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Zaragoza

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Zaragoza ( Spanish: [θaɾaˈɣoθa] ) also known in English as Saragossa , is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous community of Aragon , Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the Huerva and the Gállego , roughly in the centre of both Aragon and the Ebro basin.

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38-529: On 1 January 2021, the population of the municipality of Zaragoza was 675,301, (as of 2023, the fourth or fifth most populous in Spain) on a land area of 973.78 square kilometres (375.98 square miles). It is the 26th 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

76-528: A 6.7% did not answer. In 2017, there were 64,003 foreign citizens in Zaragoza, which represent 9.6% of the total population. From 2010 to 2017 immigration dropped from 87,735 to 64,003 people, a 27% drop. Romanians represent 29.8% of foreigners living in Zaragoza, or 2.9% of the total city population, followed by Moroccans (9.1%) and Chinese (7%). An Opel factory was opened in 1982 in Figueruelas ,

114-614: A Roman city, it had all the typical public buildings: forum , baths , theatre , and was an important economic centre. Many Roman ruins can still be seen in Zaragoza today. It is thought it might have been the Apostle James who had built a chapel on the site of the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar . On the spot where Saint Engratia and her companions were said to have been martyred on Valerian's orders

152-623: A network of buses which is controlled by the Urban Buses of Zaragoza (AUZSA). The network consists of 31 regular lines (two of them circle lines), two scheduled routes, six shuttle buses (one free), and seven night buses operating on Fridays, Saturdays and other festivities. Zaragoza also has an interurban bus network operated by Transport Consortium Zaragoza Area (CTAZ) that operates 17 regular lines. Zaragoza's bicycle lanes facilitate non-motorised travel and help cyclists to avoid running into pedestrians and motor vehicles. The city council also has

190-603: A number of children, leading to 250,000 people taking part in demonstrations in the city. Since 1982, the city has been home to a large factory built by General Motors for the production of Opel cars, some of which are exported to the United Kingdom and sold under the Vauxhall brand. The city took advantage of the entry of Spain into the European Communities (later European Union). Zaragoza lies in

228-753: A public bicycle-hire scheme, the bizi zaragoza , which has an annual charge. Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population This article includes several ranked indicators for Spain 's municipalities . The 100 most populous municipalities in Spain as of 1 January 2019, from the revision of the padrón continuo provided by the INE . The 100 most densely populated Spanish municipalities (2019). The 100 largest municipalities by area . Al-Musta%27in II Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud ( Arabic : أبو جعفر أحمد بن يوسف بن هود ), known by

266-429: A small village nearby. The automotive industry is a main pillar of the regional economy along with Balay , which manufactures household appliances; CAF , which builds railway rolling stock 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

304-718: 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 a French international primary and secondary school, Lycée Français Molière de Saragosse . The city is connected by motorway with the main cities in central and northern Spain, including Madrid , Barcelona , Valencia , and Bilbao , all of which are located about 300 kilometres (200 miles) from Zaragoza. The city has

342-632: Is common and there is sporadic snowfall . Fog can be persistent in late autumn and early winter. Zaragoza is administratively divided into 15 urban districts and 14 rural neighborhoods: The population, in thousands, can be seen here: According to a survey carried out by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) in 2019 with a sample size of 300, 51.0% of the surveyed people described themselves as non-practising Catholic, 24.0% as practising Catholic, 6.7% as indifferent/non-believer, 5.0% as agnostic , 4.3% as atheist and 2.3% as "other religions", while

380-431: Is home to a Spanish Air and Space Force base, which was shared with the U.S. Air Force until 1992. In English, the base was known as Zaragoza Air Base . The Spanish Air Force maintained a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet wing at the base. No American flying wings (with the exception of a few KC-135s) were permanently based there, but it served as a training base for American fighter squadrons across Europe. It also hosts

418-710: 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 Iberian town that preceded Roman colonisation was called Salduie or Salduba . The Romans and Greeks called the ancient city Caesaraugusta (in Greek Καισαραυγοῦστα ), from which derive

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456-619: The Almoravids in 1110. On 18 December 1118, Alfonso I of Aragon conquered the city from the Almoravids, and made it the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon . The aforementioned monarch created a jurisdictional dominion in the city, which was gifted to Gaston of Béarn . The city remained a lordship up until the early 13th century. There was a Jewish community in medieval Zaragoza, a notable center where yeshivas also incorporated

494-705: The Expo 2008 , the official World's Fair, whose theme was water and sustainable development , held between 14 June and 14 September 2008, Plataforma Logística de Zaragoza (PLAZA), and the Parque Tecnológico de Reciclado (PTR). Furthermore, since December 2003, it has been a city through which the AVE high-speed rail travels. Currently, Zaragoza Airport is a major cargo hub in the Iberian Peninsula , behind only Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Zaragoza

