| Zaragoza History History of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, Europe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zaragoza History Zaragoza first appeared around 24BC, settled by Roman legions that had taken part in the Cantabrian wars. In fact the name Zaragoza stems from the then Roman emperor Caesar Augustus (or caesaraugusta), which after Moorish conquest became Saraqusta, and finally Zaragoza after Christian reclamation. The city grew to become an important Roman colony, with at one time over 30,000 inhabitants and civil constructs such as a 6,000 seat theatre, temples, market etc. The Visigoths were the inheritors of Zaragoza after the withdrawal of the Roman empire, and they held on to it until 714AD. Then, like much of the rest of the peninsular, the city fell to the Moors and was governed by the Caliphate of Cordoba. After the collapse of the Caliphate it became the capital of an important Taifa kingdom which reached it's pinnacle in the 11th century. The Moors brought a great many innovations to Zaragoza and left behind a wealth of architectural treasures. It was the Kingdom of Aragon that won Zaragoza back for the Christians, and upon doing so transferred their seat of power from Barcelona to Zaragoza (then a more advanced city). As with elsewhere in Spain the resident mosques were converted to churches and the Moorish style of building was incorporated into pre-existing methods (known as Mudejar), resulting in many striking 14th century constructs some of which are still standing. Zaragoza remained the seat of power for the Arogonese throne until the royal marriage and subsequent merging of the empire's of Aragon and Castille to form the Spanish crown. The 16th century saw an economic boom in Zaragoza with many urban palaces and civil constructs built (including one of Spain's greatest universities in 1542), and the city becoming a great trading centre. The 17th century was in complete contrast a bad period for the city, and indeed the rest of Spain. The enlightenment period of the later half of the 18th century saw progress once again, it also saw in the time when the painter Francisco de Goya resided in the city. The 19th century brought French invasion at the behest of Napoleon Bonaparte. Zaragosa defended itself bravely, repelling the first attack and meeting the second (six months later) with house by house guerilla tactics. The people of Zaragoza were branded heroes, but they were eventually defeated with great cost payed in part by the destruction of much of the city. Today Zaragoza is the fifth largest city in Spain with a population of over 650,000. It remains an important university city and centre for learning in general, and it's cultural and architectural heritage is well presented and preserved. This has made it a favorite city break destination, with hoteliers and service industries rising to meet the demand for beds, dining, and more.
Zaragoza Tourist Office TEL +34 902 477000 FAX +34 976 280746
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