Alcañiz
Encyclopedia
Alcañiz is a town and municipality in the province of Teruel, in the autonomous community of Aragon
, Spain
. The town is located on the banks of the river Guadalope
. Alcañiz is the unofficial capital of the Lower Aragon
historical region
. Its distance from Teruel
, the provincial capital, is 149 kilometres and from Zaragoza
, the capital of Aragon, 105 kilometres.
Alcañiz is the capital of the Bajo Aragón
comarca
and the second city in the province after Teruel.
. In 1179 the latter gave the town the military Order of Calatrava
On 23 May 1809 during the Peninsular War
, the Battle of Alcañiz was fought between a Spanish force led by General Blake
and French troops commanded by General Suchet. During French occupation Suchet made an administrative territorial division of Aragon by which Alcañiz became the capital of the province of Alcañiz. This short-lived province briefly unified the Lower Aragon historical region. Alcañiz, however was bypassed in the 1833 territorial division of Spain
and later attempts to create an Alcañiz Province were not successful.
Formerly there was a railway line between Alcañiz and Tortosa
, offering a new gateway to the sea for Aragon through this town. Construction work began in 1891, but it was haphazard and the first trains between Alcañiz and Tortosa began only in 1942. The last stretch between Tortosa and Sant Carles de la Ràpita
was never completed before the line was terminated by RENFE
in 1973.
A few kilometers from the city are the rock paintings of the Val del Charco del Agua Amarga, included in the UNESCO Heritage Site Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula .
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The town is located on the banks of the river Guadalope
Guadalope
The Guadalope River is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro .-Course:...
. Alcañiz is the unofficial capital of the Lower Aragon
Lower Aragon
Lower Aragon , also known as Tierra Baja, is a natural and historical region in Aragon, Spain. The name "Lower Aragon" refers to the areas of the lowest altitude within the Ebro river basin, but the historical region encompasses only the river basins of several right tributaries of the Ebro River,...
historical region
Historical region
Historical regions are delimitations of geographic areas for studying and analysing social development of period-specific cultures without any reference to contemporary political, economic or social organisations....
. Its distance from Teruel
Teruel
Teruel is a town 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 provincial capitals in the country...
, the provincial capital, is 149 kilometres and from Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, the capital of Aragon, 105 kilometres.
Alcañiz is the capital of the Bajo Aragón
Bajo Aragón
Bajo Aragón or Baix Aragó is an administrative comarca in eastern central Aragon, Spain. It was first established in 1999. It has a population of 29,358 and an area of 1.304,2 km². The seat of the comarca is in Alcañiz...
comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
and the second city in the province after Teruel.
History
The current settlement of Alcañiz dates to the Islamic era in Spain. It was captured by the Christian troops of Alfonso I of Aragon in 1119, but was later taken back by the Moors. It was conquered again by count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1157, and again lost, until it was finally recaptured by his son Alfonso II of AragonAlfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II or Alfons I ; Huesca, 1-25 March 1157 – 25 April 1196), called the Chaste or the Troubadour, was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1164 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon and the first King of Aragon who was...
. In 1179 the latter gave the town the military Order of Calatrava
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava was the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Order of Calatrava as a Militia was given by Pope Alexander III on September 26, 1164.-Origins and Foundation:...
On 23 May 1809 during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, the Battle of Alcañiz was fought between a Spanish force led by General Blake
Joaquín Blake y Joyes
Joaquín Blake y Joyes was a Spanish military officer who served with distinction in the French Revolutionary and Peninsular wars.-Early military career:...
and French troops commanded by General Suchet. During French occupation Suchet made an administrative territorial division of Aragon by which Alcañiz became the capital of the province of Alcañiz. This short-lived province briefly unified the Lower Aragon historical region. Alcañiz, however was bypassed in the 1833 territorial division of Spain
1833 territorial division of Spain
The 1833 territorial division of Spain divided Spain into provinces, classified into "historic regions" . on the official web site of the government of the Canary Islands, accessed 2009-12-31...
and later attempts to create an Alcañiz Province were not successful.
Formerly there was a railway line between Alcañiz and Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
, offering a new gateway to the sea for Aragon through this town. Construction work began in 1891, but it was haphazard and the first trains between Alcañiz and Tortosa began only in 1942. The last stretch between Tortosa and Sant Carles de la Ràpita
Sant Carles de la Ràpita
Sant Carles de la Ràpita is a town in the area of the Montsià in Catalonia, Spain. The town covers a portion of the south-west of the Ebre delta, including el Trabucador isthmus and la Banya peninsula, which close off a salt water lagoon known as the Port dels Alfacs. The town of Sant Carles de la...
was never completed before the line was terminated by RENFE
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
in 1973.
Main sights
Sights in Alcañiz include:- Church of Santa María la MayorSanta María la Mayor (Alcañiz)Santa María la Mayor is a church in Alcañiz, Aragon, northern Spain. It had the status of collegiate church from 1407 to 1851. It includes a large Gothic tower, and a wide façade in Baroque style.-History and description:...
, including a medieval GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
tower. - Lonja de Alcañiz
- Casa Consistorial (Town Hall; 1565-1570)
A few kilometers from the city are the rock paintings of the Val del Charco del Agua Amarga, included in the UNESCO Heritage Site Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula .
External links
- Official website
- The battle of Alcañiz — De Re Militari
- Alcañiz.tk