532-645: The Peninsular War against the Napoleonic army: a first from June to August 1808; and a second from December 1808 to February 1809, surrendering only after some 50,000 defenders had died. Railway transport came to Zaragoza on 16 September 1861 with the inauguration of the Barcelona –Zaragoza line with the arrival of a train from the former city to the Estación del Norte . The Madrid –Zaragoza line

570-904: The Umayyad conquest of the Iberian Peninsula , Zaragoza became the capital of the Upper March of al-Andalus . In 1018, amid the collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba , Zaragoza became an independent Taifa of Zaragoza , initially controlled by the Tujibid family, then ruled by the Banu Hud from 1039. The taifa greatly prospered in a cultural and political sense in the late 11th century, and being later governed by Ahmad al-Muqtadir , Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud and Al-Musta'in II . It fell to

608-555: The arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas . There are many activities during the festival, from the massively attended pregon (opening speech) to the final fireworks display over the Ebro; they also include marching bands, dances such as jota aragonesa (the most popular folk music dance), a procession of gigantes y cabezudos , concerts, exhibitions, vaquillas , bullfights, fairground amusements, and fireworks. Some of

646-724: The war economy , playing a key role for the Francoist faction as ammunition manufacturer. The General Military Academy , a higher training center of the Spanish Army , was re-established on 27 September 1940 by José Enrique Varela , the Francoist Minister of the Army. The 1953 Accords ensued with the installment of a joint US–Spain air base in Zaragoza . Following the declaration of Zaragoza as Polo de Desarrollo Industrial ("Pole for Industrial Development") by

684-640: The Arabic name سرقسطة Saraqusṭa (used during the Al-Andalus period), the medieval Çaragoça , and the modern Zaragoza . The Sedetani , a tribe of ancient Iberians , populated a village called Salduie  [ es ] ( Salduba in Roman sources). Augustus founded the city as Caesaraugusta between 25 BC and 11 BC as a colony to settle army veterans from the Cantabrian wars . As

722-589: The Aragonese population. The city lies at an elevation of about 208 metres (682 feet) above sea level . Zaragoza hosted Expo 2008 in the summer of 2008, a world's fair on water and sustainable development. It was also a candidate for the European Capital of Culture in 2012. The city is famous for its folklore, local cuisine, and landmarks such as the Basílica del Pilar , La Seo Cathedral and

760-529: The Atlantic and Mediterranean. The average annual precipitation is a scanty 322 millimetres (12.7 in) with abundant sunny days, and the rainiest seasons are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–November), with a relative drought in summer (July–August) and winter (December–March). Temperatures in summer are hot, and in winter a cold and dry wind blows from the northwest, the Cierzo . Night frost

798-924: The Kingdom of Aragon in December 1705. Charles entered the city in July 1706, directing the attack on those places of Aragon that had sided with the Bourbon faction such as Borja or the Cinco Villas . Following the April 1707 battle at Almansa , the tide turned with the Austracist forces fleeing in disarray, and the Bourbon forces commanded by the Duke of Orléans entering the city on 26 May 1707. As he seized control of

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836-522: The Pillar'). The Aragonese language , in decline for centuries and restricted mostly to northern Aragon, has recently attracted more people in the region. Thus, nowadays, in Zaragoza, up to 7,000 people speak Aragonese. The annual Fiestas del Pilar lasts for nine days, with its main day on 12 October. This date also coincides with Spain's national holiday, El Día de la Hispanidad (Day of Hispanicity), which celebrates Spain's cultural and historical ties with Hispanic America. October 12 also corresponds to

874-601: The Spanish cities of Bilbao , Madrid , Valencia and Barcelona and the French cities of Bordeaux and Toulouse . The municipality has a surface of 973.78 km (375.98 sq mi), making it the ninth largest municipality in Spain. While the river banks are largely flat, the territory flanking them can display a rugged terrain, featuring muelas and escarpments. The surrounding elevations rise up to heights of about 600–750 metres above sea level. The locations near

912-550: The capital of the territory of Aragon, which was still controlled by the Republic. The rearguard violence committed by the putschists, with at least 12 murders on 19 July, would only go in crescendo along the beginning of the conflict. Thus one of the two big cities under Rebel control since the early stages of the Spanish Civil War along Seville , Zaragoza profited from an increasing industrial production vis-à-vis

950-433: The city centre every day with dramatic sculptures, black-dressed praying women and hundreds of hooded people playing drums. It has been a Festival of International Tourist Interest since 2014. 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

