Monzón () is a small city and municipality in the autonomous community of
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, ...
, Spain. Its population was 17,176 as of 2014. It is located at the confluence of the
Cinca and Sosa rivers, in the
Cinca Media comarca of the province of
Huesca
Huesca (; ) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon between 1096 and 1118. It is also the capital of the Spanish Huesca (province), ...
.
Historical overview
Prehistory and Classical Age
The first evidence of continuous human occupation in the area of Monzón comes from
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
archaeological remains found in the Sosiles Altos and Peña Lucas deposits. Most vestiges of settlement come from the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
, when it is assumed that the
Ilergetes settled the area between the rivers
Cinca,
Sosa, and Clamor. The defeat of the Ilergetes in the 3rd century BC led to the Romanization of the area from the 2nd century BC. The area was a key node connecting the cities of
Caesaraugusta and
Osca with
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
; remains of Roman dwellings have been found in the hills and cells of the
Ermita de la Alegría (the Shrine of Joy).
Middle Ages
Muslim Era
At the time of Muslim domination Monzón was disputed by the
Banu Sabrit from Huesca and
Banu Qasi from Zaragoza. It belonged to the
Banu Hud in the 11th century and was taken by
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ( – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain. Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve i ...
in 1083. The Christians were interested to conquer Monzón in order to cut communications between the
taifa
The taifas (from ''ṭā'ifa'', plural ''ṭawā'if'', meaning "party, band, faction") were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), referred to by Muslims as al-Andalus, that em ...
kingdoms of
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
and
Lleida
Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...
. The infant
Pedro I reconquered Monzón in 1089 during the reign of his father
Sancho Ramírez. Sancho Ramírez created the
Kingdom of Monzón for the
infant
In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to juveniles of ...
, future Pedro I, before he became king of Aragon. This situation lasted until 1126, when it reverted to Muslim hands for four years. Between 1130 and 1136 it was held by Christians, who lost the town in the period 1136–1141 to finally win her back.
[Ubieto 1981, p]
180
Already conquered by Sancho Ramirez and Pedro I, Ramón Berenguer III lost for treason in 1127, reconquered in 1130 1143 happened to belong to the Templars.
Christian Era

The
Cathedral de Santa María del Romeral (''Saint Mary of the Rosemary Field''), grew from the 9th century ''Torre del Homenaje'' which hosted kings and nobles. Here in 1109
Urraca of Castile married her second husband
Alfonso I ("The Battler") despite the Church's objections concerning consanguinity.
During medieval times Monzón was a stronghold of the
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
because of its strategic location between the Segre and
Cinca valleys. It was also as an important center for joint legislative sessions for the various segments of Aragon, especially between the 13th and 17th centuries because of its location between
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...
. The
Teutonic Knights
The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...
were also known to have had a commandery here since 1222.

During the 12th century Monzón was ruled by the infant
Ramiro de Navarra, Tizón and
García Ramírez before his proclamation as
King of Navarre
This is a list of the kings and queens of kingdom of Pamplona, Pamplona, later kingdom of Navarre, Navarre. Pamplona was the primary name of the kingdom until its union with Kingdom of Aragon, Aragon (1076–1134). However, the territorial desig ...
among others. When in 1143 the
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
assigns its rights to the
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...
receives in exchange the
Castle of Monzón among others, where the main task of the Crown of Aragon happened. The most historically important event in this period is the enforced residence of
James I ("The Conqueror") who spent part of his youth in Monzón. After his father
Peter II ("The Catholic") died in the
Battle of Muret (1213); the
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
in Monzon served as the young king's guardians and tutors. When the
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
extinguishes the
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
, some parcels like Monzón resisted, and it was not until 1309 when it was conquered. In 1317 passes to sanjuanistas hands, although the hosts will lose its power gradually. Monzón also hosted numerous times the
Cortes of the
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...
, between the 13th to 17th centuries. The
Cathedral of Santa María del Romeral of
Romanesque and the
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
with its origins in the 9th century (
Torre del Homenaje) welcomed the king and his
nobles
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
.
