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Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''
Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...
'
"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)"
is the capital city of the
Zaragoza Province Zaragoza (), also called Saragossa in English,''Encyclopædia Britannica''Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)/ref> is a province of northern Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Aragon. Its capital is Zaragoza, which is also t ...
and of 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 ...
, Spain. It lies by the
Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = The Ebro ...
river and its tributaries, the
Huerva The Huerva River is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro. Its mean annual discharge is only . Course This long river rises in the Sierra de Cucalón, near Fonfría in the Jiloca Comarca. Flowing northwestwards near Lagueruel ...
and the Gállego, roughly in the center of both Aragon and the Ebro basin. On 1 January 2021 the population of the municipality of Zaragoza was 675,301, (the fifth most populated in Spain) on a land area of . The population of the
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
was estimated in 2006 at 783,763 inhabitants. The
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
is home to more than 50 percent of the Aragonese population. The city lies at an elevation of about
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
. Zaragoza hosted
Expo 2008 Expo 2008 was an international exposition held in the year 2008 from 14 June (Saturday) to 14 September (Sunday) in Zaragoza, Spain, with the theme of "Water and Sustainable Development". The exposition was placed in a meander of the river Ebro. ...
in the summer of 2008, a
world's fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
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 :''See Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Buenos Aires) for the church in Buenos Aires'' The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar ( es, Catedral-Basílica de Our Lady of the Pillar, Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is a Roman Catholic church ...
,
La Seo Cathedral The Cathedral of the Savior ( es, Catedral del Salvador) or La Seo de Zaragoza is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Zaragoza, in Aragon, Spain. It is part of the World Heritage Site ''Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon''. The cathedral is located on th ...
and the Aljafería Palace. Together with La Seo and the Aljafería, several other buildings form part of the
Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon Mudéjar architecture of Aragon is an aesthetic trend in Mudéjar style in Aragon, (Spain) and has been recognized in some representative buildings as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The chronology of the Aragonese Mudéjar occupies 12th to the ...
which is a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. The ''
Fiestas del Pilar The Fiestas del Pilar are an annual festival celebrated in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon, in honour of the patron saint of the city, the ''Our Lady of the Pillar, Virgen del Pilar'' (Our Lady of the Pillar). The week long festival takes place e ...
'' are among the most celebrated festivals in Spain.


Etymology

The Iberian town that preceded Roman colonisation was called ''Salduie'' or '. The Romans and Greeks called the ancient city (in Greek ), from which derive the Arabic name (used during the
Al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...
period), the medieval , and the modern ''Zaragoza''.


History


Roman Caesaraugusta

The Sedetani, a tribe of
ancient Iberians The Iberians ( la, Hibērī, from el, Ἴβηρες, ''Iberes'') were an ancient people settled in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula, at least from the 6th century BC. They are described in Greek and Roman sources (among ...
, populated a village called ( in Roman sources). Later on,
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
founded a city called ''Caesaraugusta'' at the same location to settle army veterans from the
Cantabrian wars The Cantabrian Wars (29–19 BC) (''Bellum Cantabricum''), sometimes also referred to as the Cantabrian and Asturian Wars (''Bellum Cantabricum et Asturicum''), were the final stage of the two-century long Roman conquest of Hispania, in what to ...
. The foundation date of ''Caesaraugusta'' has not been set with exact precision, though it is known to lie between 25 BC and 11 BC.


