The joining in marriage of two principal characters of Spanish history was the event that eventually led to the unification of Spain and the imposition of the Spanish Inquisition.
Fernando of Aragón’s marriage to Isabella of Castilla lit the fires of religious fanatasicm that swept, unstoppable, across the length and bredth of Spain and took Aragón’s influence far beyond the borders of the peninsula.
Aragón’s illustrious heritage is well preserved by the many castles, mosques and ancient heartlands that describe the complex relationships and ever changing panorama of history.
Aragón is composed of three provinces: Teruel, Zaragoza and Huesca. To the north the Pyrenees form a jagged frontier between Spain and France, a frontier that not so long ago seemed to prevent the stride of history; a physical and temporal barrier that left Spain frozen in the early part of the twentienth century.
Nowadays, eager skiers head north through Huesca without much considering the wealth and beauty of the archeological and aesthetic treasures that are often hidden in picturesque villages and lonely country lanes – it’s almost as if history is only now beginning to thaw the frozen mists of time that cling tenaciously to their last secrets and fading memories.
Between the 9th and 15th of August, the capital city of Huesca transforms itself for the fiesta of San Lorenzo, its 16th century cathedral resplendent in a cloud of flowers and colour. In the city hall a mural, depicting an infamous act of summary justice (when Ramiro II, Aragón’s 12th century ruler, assasinated all his dissident nobles) can be viewed at leisure. With a little imagination it can be transformed into a pageant of historical tyranny visible in full technicolour.
Mountain enclaves in the north of Huesca sweep down to the central valleys of Zaragoza and the dry, arid plains of Teruel in the south.
The northern boundary with France marks the starting point of spectacular mountain trails that lead through valleys fashioned by the titanic power of the earth and past cathedral mountains sculpted into surreal forms long before the flow of recorded history became the playground of the gods.
Ordesa, one of Spain’s most famous national parks, is located here. Criss-crossing trails between France and Spain are followed in the summer months by hikers eager to touch the sky and in the winter by skiers eager to play with the wind.
Not only is this a place to witness the abstract thought patterns of the forces of nature, it is also home to many species of flora and fauna which cling to existence within a protected environment on the periphery of man’s destructive tendencies.
Zaragoza, along with the rest of Spain, was overrun by the Moors in 741; a ruling class and system that remained in place until the 12th century. Evidence of the energy and innovation of Moorish civilisation is abundant throughout the province.
Tarazona, to the northwest of the capital city of Zaragoza, is known as the ‘Mudéjar City’ because of the many fine examples of arabic architecture that have survived the successive waves of pillaging armies. Not so lucky was the capital city itself that suffered immensely destructive seiges during the Nopoleonic wars in the early 19th century.
Here though, the spectacular Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, with its 11 domes and built during the 17th and 18th centuries, sits resplendent on the banks of the mighty River Ebro, the forces of man and nature meeting together in a feast of vision.
On the 12th October, the city celebrates the day of El Pilar with a huge party, the climax of which is the procession of the cardboard giants, grotesque figures parading through narrow streets whose symbolism is a continuing matter of debate but which are now sometimes used to lampoon politicians and other famous dignitaries.
But not all the Moorish treasures of Zaragoza were lost to the vagaries of history. The Aljafería, a moorish palace with exquisitely delicate tracery and fascinating mudéjar arches, has recently been restored to its original splendour.
Here, not only classic mudéjar architecture can be seen, but also the throne room of Ferdinand and Isobella, victorious after the fall of Granada in 1492, their absolute power reflected in the sumptuous stone tracery and magnificent ceiling.
To the south of Aragón, Teruel, perhaps the least known Spanish province, possesses an abundance of Arabic and Roman ruins that are hidden from view from all but the most inquisitive of visitors.
In the capital city, Teruel, the Iglesia de San Pedro contains the tombs and mummified bodies of the lovers of Teruel, a 13th century Romeo and Juliet whose tragic love affair is forever immortalised in marble relief.
Aragón’s rich historical, cultural, natural and gastronomic heritage makes for an unforgettable journey through time, space and superb restaurants.
Mountain enclaves in the north of Huesca sweep down to the central valleys of Zaragoza and the dry, arid plains of Teruel in the south. 
But not all the Moorish treasures of Zaragoza were lost to the vagaries of history. The Aljafería, a moorish palace with exquisitely delicate tracery and fascinating mudéjar arches, has recently been restored to its original splendour. 