Modern and Contemporary Age
In this town the
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...
and
Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares
Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, 1st Duke of Sanlúcar, 3rd Count of Olivares, , known as the Count-Duke of Olivares (taken by joining both Count of Olivares, his countship and Duke of Sanlúcar la Mayor, subsequent dukedom) (6 January 1587 – 2 ...
signed a
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
here, ending the conflict over
Valtelline in 1626.
During the
Catalan Revolt Monzón was taken by the French-Catalan troops run by
Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt in 1642 and, the following year, by the Castilian troops of
Felipe da Silva.
The Castle of Monzón is considered a strategic enclave, was also occupied by the French during the
War of Independence
Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...
and recovered in 1814 as national cause by the troops of
General Copons in a bold ploy due to the Spanish military of Flemish origins
Juan Van Halen, later Lieutenant General, who had conquered
Lérida
Lleida (, ; ; ''#Name, see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià, Segrià county, the Ponent, Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Cent ...
and
Mequinenza by the same way.
Industry and communications
The industrial tradition of Monzón began early in the 20th century with the construction of a sugar factory which later was moved to
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera () or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as , is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Sp ...
. After 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 ...
, some new industries were incorporated such Hidro Nitro Spanish (HNE), Aiscondel, Etino-Química
Polidux,
Monsanto-Aiscondel, among others. It also appeared a factory wire, nails and corrugated. This
industrialization
Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...
was possible thanks to the geographical situation of the town, an hour and a half far from the border and
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
as well as by its good communications such as roads linking with
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
and
Lleida
Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...
, the highway (
A-22) communicating with
Pamplona
Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain.
Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...
and the railway line that communicates with
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...
, northern Spain and
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
and
Lleida
Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...
to connect with the
AVE
is a Latin word, used by the Roman Empire, Romans as a salutation (greeting), salutation and greeting, meaning 'wikt:hail, hail'. It is the singular imperative mood, imperative form of the verb , which meant 'Well-being, to be well'; thus on ...
, the high speed train.
Culture
The
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
is represented by Grupo Folclórico de Nuestra Señora de la Alegría,
Municipal Band "La Lira" the Coral Montisonense and the Conservatory of Music "Miguel Fleta" that have come new groups like
Ensemble XXI. Within the panorama of
rock, there are large groups such as those of
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
like Ouija, Temple Abattoir and Spellcraft. In other aspects of the culture of Monzón highlight the numerous fairs like the Aragonese book or
FLA,
retracts and the art fair artery. There are also noteworthy various contests of
painting
Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
and
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller ...
as well as several cultural concentrations of various kinds and the feast of
Saint Barbara martyr in which it is performed the traditional Bautizo del Alcalde (''Baptism of the Mayor'') and the festivities in honor of
Saint Matthew during the week of September 21 and
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
that achieves
Easter Monday to the Ermita de la Alegría (''Hermitage of the Virgin of the Joy'').
Sport
Clubs
The local
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
team is
Atlético Monzón.
Tournaments
Monzón hosts the annual women's
tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
tournament
Torneo Conchita Martínez, a part of the
ITF Women's Circuit
The ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, previously known as the ITF Women's Circuit, is a series of professional tennis tournaments run by the International Tennis Federation for female professional tennis players.
History
It serves as a developmenta ...
.
Players and athletes
Monzón has been home to sportspeople like
Conchita Martínez
Conchita Martínez Bernat (born 16 April 1972) is a Spanish former professional tennis player and current coach. She was the first Spaniard to win the women's singles title at Wimbledon, doing so in 1994. Martínez also was the runner-up at th ...
, the first Spanish woman to win
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* W ...
, and
Eliseo Martín, bronze medal winner in the 3000 m steeplechase in the Paris World Championships (2003) — the only non-African athlete to get a medal in those championships since 1993.
Monzón has been home to Olympic athletes, including Javier Moracho (110 m hurdles) — Spanish record holder for almost 20 years — the decathlete Álvaro Burrell, and the renowned pole vaulter Javier Gazol.