Middle Ages

The city did not suffer any decline during the last centuries of the Roman empire and was captured peacefully by the
Goths The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...
in the fifth century AD. In the eighth century, following the Umayyad conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, Zaragoza became the capital of the
Upper March The Upper March (in ar, الثغر الأعلى, ''aṯ-Tagr al-A'la''; in Spanish: ''Marca Superior'') was an administrative and military division in northeast Al-Andalus, roughly corresponding to the Ebro valley and adjacent Mediterranean coa ...
of
al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...
. In 1018, amid the collapse of the
Caliphate of Córdoba The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خلافة قرطبة; transliterated ''Khilāfat Qurṭuba''), also known as the Cordoban Caliphate was an Islamic state ruled by the Umayyad dynasty from 929 to 1031. Its territory comprised Iberia and parts o ...
, Zaragoza became an independent
Taifa of Zaragoza The taifa of Zaragoza () was an independent Arab Muslim state in the east of Al-Andalus (present day Spain), which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, with its capital in Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. Zaragoza's taifa emerged in ...
, initially controlled by the Tujibid family, then ruled by the
Banu Hud The Banu Hud ( ar, بنو هود ', the Hudid dynasty) were an Arab dynasty that ruled the ' of Zaragoza from 1039 until 1110. In 1039, under the leadership of Al-Mustain I, Sulayman ibn Hud al-Judhami, the Bani Hud seized control of Zaragoza f ...
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 Ahmad ibn Sulayman al-Muqtadir (or just Moctadir; ar, أبو جعفر أحمد "المقتدر بالله" بن سليمان, ''Abu Ja'far Ahmad al-Muqtadir bi-Llah ibn Sulayman'') was a member of the Banu Hud family who ruled the Islamic taifa ...
,
Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud Abu Amir Yusuf ibn Ahmad ibn Hud ( ar, أبو عامر يوسف إبن أحمد إبن هود, Abū ʿĀmir Yūsuf ibn Aḥmad ibn Hūd; died ), more commonly known as al-Mu'taman, was a mathematician, and also one of the kings of the Taifa of Za ...
and
Al-Musta'in II Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud ( ar, أبو جعفر أحمد بن يوسف بن هود), known by the regnal name al-Musta'in Billah ( ar, المستعين بالله, , He who looks for help to God), was the fourth member of the Banu Hud fam ...
. It fell to the
Almoravid The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that s ...
s in 1110. On 18 December 1118,
Alfonso I of Aragon Alfonso I (''c''. 1073/10747 September 1134), called the Battler or the Warrior ( es, el Batallador), was King of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Pet ...
conquered the city from the Almoravids, and made it the capital of the
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, ...
. After Alfonso's death without heirs in 1134, Zaragoza was swiftly occupied by
Alfonso VII of León Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
. The city control was held by García Ramírez, king of Navarra, until 1136 when it was given to Ramiro II the Monk in the treaty signed at the betrothal of Ramiro's daughter Petronila and Alfonso's son Sancho. The wedding never happened, as Petronila eventually married
Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer IV (; c. 1114 – 6 August 1162, Anglicized Raymond Berengar IV), sometimes called ''the Saint'', was the count of Barcelona who brought about the union of the County of Barcelona with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the Crown of Ara ...
. The marriage union was the origin of the
Crown of Aragón The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of B ...
, and union with Castile would not happen for another 333 years, when King Ferdinand II of Aragon and his wife, Queen Isabella I of Castile, each took their respective thrones. 13th century Zaragoza was the scene of two controversial martyrdoms related with the
Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ( es, Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition ( es, Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand ...
: those of Saint Dominguito del Val, a choirboy in the basilica, and
Pedro de Arbués Pedro de Arbués, also known as ''Peter of Arbués'' (c. 1441 – 17 September 1485) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and a professed Augustinian canon. He served as an official of the Spanish Inquisition until he was assassinated in the La Seo ...
, head official of the inquisition. While the reality of the existence of Dominguito del Val is questioned, his "murder" at the hands of "jealous Jews" was used as an excuse to murder or convert the Jewish population of Zaragoza.


