Alto Aragon (literally, ''Upper Aragon'' or ''Highlands of Aragon'' in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

; compare Upper Navarre, Upper Rioja) is the northernmost territories or highlands of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) 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 sou ...

, flanking the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

and includes the

Aneto Aneto (''pic d'Aneto'' in French language, French, formerly ''pic de Néthou'') is the highest mountain in the Pyrenees and in Aragon, and Spain's third-highest mountain, reaching a height of . It stands in the Spanish province of Huesca (provi ...

Mountain, the highest peak in the entire Pyrenean chain. The term Alto Aragon, or highlands, is used to contrast with the Bajo Aragon, referring to the lowlands or flat plains of Aragon which roughly begins around the

Somontano Somontano is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines, created in 1984, and located in the county of the same name, in the province of Huesca, (Aragon, Spain). It borders the regions of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza in the North, ...

county of Huesca stretching south to the Ebro river basin. The term Alto Aragon is also used interchangeably to refer to the

Province of Huesca Huesca ( an, Uesca, ca, Osca), officially Huesca/Uesca, is a province of northeastern Spain, in northern Aragon. The capital is Huesca. Positioned just south of the central Pyrenees, Huesca borders France and the French Departments of Haute-Ga ...

when speaking of northern Aragon. The Alto Aragon or Highlands of Aragon are, historically and geographically, made up of the original independent counties of the Frankish

Marca Hispanica The Hispanic March or Spanish March ( es, Marca Hispánica, ca, Marca Hispànica, Aragonese and oc, Marca Hispanica, eu, Hispaniako Marka, french: Marche d'Espagne), was a military buffer zone beyond the former province of Septimania, esta ...

, that would later expand to form the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

Kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon ( an, Reino d'Aragón, ca, Regne d'Aragó, la, Regnum Aragoniae, es, Reino de Aragón) was a medieval and early modern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, ...

. Usually used in a cultural context, the term Alto Aragon, when referring to "the Highlands", conveys a sense of cultural character - of noble, fiercely independent, Pyrenean

mountain people Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains. This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation. The climate is generally harsh, with s ...

: of mythic heroes, legends,

Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

s and

crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...

s. This strength of character is reflected in its architecture, mountain top villages, its robust cuisine, distinctive traditional clothing (now worn only in festivals, such as in

Ansó Ansó is a town and municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 523 inhabitants. The municipality includes the towns of Ansó and Fago (7 km. apart) ...

), folk music and dancing, and most especially, in its language. The

Aragonese language Aragonese ( ; in Aragonese) is a Romance language spoken in several dialects by about 12,000 people as of 2011, in the Pyrenees valleys of Aragon, Spain, primarily in the comarcas of Somontano de Barbastro, Jacetania, Alto Gállego, Sobrarbe, ...

was born in the Alto Aragon, the highlands, and today this is where it continues to be spoken most actively, by over 10,000 people.

External links

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Portal about Alto Aragon
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Website of the Diario del Alto Aragón (journal)
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Website about the villages of the Aragon valley
Pyrenees Geography of Aragon {{Aragon-geo-stub

See also

External links