behind Madrid, Basque Country , Navarre , Catalonia and La Rioja. In addition to its three provinces, Aragon is subdivided into 33 comarcas or counties. All comarcas of Aragon have

8798-402: The possibility of being offered as an examinative subject have elected not to do so. As of 2007 it is possible to use Aragonese as a language of instruction for multiple courses; however, no program is yet to instruct any curricular or examinative courses in Aragonese. As of the 2014–2015 academic year there were 14 Aragonese language students at the secondary level. Aragonese is not currently

8904-744: The present in its oral variant. The majority of its inhabitants are bilingual in Spanish - the language in which all primary and secondary education are received - and also in Catalan. The Declaration of Mequinenza (Declaració de Mequinensa in Catalan) is a document signed on 1 February 1984 in Mequinenza (Bajo / Baix Cinca, Aragon, Spain) by the mayors of 17 municipalities of the Aragonese Catalan-speaking area together with José Bada Paniello (Minister of Culture of Government of Aragon at

9010-508: The provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel . It is a set of hills without a clear structural unit, which can be divided into two zones: Sistema Ibérico del Jalón and Sistema Ibérico turolense. In the first, the Moncayo stands out with 2 314  m , formed by Paleozoic quartzites and slates , partly covered by Mesozoic limestones . The second is formed by elevated terrain (from 1 000 to 2 000  m in general), but flattened and massive. To

9116-621: The recession of the latter. A turning point was the 15th-century coronation of the Castilian Ferdinand I of Aragon , also known as Ferdinand of Antequera. In the early 18th century, after the defeat of the allies of Aragon in the War of the Spanish Succession , Philip V ordered the prohibition of the Aragonese language in schools and the establishment of Castilian ( Spanish ) as the only official language in Aragon. This

9222-655: The region are Mediterranean species adapted to drought and harsh weather conditions. They are little demanding plants, of great geological breadth such as "carrasco" pine, "coscoja", rosemary or thyme. The fauna is linked to the steppe, riverside and desert areas of Monegros. The water turtle, the ocellated lizard or the southern snake are the main ones in terms of amphibians and reptiles. Mammals include hedgehogs, rodents and bats that live next to foxes, rabbits and deers. The Bajo / Baix Cinca has six Special Protection Areas for Birds: El Basal, Las Menorcas and Llanos de Cardiel; el Pas and Santa Rita Reservoir; La Retuerta and las Saladas;

9328-432: The region's terrain ranges diversely from permanent glaciers to verdant valleys, rich pasture lands and orchards, through to the arid steppes of the central lowlands. Aragon is home to many rivers—most notably, the river Ebro , Spain's largest river in volume, which runs west–east across the entire region through the province of Zaragoza. It is also home to the highest mountains of the Pyrenees . As of January 2021 ,

9434-493: The region, specifically in the municipality of Belver de Cinca. Another of the historical ingredients and with greater tradition of the region are the olive oils of the Arbequina variety (of mild, aromatic flavor, and with fruity touches) and Empeltre (of soft and sweet flavor, less intense than the Arbequina variety). Several companies in the area have been awarded in numerous national and international competitions. Historically,

9540-417: The river banks full of greenery and the arid land of the Monegros offers an unparalleled variety of ecosystems. It can be found from fauna and flora with typical characteristics of the steppes and deserts to the enormous ornithological richness that abounds on the banks of the rivers. Of special natural importance is the one known as Aiguabarreig ("water mixture" in Catalan) that is formed in the final stretch of

9646-412: The rural to the urban centers. For the Bajo / Baix Cinca region, as for other areas of Aragon, it meant a strong depopulation of its rural nuclei and the concentration of a part of the population in the capital of the region. The population of the region represents 11.03% of the total of the province of Huesca. The proportion between men and women is quite homogeneous. Fraga is where most of the population

9752-495: The south-east. The vegetation follows the oscillations of relief and climate. There is a great variety, both in natural vegetation and in crops. In the high areas there are forests (pines, firs, beech trees, oaks), bush and meadows, and in the central Ebro Valley , evergreen oak and juniper are the most common trees. Most Aragonese rivers are tributaries of the Ebro River, which is the largest river in Spain and divides

9858-459: The southern areas bordering Castilla La Mancha and the Valencian Community . The main characteristics of the Aragonese climate are: Temperatures are very dependent on the altitude. In the Ebro Valley the winters are relatively moderate, although the frosts are very common and the thermal sensation can decrease a lot with the cierzo . Temperatures in summer can exceed 40 °C in