Early Modern history

An outbreak of
bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...
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 Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Laurentius of Austria, Duke of Teschen (german: link=no, Erzherzog Karl Ludwig Johann Josef Lorenz von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen; 5 September 177130 April 1847) was an Austrian field-marshal, the third s ...
, who was proclaimed "King of Aragon" in the city on 29 June 1706, following the uprising of other parts of 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 Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...
entering the city on 26 May 1707. As he seized control of 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 The Battle of Almenar also referred to as Almenara was a battle in the Iberian theatre of the War of the Spanish Succession. In June 1710, the Bourbon-Spanish army of Phillip V crossed into Catalonia in an attempt to capture Balaguer; an All ...
, 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 the entry of Philip V in Madrid and the ensuing
Battle of Villaviciosa The Battle of Villaviciosa (11 December 1710) was a battle between a Franco-Spanish army led by Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme and Philip V of Spain and a Habsburg-allied army commanded by Austrian Guido Starhemberg. The battle took place durin ...
in December 1710, the Habsburg armies fled from Zaragoza in haste in December 1710 and
Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...
proceeded to consolidate his rule over the kingdom of Aragon, resuming administrative reforms after a period of institutional void. An important
food riot Food riots may occur when there is a shortage and/or unequal distribution of food. Causes can be food price rises, harvest failures, incompetent food storage, transport problems, food speculation, hoarding, poisoning of food, or attacks by pes ...
caused by the high price of bread and other
necessity good In economics, a necessity good or a necessary good is a type of normal good. Necessity goods are product(s) and services that consumers will buy regardless of the changes in their income levels, therefore making these products less sensitive to inc ...
s took place in the city in April 1766, the so-called , named after the repressive agents, volunteer farmers and craftsmen who wielded swords and
buckler A buckler (French ''bouclier'' 'shield', from Old French ''bocle, boucle'' 'boss') is a small shield, up to 45 cm (up to 18 in) in diameter, gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss. While being used in Europe since an ...
s (). 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 The Aljafería Palace ( es, Palacio de la Aljafería; ar, قصر الجعفرية, tr. ''Qaṣr al-Jaʿfariyah'') is a fortified medieval palace built during the second half of the 11th century in the Taifa of Zaragoza in Al-Andalus, present d ...
.


Late Modern history

Zaragoza suffered two famous sieges during the
Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
against the Napoleonic army: a
first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
from June to August 1808; and a
second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
from December 1808 to February 1809, surrendering only after some 50,000 defenders had died. Railway transport arrived to Zaragoza on 16 September 1861 via the inauguration of the
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
–Zaragoza line with the arrival of a train from the former city to the Estación del Norte. The opening of the
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
–Zaragoza line took place a year and a half later, on 16 May 1863. The July 1936 coup d'état (with Gral. Miguel Cabanellas, Col. , , , Major Cebollero and Gral. at the centre of the Mola-led conspiration in Zaragoza) triumphed in the city. The military uprising in Africa on 17 July was followed in the early morning of 19 July by the military command, easily attaining their objectives in Zaragoza, despite the latter's status as stronghold of mobilised labour (most of them 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, would flee to
Caspe Caspe is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon (Spain), seat of the comarca Bajo Aragón-Caspe. As of 2018 it had a population of 9,525 inhabitants (INE 2018) and its municipality, of 503.33&nbs ...
, the capital of the territory of Aragon, which was still controlled by the Republic. The rearguard violence committed by the putschists, with already 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 The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
along
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, Zaragoza profited from an increasing industrial production vis-à-vis the
war economy A war economy or wartime economy is the set of contingencies undertaken by a modern state to mobilize its economy for war production. Philippe Le Billon describes a war economy as a "system of producing, mobilizing and allocating resources t ...
, playing a key role for the
Francoist faction The Nationalist faction ( es, Bando nacional) or Rebel faction ( es, Bando sublevado) was a major faction in the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939. It was composed of a variety of right-leaning political groups that supported the Spanish Coup ...
as ammunition manufacturer. The
General Military Academy The General Military Academy (in Spanish: Academia General Militar) is a higher training center of the Spanish Army, responsible for the initial training for officers of the Arms and Corps of the Army, and for the officers of the Civil Guard. I ...
, a higher training center of the
Spanish Army The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century. The ...
, was re-established on 27 September 1940 by
José Enrique Varela José Enrique Varela Iglesias, 1st Marquis of San Fernando de Varela (17 April 1891 – 24 March 1951) was a Spanish military officer noted for his role as a Nationalist commander in the Spanish Civil War. Early career Varela started his milita ...
, the
Francoist Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spani ...
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 ("Pole for Industrial Development") by the regime in 1964, the city doubled in population in a short time. The increase in population ran parallel to the
rural flight Rural flight (or rural exodus) is the migratory pattern of peoples from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In industrializing economies like Britain in the eighteenth century or East Asia in the ...
and depopulation in the rest of Aragon. In 1979, the Hotel Corona de Aragón fire killed at least 80. The armed
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
nationalist and separatist organization
ETA Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...
has been blamed, but officially the fire is still regarded as accidental. ETA carried out the Zaragoza barracks bombing in 1987 which killed eleven people, including 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 The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
for the production of
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
cars, some of which are exported to the United Kingdom and sold under the
Vauxhall Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
brand. The city took advantage of the entry of Spain into the European Communities (later European Union).


