History & Culture

The Aragonese have a reputation for being straightforward people, and theirs is a harsh stark land of untamed and untouched beauty. Francisco de Goya, born in the village of Fuendetodos, and sardonic film maker Luis Buñuel both grew up here, and their mental toughness and firm principles were quintessentially Aragonese. To the north Aragón is bordered by the Pyrenees and to the south by the Iberian mountains that separate the region from Castile and the orchard land of Valencia. Within Aragón the mountains of El Maestrazgo and Montes Universales create their own awesome beauty. The Ebro, Spain's mightiest river, flows through the center of Aragón past its capital, Zaragoza, forming a vast fertile valley that is among the most productive lands in Spain.

Art lovers will find in Aragón fine examples of the Moorish Mudéjar architectural style, which flourished thanks to the region's tolerant religious policies between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. In contrast to the elaborate ornamentation of the Muslim style, there are magnificent Romanesque churches, monasteries, and grand cathedrals like the cathedral of Jaca, in the Pyrenean valleys of Upper Aragón. These owe their existence to the medieval pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela, who entered Aragón from France at the mountain pass of Somport. The Way of Saint James brought in its wake the finest artistic styles and medieval villages of unparalled beauty.

 

Aragón is good territory for hunters and fishermen, skiers, mountain climbers and trekkers. The nature reserve, the Parque Nacional de Ordesa, is one of Spain's great protected spaces. The region's cuisine centers on red pepper stews of lamb or chicken, trout from local rivers and the region's renowned peaches steeped in red wine. Table wines, such as those from Cariñena, are robust and the perfect complement to Aragón's hearty fare.

Attractions

Aragón's singular contribution to Spanish folk dancing and singing is the jota. Danced by pairs who leap and kick high in the air and sing with terrific power, the jota is as spirited a display as can be found anywhere. The region's most important fiesta is in honor of the Virgen del Pilar, patron saint of the Americas, celebrated in Zaragoza on October 12, a date known in Spain as the Day of Hispanic Nations.

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