9964-705: The southwest of the depression the summits of the Sierra de Albarracín range are reached above 1 800  m , southeast the 2 000  m are reached in the Sierra de Javalambre range and finally the Sierra de Gúdar range ( 2 024  m ) transitions to the Maestrazgo area in the Valencian Community . There are two main types of climate in Aragón, the Semi-arid climate and the Oceanic climate . Its irregular orography creates several microclimates throughout

10070-524: The stream bed of the Ebro river, near the border with Catalonia, the Mequinenza Reservoir , of 1 530  hm and a length of about 110 km; it is popularly known as the "Sea of Aragon". The small Pyrenean mountain lakes called ibones merit special mention. These lakes are very scenic, originating during the last glaciation , and are usually found above 2 000  m . The Autonomous Community lies within three hydrographic regions,

10176-407: The sweet fruit sector. The Bajo / Baix Cinca is the Aragonese region with the most cultivated hectares in this sector. The Bajo / Baix Cinca has always been an agricultural area for two fundamental reasons: the first one because traditionally and culturally it has been associated to the countryside and the second one due to the weather factor and the low rainfall rate. It is a very important sector with

10282-523: The time). Following the declaration, and complying with one of the proposals contained therein, on 1 October 1985, an agreement between the Government of Aragon and the Ministry of Education and Science for the teaching of education would be signed and published in the Official Gazette of Aragon Catalan language as a voluntary and evaluable subject in schools in the area. The dominant plants in

10388-533: The typical limestone plateaus of the valley. The Ebro Valley is a tectonic pit filled with sedimentary materials, accumulated in the Tertiary age in horizontal series. In the center, fine materials such as clays , plasters and limestones were deposited. To the south of the Ebro there are the limestone plateaus of Borja and of Zaragoza . The Aragonese section of the Sistema Ibérico straddles

10494-748: The year. In Fraga, the figure of "les de faldetes" is typical, a holiday that pays tribute to this typical costume of the Bajocinqueña town as well as the offering to the Virgen del Pilar. In the other municipalities, celebrations such as the San Roque festivities in Ballobar, the Holy Week processions of Belver de Cinca, the distribution of the rosqueta in Candasnos, Easter Mondays or the pilgrimage to

10600-514: Was 320. As of 2017 there were 1068 reported Aragonese language students and 12 Aragonese language instructors in Aragon. There is no officially approved program or teaching materials for the Aragonese language at the secondary level, and though two non-official textbooks are available ( Pos ixo... Materials ta aprender aragonés (Benítez, 2007) and Aragonés ta Secundaria (Campos, 2014)) many instructors create their own learning materials. Further, most schools with Aragonese programs that have

10706-524: Was based on the family group, consisting of four generations. Self-sufficient societies in which the greater part of the population was dedicated to agricultural and livestock activities. In the Iberian scope the power was monarchical, exercised by a king; there was a democratic assembly with participation of the male population. There were visible social differentiations and established legal-political statutes. The Romans arrived and progressed easily into

10812-723: Was characterized in the province of Huesca presenting two important megalithic nuclei: the Pre-Pyrenees of the Outer Ranges and the High Pyrenean valleys. The Late Bronze Age begins in Aragon around 1100 BCE with the arrival of the Urnfield culture . They are Indo-European people, with an alleged origin in Central Europe, who incinerate their dead by placing the ashes in a funeral urn. There are examples in

10918-475: Was ordered in the Aragonese Nueva Planta decrees of 1707. In recent times, Aragonese was mostly regarded as a group of rural dialects of Spanish. Compulsory education undermined its already weak position; for example, pupils were punished for using it. However, the 1978 Spanish transition to democracy heralded literary works and studies of the language. Aragonese is the native language of

11024-681: Was possibly an Arab fortress built by the Berber tribe of the Miknasa towards the 12th century. The tribe created the town and also give its name. With the reconquest it fell to Ramón Berenguer IV . After being a crown possession, it was given to the noble family of Moncada. One of the great sieges of the castle took place during the Peninsular War when it was conquered by the French Napoleonic troops of Marshal Suchet; it belonged to

11130-545: Was translated into more than 20 languages (including Japanese, Swedish and Vietnamese). It is an amalgam of characters and stories from ancient Mequinenza and its tragic disappearance. He is considered one of the most important authors in Catalan language of his time. He received several awards for all his works, among others the City of Barcelona Award or the National Critics Award in 1989 for "Camí de sirga" or

11236-479: Was with the coal extraction from the Mequinenza coal basin for more than 150 years and later with the construction of hydroelectric reservoirs of Mequinenza (also known as "Mar de Aragón") and Riba-roja. The Comarca del Bajo / Baix Cinca is located in a privileged and strategic position that has made it a meeting place for civilizations, cultures and languages. It is crossed by the Cinca river, to which it owes its name,

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