Geography


Location

Zaragoza lies in the north-east of the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
, in the rather arid depression formed by the valley of the
Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = 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 Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
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 the Spanish cities of
Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...
,
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
,
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
and
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and the French cities of
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
and
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
. The municipality has a surface of , 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 and escarpments. The surrounding elevations rise up to heights of about 600–750 metres above sea level. The locations near the meanders of the Ebro feature some sinkholes formed upon the subsidence of the
gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywall. ...
-rich soil, that can form ponds fed from irrigation water. There is also an instance of seasonal
endorheic An endorheic basin (; also spelled endoreic basin or endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into lakes ...
lagoon, , 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 the confluence of the Ebro with the
Huerva river The Huerva River is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro. Its mean annual discharge is only . Course This long river rises in the Sierra de Cucalón, near Fonfría in the Jiloca Comarca. Flowing northwestwards near Lagueruel ...
, 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 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 ...
.


Climate

Zaragoza has a
semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''BSk''), as it lies in a wide basin entirely surrounded by
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
s which block off moist air from the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The average annual
precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
is a scanty with abundant sunny days, and the rainiest seasons are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–November), with a relative
drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
in summer (July–August) and winter (December–March).
Temperatures Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...
are hot in summer reaching up to , and in winter are cool, either because of the
fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influ ...
(about twenty days from November to January ) or a cold and dry
wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few hou ...
blowing from the northwest, the '' Cierzo'' (related to other northerly winds such as the ''
Mistral Mistral may refer to: * Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia Automobiles * Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970 * Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006 * Microp ...
'' in the SE of France) on clear days. Night
frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
is common and there is sporadic
snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
fall.


Administrative subdivisions

Zaragoza is administratively divided into 15 urban districts and 14 rural neighborhoods:


Demographics

The population, in thousands, can be seen here: ImageSize = width:850 height:300 PlotArea = width:650 height:230 left:180 bottom:35 AlignBars = late DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:0 till:900 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:60 start:0 BarData= bar:1900 text:"1900" bar:1910 text:"1910" bar:1920 text:"1920" bar:1930 text:"1930" bar:1940 text:"1940" bar:1950 text:"1950" bar:1960 text:"1960" bar:1970 text:"1971" bar:1981 text:"1981" bar:1991 text:"1991" bar:1994 text:"1994" bar:1996 text:"1996" bar:2001 text:"2001" bar:2004 text:"2004" bar:2006 text:"2006" bar:2008 text:"2008" bar:2010 text:"2010" bar:2012 text:"2012" bar:2014 text:"2014" bar:2016 text:"2016" bar:2018 text:"2018" bar:2020 text:"2020" PlotData= width:17 bar:1900 color:brightblue from:0 till:99 bar:1910 color:brightblue from:0 till:112 bar:1920 color:brightblue from:0 till:141 bar:1930 color:brightblue from:0 till:174 bar:1940 color:brightblue from:0 till:239 bar:1950 color:brightblue from:0 till:264 bar:1960 color:brightblue from:0 till:326 bar:1970 color:brightblue from:0 till:480 bar:1981 color:brightblue from:0 till:591 bar:1991 color:brightblue from:0 till:594 bar:1994 color:brightblue from:0 till:607 bar:1996 color:brightblue from:0 till:602 bar:2001 color:brightblue from:0 till:611 bar:2004 color:brightblue from:0 till:639 bar:2006 color:brightblue from:0 till:649 bar:2008 color:brightblue from:0 till:666 bar:2010 color:brightblue from:0 till:675 bar:2012 color:brightblue from:0 till:680 bar:2014 color:brightblue from:0 till:666 bar:2016 color:brightblue from:0 till:661 bar:2018 color:brightblue from:0 till:667 bar:2020 color:brightblue from:0 till:682


Religion

According to a survey carried out by the
Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas The Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas ("Centre for Sociological Research") or CIS is a Spanish public research institute. It was founded in 1963 as the Instituto de la Opinión Pública, and in 1977, after the Spanish general election, 197 ...
(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 Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...
, 4.3% as
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
and 2.3% as "other religions", while a 6.7% did not answer.


