Albarracín () is a Spanish town, in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel (province), Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its har ...

, part of the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

. According to the 2007 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 1075 inhabitants. Albarracín is the capital of the mountainous Sierra de Albarracín Comarca. Albarracín is surrounded by stony hills and the town was declared a ''Monumento Nacional'' in 1961. The many red sandstone boulders and cliffs surrounding Albarracín make it a popular

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

location, particularly for boulderers.

History

The town is named for the Hawwara Berber dynasty of the Banu Razin which was their capital from the early eleventh century until it was taken by the Almoravids in 1104. From 1167 to 1300, Albarracín was an independent lordship known as the Sinyoría d'Albarrazín which was established after the partition of the Taifa of Albarracín under the control of Pedro Ruiz de Azagra. It was eventually conquered by Peter III of Aragon in 1284, and the ruling family, the House of Azagra was deposed. The last person to actually hold the title of Señor de Albarracín was Juan Núñez I de Lara, although his son, Juan Núñez II de Lara continued on as the pretender to the title until 1300 when the city and its lands were officially incorporated into the

Kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon (; ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Monarchy, kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain. It became a part of the larger ...

. In the Middle Ages, a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community was present in Albarracín, with the earliest written records indicating that Jews were living in Albarracín since before the 12th century. The community suffered from incidents of antisemitism until their expulsion in 1492, during the expulsion of the Jews.

20th and 21st Centuries

During the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, battles erupted in the town between Republican and Nationalist forces, with control of the area shifting multiple times between the two factions. In July 1937, a Republican offensive targeted the town, marking the largest military confrontation there during the war. In a swift attack on July 8, Republican troops seized control of the town except for the town hall and cathedral, where military personnel and civilians who had taken refuge remained besieged. The Nationalists responded by sending reinforcements and successfully retook the town on July 13, expelling Republican forces. The town has been a

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

since 1961 and was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in the

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

in 1996. It is also nominated by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

for World Heritage status due to the beauty and historical significance of its heritage. Albarracín has been a member of The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain association since its founding.

Geography

The town is located in a

meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the Channel (geography), channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erosion, erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank, cut bank or river cl ...

of the Guadalaviar River. The Sierra de Albarracín mountain range rises to the South and West of the town.

Demographic growth

Gallery

Albarracín, Teruel, España, 2014-01-10, DD 034.JPG, City walls. Albarracín, Teruel, España, 2014-01-10, DD 069.JPG, Typical narrow street in the village. Albarracín, Teruel, España, 2014-01-10, DD 071.JPG, Cathedral. Albarracín, Teruel, España, 2014-01-10, DD 083.JPG, Square in Albarracín. Albarracín, Teruel, España, 2014-01-10, DD 094.JPG, Convento of Discalced Carmelites. Albarracín, Teruel, España, 2014-01-10, DD 157-159 HDR.JPG, Pinares de Rodeno Forest near Albarracín.

References

External links

Albarracín on Diputación de Teruel

Discover Albarracín, a great Mudejar town in Aragón, Spain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albarracin Albarracin Climbing areas of Spain