:''Ayerbe is also the name of a village in the
Broto
Broto (in Medieval Aragonese: ''Brotto'') is a municipality in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2018 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 531 inhabitants.
Villages
The Valle de Broto includes the following v ...
municipality.''
Ayerbe is a town in the
Hoya de Huesca
Hoya de Huesca/Plana de Uesca is a comarca (county) in the province of Huesca (Spain).
* Capital city: Huesca, also the biggest of the 40 municipalities of the comarca.
* Surface: 2,525.60 km².
* Population: 60,525 (2002).
It occupies the ...
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
, in the
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administra ...
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 ...
in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Geography
Ayerbe is located 28 km from
Huesca
Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...
on highway A 132 in the direction of
Pamplona
Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region.
Lying at near above ...
, on the Gállego river. It is bounded by Riglos crags and the Santo Domingo range of hills to the north; to the east by the villages of Loarre and Loscorrales; to the south by the villages of Lupiñén-Ortilla, and to the west by the villages of Biscarrues and Murillo de Gállego. It is located at , with a height above sea level of
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
of 582 m. and an area of 63.29 square kilometres. It is located in an excavated erosive depression in the surface of the
Tertiary period
Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago.
The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
.
The soil is dry, loose and stony, generally level with a sprinkling of small isolated hills. The land is largely covered by pines, olive and almond trees, with vineyards making a comeback. There are also areas of cereal production to the east and south. It is also populated by evergreen oaks, rosemary, gorse and other shrubs in addition to grass. There are occasional occurrences of rabbits, hares and partridges.
The area is particularly attractive to bird watchers, who come to see the
lammergeier
The bearded vulture (''Gypaetus barbatus''), also known as the lammergeier and ossifrage, is a very large bird of prey and the only member of the genus ''Gypaetus''. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a separate mi ...
,
griffon vulture
The Eurasian griffon vulture (''Gyps fulvus'') is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It may also be known as the Griffon vulture, though it may be used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confused with Rü ...
and
Egyptian vulture
The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and ...
s, as well as a wide variety of birds of prey. Hunters find plenty of wild boars and deer, as well as partridge and quail.
The hill range behind Ayerbe is part of the Pre-Pyrenees and reaches over 1,600 m, although the town itself is actually on the plain at the foot of the range, which eventually leads down to the River Ebro, around 100 km away.
Points of interest
![Ayerbe-Refollau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Ayerbe-Refollau.jpg)
The town center features two rectangular squares either side of the 16th-century palace of the Marquesses de Ayerbe or palace of the Marquesses of Urriez (declared a historical monument in 1931), and in general it is the collection of domestic architecture and other architecturally distinguished buildings that make Ayerbe particularly worth visiting.
Ayerbe's main claim to fame is that
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Santiago Ramón y Cajal (; 1 May 1852 – 17 October 1934) was a Spanish neuroscientist, pathologist, and histologist specializing in neuroanatomy and the central nervous system. He and Camillo Golgi received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Med ...
, winner of the 1906
Nobel prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
in Physiology or Medicine, lived here for ten years. The town promotes his memory with
museumand visitor centre; Ayerbe library holds a collection of Cajal-related books with more than 250 works and documents for public use.
Ayerbe has a public library, casino, bars, municipal swimming pool and, around the town, a network of footpaths, fields and highways for walkers and cyclists. There are several restaurants, a hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation, as well as tourist information center in the summer months in one of the town squares. Other attractions include Fontaneta park (at ) and the "La Fuente de los Tres Caños" fountain.
The hill directly behind the town is the location of a now renovated chapel at one end and a Moorish castle (in ruins) at the other. These can be reached on foot or by all terrain vehicle and provide excellent views of the surrounding countryside (even to the Pyrenees).
The town is known by many in the region for its "Tortas de Ayerbe", which are sweet flat, round pastries, usually flavoured with aniseed. Visitors can also purchase locally produced wine, olive oil and honey.
Fiestas and celebrations
The
Fiesta of
Santa Leticia takes place around September 9 and lasts for four to six days. A sculpture of the Saint is carried in procession, its pedestal garlanded with grapes; figures of
giants
A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore.
Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to:
Mythology and religion
*Giants (Greek mythology)
*Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'gi ...
and "cabezudos" parade in the streets and
pyrotechnic
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
figures of bulls race through the town every night.
In 2005 the 6th meeting of the Giants of Aragon took place in the town, bringing together 72 giant figures from all over
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 ...
: 32 bands, 166 musicians and 140 figure-carriers took part.
"The week of the mushrooms" has been celebrated in the town for years in the month of October and constitutes a social event on an international level.
See also
*
Palace of Ayerbe
References
External links
fontaneta.blogspot.comReino de los Malloswww.ayerbe.esCarnicraba*
{{authority control
Municipalities in the Province of Huesca