Immigration

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 Moroccans (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Kingdom of Morocco. The country's population is predominantly composed of Arabs and Berbers (Amazigh). The term also applies more broadly to any people who are of Moroccan nationality, s ...
(9.1%) and
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
(7%).


Economy

An
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
factory was opened in 1982 in Figueruelas, a small village nearby. The
automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industry ...
is a main pillar of the regional economy along with Balay, which manufactures household appliances; CAF, which builds railway
rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can b ...
for both the national and international markets; SAICA and Torraspapel in the stationery sector; and various other local companies, such as
Pikolin Pikolin is a Spanish mattress manufacturer headquartered in Zaragoza (Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, t ...
,
Lacasa , num_employees = , industry = Confectionery , products = Chocolates Lacasa, Comercial Chocolates Lacasa, Bombonera Vallisoletana, Productos Mauri, Chocolates Del Norte, lacasavital , revenue = , net_income = , assets = , pare ...
, and Imaginarium SA. The city's economy benefited from projects like the
Expo 2008 Expo 2008 was an international exposition held in the year 2008 from 14 June (Saturday) to 14 September (Sunday) in Zaragoza, Spain, with the theme of "Water and Sustainable Development". The exposition was placed in a meander of the river Ebro. ...
, the official World's Fair, whose theme was water and
sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...
, held between 14 June and 14 September 2008, (PLAZA), and the (PTR). Furthermore, since December 2003, it has been a city through which the
AVE ''Alta Velocidad Española'' (''AVE'') is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . As of December 2021, the Spanish high-speed rail network, on part of which the AVE s ...
high-speed rail travels. Currently,
Zaragoza Airport Zaragoza Airport ( Aragonese and es, Aeropuerto de Zaragoza; ) is an international airport near Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain. It is located west of Zaragoza, west of Barcelona, and northeast of Madrid. In addition to serving as a major cargo ai ...
is a major cargo hub in the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
, behind only Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Zaragoza is home to a
Spanish Air and Space Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...
base, which was shared with the
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
until 1994. In English, the base was known as
Zaragoza Air Base Zaragoza Air Base is a base of the Spanish Air and Space Force located near Zaragoza, Spain. It is located west of Zaragoza, west of Barcelona, and northeast of Madrid. It shares infrastructure with the Zaragoza Airport. in the past, Zaragoza ...
. The Spanish Air Force maintained a
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twin-engine, supersonic, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now p ...
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 the main
Spanish Army The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century. The ...
academy, ''
Academia General Militar The General Military Academy (in Spanish: Academia General Militar) is a higher training center of the Spanish Army, responsible for the initial training for officers of the Arms and Corps of the Army, and for the officers of the Civil Guard. It ...
'', a number of brigades at ''San Gregorio'', and other garrisons.


Culture

Christianity took root in Zaragoza at an early date. According to legend,
St. Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
appeared miraculously to
Saint James the Great James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...
in Zaragoza in the first century, standing on a pillar. This apparition is commemorated by a famous Catholic
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
called '' Nuestra Señora del Pilar'' ('Our Lady of the Pillar'). 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, ...
, 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.


Festivals

The annual ''
Fiestas del Pilar The Fiestas del Pilar are an annual festival celebrated in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon, in honour of the patron saint of the city, the ''Our Lady of the Pillar, Virgen del Pilar'' (Our Lady of the Pillar). The week long festival takes place e ...
'' last for nine days, with its main day on 12 October. Since this date coincided in 1492 with the first sighting by
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
of the Americas, that day is also celebrated as (
Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. ...
) by Spanish-speaking people worldwide. There are many activities during the festival, from the massively attended (opening speech) to the final fireworks display over the Ebro; they also include marching bands, dances such as (the most popular folk music dance), a procession of ''
gigantes y cabezudos Processional giants, french: géants processionnels, es, gigantes y cabezudos, va, gegants i cabuts, ca, gegants i capgrossos, eu, erraldoi eta buruhandiak are costumed figures in European folklore, particularly present in Belgian, Fren ...
'', concerts, exhibitions, ''vaquillas'', bullfights, fairground amusements, and fireworks. Some of the most important events are the , 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 on 13 October, when all the
autonomous communities of Spain eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...
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 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.


