Calatayud (Spanish pronunciation:[kalataˈʝuð]; 2014 pop. 20,658) is a municipality in the Province of Zaragoza, within Aragón, Spain, lying on the river Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest town in the province after the capital, Zaragoza, and the largest town in Aragón other than the three provincial capitals. It is the seat of the comarca of Calatayud. Its population has been declining during the last decade due to migration.[2]
The town motto is Muy noble, leal, siempre augusta y fidelísima ciudad de Calatayud ("The very noble, loyal, always august and most faithful town of Calatayud").[3] The first democratic elections after General Franco's regime were called for 15 June 1977. In Calatayud they were held one day earlier than all the rest of Spain, in order to prepare for a visit there by King Juan Carlos I.
The city was founded on the site of a Celt-Iberian settlement[5] by the Romans with the name Augusta Bilbilis and was the birthplace of the poet Martial in 40 CE.[6] The site of the ruins of Augusta Bilbilis are approximately four kilometers to the north of the modern city of Calatayud.[7] The modern town was founded by the Moors around the Ayyub castle, circa 716 CE.[8]
The name Calatayud came from the Arabicقلعة أيوبQal‘at ’Ayyūb, "the qalat (fortress) of Ayyub". The ancient inhabitants of Bilbilis moved to the new site. Occupying a strategic placement between the central meseta of Spain and the Ebro valley, the city retained its importance in succeeding centuries. By the eleventh century a substantial Jewish community was present, surviving the reconquista until the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. Judaica texts from this era refer to Calatayud as קלע איוב, קלעה איוב, or קלעיה איוב (Qalʿah Ayuv, Qalʿ Ayuv, Qalʿiya Ayuv).[9] The city was conquered from the Muslims by Alfonso I of Aragón in 1119. Many surviving examples of mudéjar church architecture show that the Moorish influence lived on.[10]
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One of the most notable Mudéjar towers of Aragón is the 15th-century bell tower of the collegiate church of Santa María, which was built on the site of a mosque.[12] A Renaissance doorway was added in 1528.[13]
Santo Sepulcro, built in 1141, and restored in 1613, was long the principal church of the Spanish Knights Templar.[13]
This qalʿat is the biggest and oldest one on the Iberian peninsula.
The church of "San Pedro" was founded by Ferdinand II of Aragón and it was there that the first cortes (parliament) of Aragon was held in 1411.[14]
Economy
The majority of employment is in the service sector and in agriculture. Agriculture consists primarily of apple and pear orchards,[15] although there are also some vineyards in the area).[16][17] Industry is much less developed, although there are two industrial estates (La Charluca and Mediavega) and the creation of a third is being studied.
Calatayud has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk) with cool to mild winters and hot summers. Precipitation is irregular throughout the year, with spring being the wettest season and winter the driest, although August is the driest month. These precipitation patterns are typical of the semi-arid regions of Aragon. Due to its higher altitude compared to the Ebro Valley, the average annual temperature is lower, with colder winters and more pleasant summers.[18]
Climate data for Calatayud (1993–2020), extremes (1993-present)
There is a popular Spanish song that says (translated) "If you go to Calatayud / ask for Dolores (a popular female name) / she is a very nice girl / fond of granting favours" that captures the (traditional) fame of girls in Calatayud. Given that reputation, traditionally boys went to the town in order to "ask for Dolores" to be "favoured" by local girls. Nowadays this tradition has dismissed although in festivities, boys from the surroundings, even from Zaragoza, visit the town with that aim.[citation needed]
^"Comunidad de Calatayud". CAI Tourism of Aragon. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
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Gutiérrez, Francisco; Cooper, Anthony H. (2002). "Evaporite Dissolution Subsidence in the Historical City of Calatayud, Spain: Damage Appraisal and Prevention". Natural Hazards. 25 (3): 259–288. doi:10.1023/A:1014807901461. S2CID128832226.
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