988-471: The city in April 1766, the so-called motín de los broqueleros , named after the repressive agents, volunteer farmers and craftsmen who wielded swords and bucklers ( broqueles ). The repression left about 300 wounded, 200 detainees and 8 deaths and it was followed by 17 public executions, and an indeterminate number of killings at the dungeons of the Aljafería . Zaragoza suffered two famous sieges during

1026-615: The confluence of the Ebro with the Huerva river , a modest right-bank tributary of the Ebro. The Huerva runs through the city buried for much of its lower course. Zaragoza is also located near the confluence of the Ebro with the Gállego , a more voluminous left-bank tributary born in the Pyrenees . Zaragoza has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSk ), as it lies in a wide basin entirely surrounded by mountains which block off moist air from

1064-514: The entry of Philip V in Madrid and the ensuing Battle of Villaviciosa in December 1710, the Habsburg armies fled from Zaragoza in haste in December 1710 and Philip V proceeded to consolidate his rule over the kingdom of Aragon, resuming administrative reforms after a period of institutional void. An important food riot caused by the high price of bread and other necessity goods took place in

1102-585: The kingdom, he began to enact the series of institutional reforms known as the Nueva Planta , abolishing the Aragonese institutions in favour of the Castilian ones. The war turned around again in 1710 after the Battle of Almenar , and, following another Bourbon defeat near Zaragoza on 20 August 1710 , Archduke Charles returned to the city on the next day. This was for only a brief period, though, as following

1140-481: The main Spanish Army academy, Academia General Militar , a number of brigades at San Gregorio , and other garrisons. Christianity took root in Zaragoza at an early date. According to legend, St. Mary appeared miraculously to Saint James the Great in Zaragoza in the first century, standing on a pillar. This apparition is commemorated by a famous Catholic basilica called Nuestra Señora del Pilar ('Our Lady of

1178-401: The meanders of the Ebro feature some sinkholes formed upon the subsidence of the gypsum -rich soil, that can form ponds fed from irrigation water. There is also an instance of seasonal endorheic lagoon, la Sulfúrica , in the moors located in the southern part of the municipality. The Roman core of Caesaraugusta was founded on the right bank of the Ebro, with the north-east corner limiting

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1216-406: The military command easily attained its objectives in Zaragoza in the early morning of 19 July, despite the city's status as stronghold of organised labour (mostly CNT anarcho-syndicalists but also UGT trade unionists), as the civil governor critically refused to give weapons to the people in time. Many refugees, including members of the provincial committees of parties and unions, fled to Caspe ,

1254-579: The most important events are the Ofrenda de Flores , or Flower Offering to St. Mary of the Pillar, on 12 October, when an enormous surface resembling a cloak for St. Mary is covered with flowers, and the Ofrenda de Frutos on 13 October, when all the autonomous communities of Spain offer their typical regional dishes to St. Mary and donate them to soup kitchens. Holy Week in Zaragoza , although not as elaborate an affair as its Andalusian or Bajo Aragón counterparts, has several processions passing through

1292-466: The north-east of the Iberian Peninsula , in the rather arid depression formed by the valley of the Ebro . The Ebro cuts across the city in a west north-west by east south-east direction, entering the municipality at 205 metres above sea level and exiting the municipality at a level of 180 metres above sea level. The city enjoys a beneficial location at the geographical centre of the rough hexagon formed by

1330-574: The regime in 1964, the city doubled in population in a short time. The increase in population ran parallel to the rural flight and depopulation in the rest of Aragon. In 1979, a fire at the Hotel Corona de Aragón fire killed at least 80 people, including members of the family of Francisco Franco. The armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization ETA carried out the Zaragoza barracks bombing in 1987 which killed eleven people, including

1368-493: The study of philosophy alongside Talmud studies . An outbreak of bubonic plague decimated the city in 1564. It reportedly killed about 10,000 people out of an estimated population of 25–30,000. In the context of the 1701–1714 War of Spanish Succession , the city rose in arms in favour of the Archduke Charles , who was proclaimed "King of Aragon" in the city on 29 June 1706, following the uprising of other parts of

1406-576: Was opened a year and a half later, on 16 May 1863. The July 1936 coup d'état (with Gen. Miguel Cabanellas , Col. Monasterio  [ es ] , Urrutia  [ es ] , Sueiro  [ es ] , Major Cebollero and Gen. Gregorio de Benito  [ es ] at the centre of the Mola -led conspiration in Zaragoza) triumphed in the city. After the military uprising in Africa on 17 July,

1444-529: Was the Church of Santa Engracia de Zaragoza . Only the crypt and the doorway survived the Peninsular War . Around the early 20th century it was rebuilt, and is now a functioning parish church. Despite the general decline of the last centuries of the Roman empire, Zaragoza suffered little. Capture by the Goths in the fifth century CE was without significant bloodshed or destruction. In the eighth century, following

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