Education

The
University of Zaragoza The University of Zaragoza, sometimes referred to as Saragossa University () is a public university with teaching campuses and research centres spread over the three provinces of Aragon, Spain. Founded in 1542, it is one of the oldest universiti ...
is based in the city. As one of the oldest universities in Spain and a major
research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...
centre, this
public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
awards all the highest academic degrees in dozens of fields. Zaragoza 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 also a private university, Universidad San Jorge, which is located in
Villanueva de Gállego Villanueva de Gállego is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given ...
. There is a French international primary and secondary school,
Lycée Français Molière de Saragosse Lycée Français Molière de Saragosse ( es, Liceo Francés Molière Zaragoza) is a French international school in Zaragoza, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , ...
.


Transport


Roads

The city is connected by
motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
with the main cities in central and northern Spain, including
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
,
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
, and
Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...
, all of which are located about 300 kilometres (200 miles) from Zaragoza.


Buses

The city has 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.


Bicycle

Zaragoza's bicycle lanes facilitate non-motorised travel and help cyclists to avoid running into pedestrians and motor vehicles. The city council also has a public bicycle-hire scheme, the , which has an annual charge.


Tram

The first line of the
Zaragoza tram The Zaragoza Tram ( es, Tranvía de Zaragoza) is a tram system in the Spanish city of Zaragoza, capital of the autonomous community of Aragon. It has one line called Line 1 and it was expected to be expanded with a second and third line but t ...
(Valdespartera-Parque Goya) is fully operational.


Railway

Zaragoza is a part of the Spanish high-speed railway operated by Renfe,
AVE ''Alta Velocidad Española'' (''AVE'') is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . As of December 2021, the Spanish high-speed rail network, on part of which the AVE s ...
, which connects
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
,
Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
,
Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...
,
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and
Figueres Figueres (, ; , es, Figueras, ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museu ...
via
high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
. Madrid can be reached in 75 minutes, and Barcelona in approximately 90 minutes. The central station is
Zaragoza–Delicias railway station Zaragoza–Delicias station is a Train station, railway station located in the city of Zaragoza in Aragon, Spain. The station opened on 7 May 2003, and the Central Bus Station Zaragoza opened on 5 May 2007, providing a wide intermodality to pass ...
, which serves both railway lines and coaches. In addition to long-distance railway lines and the high-speed trains, Zaragoza has a network of commuter trains operated by Renfe called ''
Cercanías Zaragoza Cercanías Zaragoza is the name given to the Renfe operated commuter train service in and around the city of Zaragoza, in Aragon, Spain. There is currently one line, running from Miraflores to Casetas. Trains run once an hour off-peak, with ex ...
''.


Airport

Zaragoza Airport Zaragoza Airport ( Aragonese and es, Aeropuerto de Zaragoza; ) is an international airport near Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain. It is located west of Zaragoza, west of Barcelona, and northeast of Madrid. In addition to serving as a major cargo ai ...
is located in the Garrapinillos neighbourhood, 10 kilometres from the city centre. It is a major commercial airport, its freight traffic surpassing that of Barcelona El Prat in 2012, and serves as the home of the
Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...
's 15th Group. It was also used by
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
as a contingency landing site for the
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
in the case of a
Transoceanic Abort Landing Space Shuttle abort modes were procedures by which the nominal launch of the NASA Space Shuttle could be terminated. A pad abort occurred after ignition of the shuttle's main engines but prior to liftoff. An abort during ascent that would result ...
(TAL).


Public transportation statistics

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Zaragoza, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 48 minutes. 9% of public transit riders ride for more than two hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 11 minutes, while 12% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is , while 5% travel over in a single direction.


