Ricla

Ricla municipality
	Ricla - town view
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Aragon
Province :	Zaragoza
Comarca :	Valdejalón
Coordinates	41 ° 30 ′ N , 1 ° 24 ′ W Coordinates: 41 ° 30 ′ N , 1 ° 24 ′ W
Height :	364 msnm
Area :	90.67 km²
Residents :	2,847 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	31.4 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	50270
Municipality number ( INE ):	50225
administration
Website :	Ricla

Ricla is a small town and a municipality ( municipio ) with a total of 2,847 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the center of the province of Saragossa in the autonomous region of Aragon in northeastern Spain .

Location and climate

The place Ricla is located on the west bank of the Río Jalón a good 55 km (driving distance) southwest of the provincial capital Saragossa at an altitude of about 364 m . The climate is temperate to warm; the rather sparse rain (approx. 365 mm / year) falls over the year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2017
Residents	2,169	2,480	2,800	2,083	2,894

Despite increasing drought, the mechanization of agriculture , the abandonment of numerous small farms and the resulting lower demand for labor in the countryside, the number of inhabitants has remained essentially constant since the 19th century, to which the transport connections to the greater Zaragoza area have also contributed .

economy

For centuries, the town's residents were essentially self-sufficient ; There were no grocery stores or markets, or only rarely. Even the few traders, craftsmen and service providers essentially provided themselves with everything they needed for life. The situation only improved with the improvement of the infrastructure in the second half of the 20th century.

history

From the time around 500 BC There are indications of a nearby Celtiberian settlement, which is associated with the place Nertobriga or Nertobris , which was passed down textually from the Romans . In Roman times the place was close to the road connecting Emerita Augusta ( Mérida ) via Augusta Bilbilis ( Calatayud ) to Caesaraugusta ( Saragossa ). In the 8th century the area was overrun by Arab-Moorish armies, which made Saragossa the provincial capital of the emirate (later caliphate) of Córdoba . During its collapse, the local provincial governors made themselves independent and founded the Taifa Kingdom of Saragossa (1018–1110). A few years later (1118) the Moors under Alfonso I of Aragón could be pushed south ( reconquista ) . In the High and Late Middle Ages, the small town repeatedly changed landlords.

Attractions

Ricla - Iglesia de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora

Nothing is left of the former castle (castillo) .
The church of La Asunción de Nuestra Señora until the 17th century almost entirely of 14 from a brick built and the Assumption of Mary church dedicated to the Mudejar style . The initially square, later octagonal tower floors are among the finest that the Mudéjar style , which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has produced in Aragón. The approximately 10 m wide rib-vaulted nave is accompanied by side chapels , which contribute significantly to the stability of the structure. The late baroque high altar shows twisted “Solomonic” columns in the style of Churriguerism .
In 2004 a paleontological museum with dinosaur exhibits was opened.
The Palacio del Conde de Castellano is an aristocratic palace from the 18th century.

Surroundings

On the outskirts there are several arched ice cellars (neverías) for keeping food fresh.
Some shrines (peirónes) are distributed throughout the municipality.