Tarazona

Tarazona
Tarazona
	Flag Seal
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Aragon
Province	Zaragoza
Comarca	Tarazona y el Moncayo
Area
• Total	244 km2 (94 sq mi)
Elevation	480 m (1,570 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	11,211
• Density	46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)

Tarazona is a municipality (pop. 10,667) in the Spanish province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarazona and the capital of the Tarazona y el Moncayo Aragonese comarca.

History

During the Roman era, Tarazona was a prosperous city whose inhabitants were full Roman citizens; it was known as Turiaso. The city declined after the fall of the Roman Empire, and later became a Muslim town in the 8th century.

It was reconquered in 1119 by Alfonso I of Aragon and became the seat of the diocese of Tarazona. Construction on Tarazona Cathedral first began in the 12th century in the French Gothic style, and it was consecrated in 1232.

After the death of Alfonso I, Tarazona became a town situated on the frontiers between Castile, Navarre, and Aragon, and was thus of strategic importance.

During centuries of Arabic rule, the city's population was diverse, and Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together. The Muslim presence was evident in the local architecture; the cathedral itself was later rebuilt in Mudéjar style. The city suffered a terrible crisis when the Moriscos were expelled.

During the War of the Two Peters, the city was occupied by Castilian troops for nine years, and the cathedral was damaged during this time.

In the 20th century, Tarazona became an important producer of matches and textiles, but these industries were replaced by others from the 1980s onwards.

The city is now an important tourist destination with various restaurants and hotels.