Teruel (tĕrwĕl'), town (1990. pop. 28,488), capital of Teruel prov., E central Spain, in Aragón, at the confluence of the Guadalaviar and Alfambra rivers. The city is an agricultural trade center; the province has iron and coal mines and sulfur, zinc, and manganese deposits. Tourism has become important. The center of bitter fighting in the Spanish civil war of 1936-39, it was largely destroyed, but has been rebuilt. There are a Renaissance cathedral, a Gothic church, and an imposing two-storied aqueduct (16th cent.). The "lovers of Teruel" (13th cent.) are buried in the San Pedro cloisters.
Teruel
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| Teruel | |||||
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| Location | |||||
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| Coordinates : 40°35′N 1°1′W / 40.583°N 1.017°W | |||||
| Administration | |||||
| Country | Spain | ||||
| Autonomous Community | Aragon | ||||
| Province | Teruel | ||||
| Mayor | Miguel Ferrer (PAR) | ||||
| Geography | |||||
| Land Area | 440 km2 | ||||
| Altitude | 915 m AMSL | ||||
| Population | |||||
| Population | 34,240 (2006) | ||||
| Density | 78.17 hab./km2 (2006) | ||||
| General information | |||||
| Native name | Teruel (Spanish) | ||||
| Spanish name | Teruel | ||||
| Founded | 1171 | ||||
| Time zone | CET (GMT +1) | ||||
| - summer | CEST (GMT +2) | ||||
| Postal code | 44001-44003 | ||||
| Website | http://www.teruel.es | ||||
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Teruel is a city in Aragon, eastern Spain, and the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 34,240 in 2006 making it one of the least populated province capitals in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate (hot in summer and very cold in winter), its renowned jamón serrano (cured ham), its pottery, its surrounding archaeological sites with some of the oldest dinosaur remains of the Iberian Peninsula, 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 is regarded as the "city of mudéjar" due to numerous buildings designed in this style. All of them are comprised in the Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon which is a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
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.
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History
Teruel was founded in 1176 by Sancho Sánchez Muñoz and Blasco Garcés Marcilla. In the Middle Ages Teruel possessed a prominent Jewish community, which was robust during the centuries Muslim Arabs were in power and enjoyed several privileges. Later on after the Christian reconquest of Spain, the Jewish community paid a yearly tax of 300 sueldos (in the fourteenth cenruty). 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 aerial bombardment. The two sides suffered up to 100,000 casualties between them in the three month battle.
Main sights
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The beauty of the city's cultural inheritance, which has some Islamic influence, 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.
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.
Other sights include:
- The Gothic church of St. Francis (1391-1492).
- Los Arcos, an aqueduct with two orders of arcade from 1538.
- San Pedro, a notable mudéjar church (16th century) with a tower similar to that of the cathedral. It includes a mausoleum housing 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.
- Church of La Merced, with a tower in mudéjar style.
- Church of San Salvador (17th century), with one of the most outstanding mudéjar towers. It houses a 14th century wooden sculpture of Christ.
- Church of San Martín (17th century).
- Church of San Miguel (12th century), remade in the 17th century in Baroque style.
- Castillo de Alambes, a 15th century fortification built over the Arabic Alcazar.
- Torre de San Martín (13th century), in mudéjar style, considered the most beautiful in Teruel.
Miscellaneous
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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.
Famous people
- Luis Royo
- David Civera
- Lucía Gómez (the mayor since 2003)
- Manuel Macías y Casado, general and military governor
Gallery
 Tower of the Cathedral. |
 Cathedral´s Mayor dome. |
.jpg) Panoramic view of La Escalinata and its outskirts. |
 Inside view of La Escalinata. |
 Torre de San Martín. |
.jpg) Inside of the San Pedro Church. |
.jpg) Bells in the San Pedro Church. |
 Casa Ferrán. |
 Building of the San Juan Square. |
 Facade of the Teruel Museum. |
 Modern bridge in Teruel. |
See also
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Teruel |
- Teruel existe
- Teruel Travelguide and Hotel bookings in English
- The main page of Teruel's City Hall
- English World Heritage Centre
- Flickr Photos
Coordinates: 40°21′N 1°06′W / 40.35°N 1.1°W
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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 | Bea (family name) |
| Juan Pérez de Montalván (Spanish poet, novelist & dramatist) |
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Mentioned in
- Bea (family name)
- Juan Pérez de Montalván (Spanish poet, novelist & dramatist)
- Blancas (family name)
- Camarena (family name)
- Piedrahita (family name)
- Salina (family name)
- Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch (person)
- Bordon (family name)
- Cuervo (family name)
- De Alba (family name)
- Frias (family name)
- Fuentes (family name)
- Monreal (family name)
- Montalvan (family name)