Hydrology
Monzón is crossed by the rivers
Sosa and
Cinca. The latter is the most important because it has higher
flow thanks to the amount of
snow
Snow consists of 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 througho ...
in its head. In the first one, despite its very little flow, it is remarkable the engineering work in Siphon of the Sosa, a viaduct over the river which flows the Aragon and Catalonia Canal, which was inaugurated in early 20th century by King
Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...
to extend irrigation to the eastern part of the province
Monzón is one of the largest
agricultural
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
and industrial populations in the region thanks to the
Aragon and Catalonia Canal.
Places of interest
* El
Castillo Templario (''The Castle of the Knights Templar'')
* La
Catedral de Santa María del Romeral (''The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Rosemary Field'', 12th and 13th centuries)
* El Convento de San Francisco (''Saint Francis Convent'', now dedicated to musical education and headquarters of the orchestral group
Ensemble XXI)
* La Ermita de la Virgen de la Alegría (''The Happiness Virgin Shrine'', from the 17th century)
* Major House (16th and 17th centuries)
* La Puerta de Luzán (''Luzán Gate'')
Notable people from Monzón
*
Eliseo Martín (born 1973): long-distance runner specialized in
3000 metres steeplechase
The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually Abbreviation, abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase (athletics), steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 met ...
.
*
Conchita Martínez
Conchita Martínez Bernat (born 16 April 1972) is a Spanish former professional tennis player and current coach. She was the first Spaniard to win the women's singles title at Wimbledon, doing so in 1994. Martínez also was the runner-up at th ...
(born 1972): former tennis player and
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* W ...
Champion in 1994.
*
José Luis Mumbiela Sierra (born 1969): Roman Catholic clergyman and Bishop of the Holy Trinity Diocese in
Almaty
Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...
.
*
Javier Moracho
Javier Moracho Torrente (born August 18, 1957, in Monzón, Huesca) is a retired hurdler from Spain.
He won the European Indoor Championships in 1986 and a silver medal at the inaugural World Indoor Games in 1985. He finished seventh at the 1 ...
(born 1957): retired
hurdler winner at the
European Indoor Championships in 1986 and silver medal winner at the inaugural
World Indoor Games in 1985.
* Barón de Eroles (1860–1941): lawyer and philanthropist who brought to Monzón one of the first X-ray machines in Spain.
* Reverendo Vicente Pilzano y Ezquerra: before the 18th century, he wrote important chronicles about the city.
*
Ignacio de Luzán (1702–54): his poetry is studied in universities all around the world.
* José Mor de Fuentes: naval engineer and writer, author of books including ''La Serafina'', ''La fonda de París'', ''El calavera'', ''A la muerte de Lord Byron'', and ''Los nuevos desengaños''.
*
Joaquín Costa y Martínez (1846–1911): one of the greatest men of the ''Regeneracionismo''. He developed theories about education, water management and agricultural politics that were followed throughout the 20th century. ''Oligarquía y Caciquismo'' is one of his best books.
* Mariano de Pano y Ruata (1847–1948): He was president of the Ateneo and Academia de Bellas Artes de San Luis. He was the official chronicler of the monasterio de Sijena and of the Real Academia de la Historia. His best books are ''Las coplas del Peregrino'', ''Puey de Monzón'', ''Viaje a la Meca en el siglo XVI'' and ''La condesa de Bureta doña Consolidación de Azlor''.
* Joaquín de Pano y Ruata (1849–1919): engineer, ornithologist, filologue, translator of several languages, including Chinese and Japanese. He designed bridges in Monzón and one of them served as the model for bridges in
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
.
*
Ramiro Sáncez of Monzón (1070–1116): Lord of Monzón and
Logroño
Logroño ( , , ) is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain), La Rioja, Spain. Located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily in the right (South) bank of the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of pa ...
and father of
García Ramírez of Navarre.
*
John of Montson (c. 1340–1412):
Dominican theologian and controversialist.
*
Elijah ben Joseph Chabillo: philosopher and translator.
Twin towns
*
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
*
Muret,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
See also
*
List of municipalities in Huesca
This is a list of the municipalities in the province of Huesca, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. F ...
Notes and references
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monzon
Towns in Spain
Municipalities in the Province of Huesca
Castles and fortifications of the Knights Templar