''La Garcipollera'' (in Aragonese and officially ''A Garzipollera''), also known as Garcipollera Valley, is a small area of the Aragonese

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 ...

, within the

Jacetania La Jacetania ( an, A Chacetania; french: Jacétanie) is a comarca in northern Aragon, Spain. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Huesca and Zaragoza provinces. The administrative capital is Jaca, with 13,374 inhabitants the largest ...

, in the province of

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 ...

, practically coinciding with the basin of the Ijuez river, a tributary 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 ...

. It is characteristic because most of its villages were depopulated during the 20th century.

Geography

Located in the upper part of the

Aragón river 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 sout ...

near

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 ...

and before the middle Pyrenean depression or Berdún Canal, in the basin of the Ijuez river and its surroundings, the valley comprises a space delimited by the foothills of the

Collarada Collarada peak is a mountain in the western Pyrenees of Huesca, situated on the northeastern Aragon near the towns of Villanúa (to the south) and Canfranc (to the west). The peak is 2,886 meters AMSL high, being the highest summit in the Jacetani ...

massif, the

Acumuer Acumuer is a village under the local government of the municipality of Sabiñánigo, Alto Gállego, Huesca, Aragon, Spain. Populated places in the Province of Huesca Sabiñánigo Towns in Spain Former municipalities in Spain {{huesca-geo-stu ...

valley and the

. Some sources consider it to be part of the ''Aragón valley'', also known as the ''

Canfranc Canfranc () is a municipality in the Aragón Valley of north-eastern Spain consisting of two villages, the original village and ''Canfranc Estación'', which developed with the establishment of Canfranc International railway station to serve railw ...

valley''.

History

Ancient and Middle Ages

The first sources of the toponym are found in the ''Libro de la Cadena del Concejo de Jaca'', referring to the valley as ''ualle cepollaria'', which would derive to the forms ''Ual çepolaria'' and ''Barcipollera'', until the current name ''Garcipollera'' in Castilian.

Modern and Contemporary Ages

In the second half of the 20th century, a large part of the valley was expropriated by the State Forestry Patrimony due to the construction of the

Yesa Reservoir The Yesa Reservoir is located in the Pyrenees, and is formed with the damming of the Aragon River, in the Navarre town of Yesa (Spain), although the largest area of the reservoir is located in the province of Zaragoza, extending from east to west. ...

, which would require the reforestation of the Ijuez river basin to avoid the

headward erosion Headward erosion is erosion at the origin of a stream channel, which causes the origin to move back away from the direction of the stream flow, lengthening the stream channel.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Ed, Stephen Marshak It can also refer to ...

that the reservoir would produce in the Aragón river and its tributaries.

Cultural heritage

* Monastery of Santa María de Iguácel * Church of San Juan Bautista de Acín

Natural heritage

* Ijuez river

Villages of the Garcipollera

Acín Acín is an unpopulated village in Spain, within the municipality of Jaca, in the province of Huesca. It is located in the valley of the Garcipollera, in the Aragonese region of the Jacetania. It is not inhabited, after having been expropriat ...

Bergosa Bergosa is an unpopulated settlement belonging to the municipality of Jaca, in the region of Jacetania, province of Huesca, Aragon. It is part of the Garcipollera. Toponymy According to Agustín Ubieto, the first mention of the place dates ...

Bescós de Garcipollera ''Bescós de Garcipollera'' or ''Bescós de la Garcipollera'' is a Spanish settlement belonging to the municipality of Jaca, in the Jacetania, province of Huesca, Aragon. It is located in the valley of the Garcipollera. Geography It is locate ...

Larrosa Larrosa is an unpopulated settlement and a former municipality of Spain, belonging to the present municipality of Jaca, in the comarca of Jacetania, province of Huesca, Aragon. Geography Larrosa is located at the head of the valley of the Ij ...

Villanovilla Villanovilla (in Aragonese language, Aragonese ''Villanoviella'') is a Spanish language, Spanish Human settlement, settlement belonging to the municipality of Jaca, in the Jacetania, province of Huesca, Aragon. Geography Villanovilla is locate ...

Yosa de Garcipollera Yosa de Garcipollera is an abandoned town belonging to the municipality of Jaca, in the province of Huesca, in Spain. It is part of the Garcipollera Valley, in the region of Jacetania, in the autonomous community of Aragon. History This vil ...

References

Valleys of Spain Huesca Aragon {{huesca-geo-stub