Monzón

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Monzón municipality
coat of arms Map of Spain
Monzón coat of arms
Monzón (Spain)
Finland road sign 311 (1994-2020) .svg
Basic data
Autonomous Community : Aragon
Province : Huesca
Comarca : Cinca Medio
Coordinates 41 ° 54 '  N , 0 ° 11'  E Coordinates: 41 ° 54 '  N , 0 ° 11'  E
Height : 273  msnm
Area : 155.01 km²
Residents : 17,236 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density : 111.19 inhabitants / km²
Postal code : 22400
Municipality number  ( INE ): 22158
administration
Mayor : Fernando Heras Laderas (PSOE)
Website : www.monzon.es

Monzón is the second largest city in the Spanish province of Huesca in the Aragon region . It has 17,236 inhabitants on an area of ​​155 km² (as of January 1, 2019). Monzón is located in the eastern part of the province, about 62 km from Huesca . The city lies on the Cinca and is the capital of the Comarca Cinca Medio .

geography

Monzón is located in the Aragonese Pre-Pyrenees at an altitude of 273 m.

In addition to the Cinca, the Sosa Monzón also flows through it . The Cinca, however, is the more important of the two rivers. Monzón is also located on the Aragon-Catalonia Canal , which is of great importance for irrigation and thus for local agriculture.

history

Templar Castle

The historical importance of Monzón results from its position as the capital of an important commandery of the Knights Templar . Between the 13th and 17th centuries it was also the meeting place of the Cortes Generales , the assemblies of estates of the Crown of Aragon, on numerous occasions .

The Cathedral of Santa María del Romeral is of Romanesque origin . The Castle of Monzón has its origins in the 9th century (the tower Torre del Homenaje dates from this period). Both served kings and nobles. After the death of his father Peter II in the Battle of Muret, Jacob I of Aragon spent part of his youth under the tutelage of the Templars in the fortress. As a sentinel between the Segre and Cinca valleys, Monzón Castle has always been a contested fortress.

On March 5, 1626, Gaspar de Guzmán, as representative of the Spanish king and Cardinal Richelieu as representative of the French king, concluded the Treaty of Monzón to settle the conflict between the Three Leagues and the citizens of Valtellina , in which France and Spain had interfered.

The current mayor is Fernando Heras Laderas from the PSOE .

Economy and Infrastructure

The establishment of industry in Monzón began at the beginning of the 20th century with a sugar factory (azucarera), which was later moved to Jerez de la Frontera .

There were also companies such as the fertilizer factory Hidro Nitro Española (HNE, today part of the Villa-Mir group), Polidux and Aiscondel (both chemical industries, especially plastics).

The geographic location was advantageous for industrialization, as the city is connected to Saragossa and Lleida by country roads and to Pamplona by a nearby motorway . A railway line runs through Monzón to Barcelona , Saragossa and Lleida.

Culture

The most famous traditional festival in Monzón is the so-called "mayor's baptism" as part of the Santa Bárbara festival . In the week after September 21 of each year, the patronage festival takes place in honor of the Evangelist Matthew . On Easter Monday there is a pilgrimage to the Hermitage of the Alegría .

Monzón hosts the Feria del Libro Aragonés book fair , the Replega collector's fair and the Arteria arts and crafts fair. There are local literary and painting competitions.

Musically, the " Miguel Fleta " conservatory , from which groups such as Ensemble XXI emerged, the folklore group Grupo Folclórico de Nuestra Señora de la Alegría and the marching band Banda Municipal La Lira are worth mentioning.

Attractions

  • Monzón Castle , a Templar castle since 1143; Arab origin from the 10th century
  • Santa María del Romeral Cathedral from the 12th and 13th centuries
  • Franciscan convent, until 1835 as a monastery; currently the seat of the conservatory and music hall
  • Hermitage of the Virgen de la Alegría , 17th century
  • Town hall from the 16th and 17th centuries
  • City gate Puerta de Luzán
  • Romanesque city wall
  • Museum of the Centro de Estudios de Monzón y Cinca Medio (Cehimo)

sons and daughters of the town

Town twinning

Web links

Commons : Monzón  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
  2. ^ Peter Conradin von Planta : History of Graubünden . Wyss, Bern 1913, p. 270.