Zaragoza

Zaragoza is located in an incredible environmentThis city is the capital city of the province of the same name that belongs to the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain. The city is the fifth largest city in Spain; it has about 700,000 inhabitants.

Zaragoza is one of the candidates for the “Capital of Culture in 2016” and it is a city where many paths cross. Cities like Madrid, Bilbao, Toulouse and Valencia are very close to Zaragoza.

There are three rivers that flow through the city -the main one is river Ebro and the other two are its tributaries – the Gállego and the Huerva. The area where Zaragoza lies is very exciting and different-there is a desert like Los Monegros and mountains, rivers and rocky surroundings.

Zaragoza lies at an altitude of 200 m above sea level and its climate is Continental Mediterranean climate.

The roots and development of Zaragoza:

Many events in the past have led to the development of Zaragoza. Some of them are the opening of the General Motors factory and the Expo 2008. This city is a Spanish air base and the city has its own air academy.

Zaragoza has one of the oldest universities in Spain and it is considered as one of the first cities to have adopted Christianity.

First, the Iberian tribe called Sedetans established a village called Salduie. Later on, between 25 BC and 12 BC, the Romans founded Caesaraugusta-the city that served as a resort for the Roman soldiers.

In the 8th century, the Arabs conquered the city. They gave it a new name-Saraqusta. This city became the largest city of the Cordoban Caliphate. In 1118, the city finally fell into the hands of Christians.

It became a capital city of the kingdom of Aragon. History of Zaragoza was not so turbulent; this city was the capital and it was usually protected from attacks, battles and other disasters throughout history.

Zaragoza has a few famous buildings:

Cathedral of San Salvador is a church built in the 12th century on the ruins of a Moorish mosque. It was built in Romanesque style and its tower was built in Baroque style. The cathedral is located on the banks of the river Ebro and the Spaniards call it “La Seo”. Aljafería is a moorish castle and the largest Moorish building in northern Spain.

Verdi’s opera “Il Trovatore” is performed in this castle. All churches and other historic buildings of Zaragoza are under the protection of UNESCO.