Teruel
| Teruel | |
|---|---|
| Province | Teruel |
| Autonomous community | Aragón |
| Postal code | 440xx |
| Coordinates - Latitude: - Longitude: |
40°21' N 1º06' W |
| Altitude | 915 m |
| Distances | 180 km to Zaragoza 140 km to Valencia |
| Population - Total (census of 1996) - Density |
28,142 inhab. |
| Demonym | Turolense |
| Rivers | Turia Alfambra Guadalaviar Guadalope |
Teruel is a city in Aragon, Spain, the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 28,194 at the 1996 padrón municipal and 30,282 at the 1991 census. It is noted for its harsh climate, its jamón serrano (cured ham), its pottery and its famous Fiestas ("La vaquilla del ángel" during the second weekend of July and "Bodas de Isabel de Segura" around the third weekend of February).
Teruel's remote and mountainous location (it is 915 metres above sea level) and its low population has led to relative isolation within Spain. A campaign group with the slogan Teruel existe (Teruel exists) was founded in 1999 to press for greater recognition and investment in the city and the province. Due in part to the campaign, transport connections to Teruel are being greatly improved with the construction of a motorway between Zaragoza and Sagunto, large parts of which are now open. However, Teruel remains the only provincial capital in Spain without a direct railway link to the capital, Madrid.
The beauty of the city's Islamic inheritance has been recognised by UNESCO, which includes four churches in the World Heritage Site Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon, notably the city's ornate cathedral in the Mudéjar style. Another church, San Pedro, keeps the mummified bodies of Isabel Segura (a rich lady) and Diego de Marcilla (a poor man who battled at Crusades to earn some money with the intention to return to get married with Isabel) whose love ended tragically. This story is known as los amantes de Teruel and has inspired writers (for example Hartzenbusch) and an opera composed by Tomás Bretón.
One of Teruel's best known monuments is very small statue of a bull on top of a tall column, known as El Torico ("the little bull"). It is located in the main square, Plaza Carlos Castell, more commonly known as the Plaza del Torico in the middle of the city center.
History
In the Middle Ages Teruel possessed a prominent Jewish community, which enjoyed several privileges, and which paid in the fourteenth century a yearly tax of 300 sueldos. Its members were engaged in commerce and industry, especially in wool-weaving. During the persecutions of 1391 many of them were killed, while others accepted Christianity in order to save their lives.[1]
Teruel was fought over in the Spanish Civil War and suffered much destruction. The Battle of Teruel in December 1937-February 1938, was one of the bloodiest of the war. The city changed hands several times, first falling to the Republicans and eventually being re-taken by the Nationalists. In the course of the fighting, Teruel was subjected to heavy artillery and ariel bombardment. The two sides suffered up to 100,000 casualties between them in the three month battle.
Miscellaneous
On the outskirts of Teruel is Dinópolis Teruel, a combined theme park and museum centred around dinosaurs. Promoted as a Parque paleontológico (paleontological park), it includes a life-size robotic model of a Tyrannosaurus rex.[2] Dinópolis also owns three other museums in the surrounding area, which display the remains of dinosaurs discovered in the region.[3]. The chimney of Teruel Power Plant belongs to the tallest freestanding structures in Western Europe.