Sports


Football

Zaragoza's main football team,
Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. (), commonly referred to as Zaragoza, is a football club based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, that currently competes in the Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league system. Zaragoza holds its home games at La ...
, plays in the
Segunda División The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commercially known as LaLiga SmartBank for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spanish football league system. Administrated by the Lig ...
. Founded on 18 March 1932, its home games are played at
La Romareda Estadio La Romareda is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on 8 September 1957, with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna (4–3). The official capacity is 33,608, with an average attendance of around 20,000 ...
, which seats 34,596 spectators. The club has spent the majority of its history in
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
. One of the most remarkable events in the team's recent history is the winning of the former
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
in 1995. The team has also won the Spanish National Cup,
Copa del Rey The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footbal ...
, six times: 1965, 1966, 1986, 1994, 2001 and 2004 and an Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1964). A government survey in 2007 found that 2.7% of the Spanish population support the club, making them the seventh-most supported in the country. Zaragoza's second football team is
CD Ebro Club Deportivo Ebro is a Spanish football club in Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon. Founded in 1942, it plays in Segunda División RFEF – Group 3, holding home games at '' Campo Municipal de Fútbol La Almozara'', which has a cap ...
. Founded in 1942, it plays in
Segunda División B Segunda División B ( en, Second Division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish Foot ...
– Group 2, holding home games at Campo Municipal de Fútbol La Almozara, which has a capacity of 1,000 seats.
Zaragoza CFF Zaragoza Club de Fútbol Femenino, formerly known as ''Club Deportivo Transportes Alcaine'' for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish women's football team from Zaragoza playing in Segunda División Pro. History Zaragoza CFF was founded in 2002 a ...
is a Spanish women's football team from Zaragoza playing in Primera División Femenina. Zaragoza was one of the Spanish cities which hosted the
FIFA World Cup 1982 FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was founded ...
. Three matches were played at
La Romareda Estadio La Romareda is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on 8 September 1957, with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna (4–3). The official capacity is 33,608, with an average attendance of around 20,000 ...
.


Basketball

The main basketball team,
Basket Zaragoza Basket Zaragoza 2002 S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Basket Zaragoza and as Casademont Zaragoza for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Zaragoza, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is the ...
, known as ''Tecnyconta Zaragoza'' for sponsorship reasons, plays in the
Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, wi ...
. They play their home games at the
Pabellón Principe Felipe Pabellón or Pabellon may refer to: Places: *Pabellón de Arteaga, city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes *Pabellón de Arteaga (municipality), municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes * Pabellon Island, the southernmost of two isl ...
with a capacity of 10,744.
Stadium Casablanca Stadium Casablanca (also known as Mann-Filter for sponsorship reasons), was a sports club based in Zaragoza. The women's basketball section played in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto until 2020 when the structure of the club was integrare into the ...
, a.k.a. ''Mann Filter'' for sponsorship reasons, is the Spanish women's basketball club from Zaragoza that plays in the Primera Division.


Futsal

The main
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hardcourt, hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and Indoor soccer, indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players ...
team, is Dlink Zaragoza, plays in the LNFS Primera División. They play at the Pabellón Siglo XXI with a capacity of 2,600.


Other sports

Zaragoza's handball team, BM Aragón, plays in the
Liga ASOBAL Liga Asobal is the premier professional handball league in Spain. It was founded in 1958 with the name of División de Honor, changing its name to the current name in 1990. The Liga ASOBAL, which is played under EHF rules, currently consists of 1 ...
. The
Spanish Baja Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
or Baja Aragon is a Rally raid event held in the region of Aragon in northern Spain. This event was launched in 1983, and chose the desert of Monegros because of the scenery and availability of service infrastructure in Zaragoza. Zaragoza was strongly associated with
Jaca Jaca (; in Aragonese: ''Chaca'' or ''Xaca'') is a city of northeastern Spain in the province of Huesca, located near the Pyrenees and the border with France. Jaca is an ancient fort on the Aragón River, situated at the crossing of two great ea ...
in its failed bid for the
2014 Winter Olympics , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
. There are three Rugby Union teams playing in the regional league: # Ibero Club de Rugby Zaragoza # Fénix Club de Rugby # Club Deportivo Universitario de Rugby A permanent feature built for Expo 2008 is the pump-powered artificial whitewater course .


