Aragon Guide

Teruel is a city in Aragon, Spain, the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 34,240 in 2006. It is noted for its harsh climate, its jamón serrano (cured ham), its pottery and its famous Fiestas (La Vaquilla del Angel 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. Teruel was founded in 1176 by Sancho Sánchez Muñoz and Blasco Garcés Marcilla. In the Middle Ages Teruel had 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 Spanish Civil War, the Battle of Teruel 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.

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 Mudejar Architecture of Aragon, notably the city's ornate cathedral in the Mudejar 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 (little bull). On the outskirts of Teruel is Dinopolis 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. Dinópolis also owns three other museums in the surrounding area, which display the remains of dinosaurs discovered in the region.

Teruel City Walks - Teruel City ...

Attractions in Teruel City - Attractions in Teruel ...

Hotels in Teruel City - Hotels in Teruel ...

Restaurants in Teruel City - Restaurants in Teruel ...