Other Definitions
aragon (dest)
aragon (dict)
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Aragon Aragon (Spanish: Aragn; Aragonese language: Aragn; Catalan: Arag) is an autonomous community of north-eastern Spain. It has an area of 47,719 km with a population of 1,217,514 (2003). Aragon is bounded on the north by France, on the east by Catalonia, on the south by Valencia, and on the west by Castile-La Mancha, Castile-Leon, La Rioja, and Navarre (Spanish: Navarra). It comprises the provinces of Zaragoza (English: Saragossa), Huesca, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza. In addition to its three provinces, Aragon is subdivided into 33 comarcas (counties). Language In addition to Spanish, there is an original Aragonese language, still spoken in some valleys of the Pyrenees, which is different from the Aragonese dialect of Castilian Spanish language. Catalan is spoken as well in some comarques (counties) adjacent to Catalonia, in particular: the Ribagorzan dialect in Ribagorza (capital Benabarre) and Litera (capital Binefar), and a dialect similar to that of Terra Alta in Matarraa (capital Valderrobres) and Bajo Cinca (capital Fraga). History Aragn was a French feudal county (Jaca) self proclaimed kingdom, that was united to the kingdom of Pamplona (later Navarre) in 925. Splited the kingdom of Navarra, the kingdom of Aragn was re-established in 1035 and until 1707. Aragn was also the name of a crown, because of the dynastical union of a Count of Barcelona (Ramon Berenguer IV) with a Queen of Aragn (Petronila of Aragon), their son inheriting all territories. This Crown was effectively disbanded when the dynastic union with Castile happened (see below). Kings of Aragn (called by some present-day historicians "Catalan Kings of Aragn", "Catalan Kings", "Count-Kings", or "Counts of Barcelona and Kings of Arag" because this way the role played by Catalonia in the crown is not shunned unadvertently) ruled territories that comprehend not only the present administrative region of Aragn but also Catalonia, and later the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Sicily, Naples and Sardinia (see Catalan-Aragonese Empire). The King of Aragn was the direct King of the Aragonese region, and held also the title of King of Valencia, King of Mallorca (during a time), "Count of Barcelona", "Seor de Montpellier", and, only temporally, Duch of Athenes and Neopatria. Each of these titles gave him sovereignity over a certain region, and these titles changed as he lost and won territories. The real centre of this kingdom was Barcelona, since it had a seaport and was near the geographical centre of the Crown of Aragon, while Valencia was the most important seaport for trade until S.XVIII (approx.). Present-day historians usually call the Crown the "Crown of Aragn", the "Catalan-Aragonese Confederation" or, some of them, simply "Catalonia-Aragn", many times depending on whether that historician lives in Aragn or in Catalonia. The kingdom of Aragn is called simply Kingdom of Aragn. Saying just "Aragn" is ambiguous and should be avoided. Barcelona was the center of what was in many ways a Mediterranean Empire, ruling the Mediterranean Sea and setting rules for the entire sea (for instances, in the Llibre del Consolat del Mar (in Catalan). See list of Kings of Aragn. See list of Chancellors and Council Presidents of Aragn See list of Lieutenants of the Kingdom of Aragn The dynastic union of Castile and Aragon in 1479, when Ferdinand II of Aragon wed Isabella I of Castile, led to the formal creation of Spain as a single entity in 1516. See List of Spanish monarchs and Kings of Spain family tree See also External links
Aragon is also the name of a commune in the Aude dpartement, in France
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