Main sights

Near the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, basilica on the banks of the Ebro are located the Zaragoza City Hall, city hall, the Lonja (old currency exchange), La Seo (literally 'the Episcopal see, See' in the Aragonese language) or La Seo Cathedral, Cathedral of San Salvador, a church built over the main mosque (partially preserved in the 11th-century north wall of the Parroquieta), with Romanesque apses from the 12th century; inside, the imposing hall church from the 15th to 16th centuries, the Baroque tower, and finally, with its famous Museum of Tapestries near the Roman ruins of forum and port city wall. Some distance from the centre of the old city is the Al-Andalus, Moorish castle (or palace)
Aljafería The Aljafería Palace ( es, Palacio de la Aljafería; ar, قصر الجعفرية, tr. ''Qaṣr al-Jaʿfariyah'') is a fortified medieval palace built during the second half of the 11th century in the Taifa of Zaragoza in Al-Andalus, present d ...
, the most important Moorish buildings in northern Spain and the setting for Giuseppe Verdi's opera ''Il trovatore'' (''The Troubadour''). The Aragonese parliament currently sits in the building. The churches of church of San Pablo (Zaragoza), San Pablo, Santa María Magdalena (Zaragoza), Santa María Magdalena and San Gil Abad (Zaragoza), San Gil Abad were built in the 14th century, but the towers may be old minarets dating from the 11th century; San Miguel (Zaragoza), San Miguel (14th century); Santiago (San Ildefonso) and the Fecetas monastery are Baroque with Mudéjar ceilings of the 17th century. All the churches are Mudéjar monuments that comprise a
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. Other important sights are the stately houses and palaces in the city, mainly of the 16th century: palaces of the count of Morata or Luna (Audiencia), Deán, Torrero (), Don Lope or Real Maestranza, count of Sástago, count of Argillo (today the Pablo Gargallo museum), archbishop, etc. On 14 June 2008, the site of Expo 2008 opened its doors to the public. The exhibition ran until 14 September.


Other sights

* Puente de Piedra (Zaragoza), Puente de Piedra * San Ildefonso church * Church of Santa Engracia de Zaragoza, Santa Engracia Monastery * Fuente de la Hispanidad Museums in Zaragoza are: * Museum of Fine Arts Zaragoza, with paintings by early Aragonese artists, 15th century, and by El Greco, Ribera and Goya. * Museo Goya - Colección Ibercaja - Museo Camón Aznar with works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Velazquez and Goya to Renoir, Manet and Sorolla.


Twin towns and sister cities

Zaragoza is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: Zaragoza has special bilateral collaboration agreements with:


Notable people

* Avempace (1085–1138), polymath * Bahya ibn Paquda, Bahya ben Joseph ibn Paquda (1050–1120), the author of ''Chovot HaLevavot'' * Sebastián Pozas Perea, Sebastián Pozas (1876–1946), military officer * Abraham Abulafia (1240–1291), founder of the school of "Prophetic Kabbalah" * Amaral (band) (established 1992), popular musical band in Spain and America. * Alonso Fernández de Heredia (died March 19, 1782), Captain General and governor of Honduras (1747), Florida (1751–1758), Yucatán (in modern-day Mexico; 1758–?), the Captaincy General of Guatemala (1761–1771) and Nicaragua (1761–1771). * Ramón Ferreñac (1763–1832), composer * José Luis Gil (born 1957), actor * Luis de Horruytiner (? – ?), governor of Spanish Florida (1633 – 1638), and viceroy of Sardinia * Rafael Navarro (photographer), Rafael Navarro (born 8 October 1940), photographer * Dino Valls (born 1959), painter. * José María Vigil (theologian), José María Vigil (born 1946), theologian * Irene Vallejo, writer


See also

* Crown of Aragon * Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zaragoza * Third Millennium Bridge


References

;Informational notes ;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Council of Zaragoza


* Demographics in 2015
Zaragoza City council
{{Authority control Zaragoza, Aragon Roman towns and cities in Spain