| The Aragonese have a reputation
for being straightforward people, and theirs is a harsh stark land of untamed
and untouched beauty. Francisco de Goya, born in the village of Fuendetodos,
and sardonic film maker Luis Bunuel both grew up here, and their
mental toughness and firm principles were quintessentially Aragonese. To
the north Aragon is bordered by the Pyrenees and to the south by the Iberian
mountains that separate the region from Castile and the orchard land of
Valencia. Within Aragon the mountains of El Maestrazgo and Montes Universales
create their own awesome beauty. The Ebro, Spain's mightiest river, flows
through the center of Aragon past its capital, Zaragoza, forming a vast
fertile valley that is among the most productive lands in Spain.
Art lovers will find in Aragon
fine examples of the Moorish Mudejar architectural style, which flourished
thanks to the region's tolerant religious policies between the thirteenth
and sixteenth centuries. In contrast to the elaborate ornamentation of
the Muslim style, there are magnificent Romanesque churches, monasteries,
and grand cathedrals like the cathedral of Jaca, in the Pyrenean valleys
of Upper Aragon. These owe their existence to the medieval pilgrims en
route to Santiago de Compostela, who entered Aragon from France at the
mountain pass of Somport. The Way of Saint James brought in its wake the
finest artistic styles and medieval villages of unparalled beauty.
Gastronomy
Aragon is good territory
for hunters and fishermen, skiers, mountain climbers and trekkers. The
nature reserve, the Parque Nacional de Ordesa, is one of Spain's great
protected spaces. The region's cuisine centers on red pepper stews of lamb
or chicken, trout from local rivers and the region's renowned peaches steeped
in red wine. Table wines, such as those from Carinena, are robust and the
perfect complement to Aragon's hearty fare.
Attractions
Aragon's singular contribution
to Spanish folk dancing and singing is the jota. Danced by pairs who leap
and kick high in the air and sing with terrific power, the jota is as spirited
a display as can be found anywhere. The region's most important fiesta
is in honor of the Virgen del Pilar, patron saint of the Americas, celebrated
in Zaragoza on October 12, a date known in Spain as the Day of Hispanic
Nations.
- NAVARRA -
Navarra is an astonishingly
varied part of Spain and exceptionally beautiful, especially to the north,
where it meets the high Pyrenees, creating a land of soaring peaks, deep
valleys, tranquil pastureland, swift-flowing rivers and streams that rush
southward, chasmic gorges and thick forests of oak and beech. It is a pastoral
landscape of the most luxuriously verdant valleys, where cattle graze and
quaint villages of distinctive architecture appear. Navarra gradually levels
off to the south in the Ebro Valley, where the climate is appropriate for
vineyards, vegetables and wheat. Such is the variety of climates that in
a corner of the province known as Las Bardenas, there is even a mini desert.
Navarra shares borders with
the Basque Country, Aragon and France and has historical and cultural links
with all three. It is a region filled with old towns and villages, with
palaces and mansions, cathedrals and monasteries. Clearly marked in Navarra
is the great pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. From all over
medieval Europe pilgims arrived to Navarra -the first stop on Spanish soil
after the Pyrenees were crossed- where their different routes converged
to form one tidal wave of humanity making its way to the great shrine of
Saint James in Galicia. The route enriched Navarra with Romanesque churches
and chapels and with hospitals and inns for those who walked the Way, creating
a magnificent religious, cultural and artistic legacy.
Gastronomy
A proudly independent people,
the Navarrese guard their local liberties which historically gave them
special privileges and governing autonomy. The jota dance and its accompanying
stirring songs is just one manifestation of the region's pride and self
esteem. So too the local gastronomy, which features the finest red peppers
and delicate white asparagus, lamb stew with red peppers, local trout sauteed
with serrano ham, well-cured Roncal sheeps milk cheese, and canutillos
(custard pastry horns). Wines of Navarra are typically clarets and roses,
served slightly chilled. Pacharan, a liqueur of bilberries and anise, is
another specialty of the region.
Attractions
Navarra's tourist magnet
today is the world famous July festival of San Fermin that was vividly
described by Ernest Hemingway. Bulls are set loose in the streets of Pamplona,
and for a few heady moments each day for eight consecutive days, locals
and foreigners alike taste the thrill of the bullring and join in the dancing,
singing, parades and processions that take place in the streets of the
city.
- LA RIOJA -
South of the great Ebro River,
bordering Navarre, lies La Rioja, a region that surely brings to mind excellent
red wines. But La Rioja is so much more than that. It has a distinct personality,
owing in part to the fact that it was a frontier zone, disputed between
the powerful kingdoms of Castile and Navarre. It is an area that is very
much associated with the Road to Saint James, which passes through it.
A medieval holy man who came to be known as Santo Domingo de la Calzada
(Saint Dominic of the Road), lived humbly in a hermitage along the route
and built a bridge to ease the journey of the pilgrims. As his fame spread,
pilgrims stopped to pay their respects, and a town grew up called Santo
Domingo de la Calzada. La Rioja is also an area that produced Gonzalo de
Berceo, the first important literary figure writing in Castilian Spanish.
La Rioja is made up of the
Rioja Alta (Upper Rioja), a wet upland zone where the terrain is more abrupt
and where some of the region's best wines are made, and the Rioja Baja
(Lower Rioja), a rich fruit and vegetable growing area along the banks
of the Ebro River that is the lifeblood of the region. It is said that
to fill your table in La Rioja you need only extend your hand. A third
well defined zone in the interior is characterized by fine mountains and
lush valleys, which produce the excellent fruit, especially peaches, that
locals are so expert at preserving.
Gastronomy
The gastronomy of La Rioja
is based on the celebrated produce of the land, especially sweet red peppers
and all kinds of green vegetables. Vegetable medleys, stews of quail and
beans, potatoes with chorizo sausage and red peppers, and lamb chops grilled
over vine shoots are all specialties of the region.
Attractions
In La Rioja, the old and
new live side by side; you will come across centuries-old churches, monasteries
and palaces, and some odd customs, such as the stilt walkers' dance that
is the classic attraction of the medieval village of Anguiano. And while
wine making stills follows centuries-old traditions, the latest technology
has been incorporated into the process without altering the characteristics
that have made Rioja wines world famous.
Text courtesy of the Tourist
Office of Spain |
