High Aragon

Last updated
Tena Valley, one of the valleys in Alto Aragon Valle de Tena, provincia de Huesca.JPG
Tena Valley, one of the valleys in Alto Aragon

Alto Aragon (literally, Upper Aragon or Highlands of Aragon in English; compare Upper Navarre, Upper Rioja) is the northernmost territories or highlands of Aragon, flanking the Pyrenees and includes the Aneto Mountain, the highest peak in the entire Pyrenean chain. The term Alto Aragon, or highlands, is used to contrast with the Bajo Aragon, referring to the lowlands or flat plains of Aragon which roughly begins around the Somontano county of Huesca stretching south to the Ebro river basin.

The term Alto Aragon is also used interchangeably to refer to the Province of Huesca when speaking of northern Aragon.

The Alto Aragon or Highlands of Aragon are, historically and geographically, made up of the original independent counties of the Frankish Marca Hispanica, that would later expand to form the medieval Kingdom of Aragon.

Usually used in a cultural context, the term Alto Aragon, when referring to "the Highlands", conveys a sense of cultural character - of noble, fiercely independent, Pyrenean mountain people: of mythic heroes, legends, Templars and crusades. This strength of character is reflected in its architecture, mountain top villages, its robust cuisine, distinctive traditional clothing (now worn only in festivals, such as in Ansó), folk music and dancing, and most especially, in its language.

The Aragonese language was born in the Alto Aragon, the highlands, and today this is where it continues to be spoken most actively, by over 10,000 people.

See also

Coordinates: 42°34′49″N0°04′17″W / 42.5803°N 0.0714°W / 42.5803; -0.0714


Related Research Articles

Aragonese language Romance language

Aragonese is a Romance language spoken in several dialects by about 12,000 people as of 2011, in the Pyrenees valleys of Aragon, Spain, primarily in the comarcas of Somontano de Barbastro, Jacetania, Alto Gállego, Sobrarbe, and Ribagorza/Ribagorça. It is the only modern language which survived from medieval Navarro-Aragonese in a form distinctly different from Spanish.

Pyrenees Range of mountains in southwest Europe

The Pyrenees is a mountain range between Spain and France. Reaching a height of 3,404 metres (11,168 ft) altitude at the peak of Aneto, it extends for about 491 km (305 mi) from its union with Cantabrian Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea.

Aragon Autonomous community of Spain

Aragon is an 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. The current Statute of Autonomy declares Aragon a historic nationality of Spain.

Huesca Municipality in Aragon, Spain

Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almost a quarter of the total population of the province. The city is one of the smallest provincial capitals in Spain.

Sesa, Spain municipality in Aragon, Spain

Sesa is a municipality located in the Hoya de Huesca comarca, province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2010 census the municipality has a population of 225 inhabitants. Its postal code is 22110.

Province of Huesca Province of Spain

Huesca, officially Huesca/Uesca, is a province of northeastern Spain, in northern Aragon. The capital is Huesca.

Villanúa municipality of Spain

Villanúa is a Pyrenean municipality in Spain in the north of Huesca province, in la Jacetania, set where the Aragon valley gets wider. Its name refers to the "new village" repopulated in the late 10th century. Villanúa's altitude is 953 m and it covers 58.2 km2. The village is at the bottom of mount Collarada and in 2018 had 447 inhabitants.

Biescas Place in Aragon, Spain

Biescas is a municipality of northeastern Spain close to the border with France, in the midst of the Pyrenees in the province of Huesca. The name seems to provide from the term bizka, which means "hill" in a Proto-Indo-European language.

Monte Perdido mountain in Huesca

Monte Perdido is the third highest mountain in the Pyrenees. The summit of Monte Perdido (3355 m), located in Spain, lies hidden from France by the seemingly impenetrable peaks of the Cirques of Gavarnie and Estaubé. It stands in the north of Huesca province. The mountain forms part of the Monte Perdido Range and is located in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, in the western part of the Pyrenees, in the community of Aragon, Spain.

The Chiapas highlands or the central highlands of Chiapas, is a geographic, sociocultural and administrative region located in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico.

Campo, Aragon municipality in the province of Huesca, Spain

Campo is a town in the county of Ribagorza, in the province of Huesca, in Aragon, Spain. Situated in a valley between 2 rivers, the Esera and Rialbo, it is surrounded by snow-capped Pyrenean mountain peaks: most notably, the Turbón and Cotiella.

County of Aragon countship (802-1035)

The County of Aragon or County of Jaca was a small Frankish marcher county in the central Pyrenean valley of the Aragon river, comprising Ansó, Echo, and Canfranc and centered on the small town of Jaca, an area now part of Spain. It was created by the Carolingians late in the 8th or early in the 9th century, but soon fell into the orbit of the Kingdom of Navarre, into which it was absorbed in 922. It would later form the core of the 11th century Kingdom of Aragon.

Used, Huesca Village in Aragon, Spain

Used is a deserted village under the local government of the municipality of Sabiñánigo, Alto Gállego, Huesca, Aragon, Spain.

Roda de Isábena locality

Roda d'Isàvena is a village in the municipality of Isàvena, in the region of Ribagorça, in the province of Huesca, Spain.

Somontano de Barbastro Comarca in Aragon, Spain

Somontano de Barbastro is a comarca in Province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain.

Alto Gállego Comarca in Aragon, Spain

Alto Gállego is a comarca located in the north of the autonomous community of Aragón, Spain. It occupies practically the entirety of the upper basin of the Río Gállego.

Igriés Place in Aragon, Spain

Igriés is a small village located in the Hoya de Huesca, in the province of Aragón in northern Spain.

Agüero, Huesca municipality in Aragon, Spain

Agüero is a small village located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. Its postal code is 22808. There are two churches in the village. The 12th-century Santiago church is the main attraction in the village proper. There is also a small hotel in the village.

Sena, Aragon municipality in Aragon, Spain

Sena is a municipality located in the Monegros comarca province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2018 census, the municipality has a population of 489 inhabitants.

Góriz

Góriz or Refuge of Góriz, is a mountain refuge located in the province of Huesca in the Spanish Pyrenees. The hut is a hub of different treks in the area, like GR 11 or Monte Perdido climb. It can guest 72 people and used to be full so it used to be necessary to book in advance. Its height is 2,195 metres (7,201 ft) and its coordinates are N 42° 39,783′ E 000° 00.911′.