Barbastro
Encyclopedia
Barbastro is a city in the Somontano
county, province of Huesca, Spain
. The city (also known originally as Barbastra or Bergiduna) is at the junction of the rivers Cinca and Vero.
city called Bergidum or Bergiduna, in Roman times
Barbastro (now called Brutina) was included in the Hispania Citerior
region, and later of Hispania Tarraconensis
.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was part of the Visigoth kingdom. Barbastro and the Barbitaniya area were overtaken by Musa bin Nusair
in 717, as part of the Ummayad push to conquer northern states of the Marca Hispanica
and the name Madyar was given to the town.
It was later settled by the Banu Jalaf
who made it the capital of the Emirate of Barbineta and Huesca until 862, and was known as the Emirate of Brabstra until 882.
In 1064, Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragón, and his Frankish
Christian forces, led by William VIII of Aquitaine
and Le Bon Normand, invaded the city, which at the time was part of the emir of Zaragoza
. This attack, which caused over 50,000 victims, was known as the Siege of Barbastro
. The following year, however, it was reconquered by the Moors. In 1101 it was conquered by Peter I of Aragon, who made it a bishopric seat. Barbastro since then followed the history of Aragon and Spain.
During the Spanish Civil War
51 Claretians
were executed in Barbastro by militiamen of the Popular Front
. Numerous socialist, republican and communist activits were jailed and executed in the following years by the Fascist regime of Francisco Franco
.
Barbastro's economy flourished until the 20th century, when a period of decline began, ending only in the 1960s due to the grow of agricultural production.
Somontano de Barbastro
Somontano de Barbastro is a comarca in Huesca Province, Aragon, Spain.Somontano borders the counties of Sobrarbe and Alto Gállego to the north, Ribagorza and La Litera to the east, Cinca Medio to the southwest, the Monegros desert to the south and Hoya de Huesca to the west.As its Latin name...
county, province of Huesca, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The city (also known originally as Barbastra or Bergiduna) is at the junction of the rivers Cinca and Vero.
History
An ancient CeltiberianCeltiberian
Celtiberian may refer to:*the Celtiberians, a Celtic people of the Iberian Peninsula*the Celtiberian language, a Celtic language...
city called Bergidum or Bergiduna, in Roman times
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Barbastro (now called Brutina) was included in the Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly occupying the northeastern coast and the Ebro Valley of what is now Spain. Hispania Ulterior was located west of Hispania Citerior—that is, farther away from Rome.-External links:*...
region, and later of Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the Mediterranean coast of Spain along with the central plateau. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia, was the province of Hispania Baetica...
.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was part of the Visigoth kingdom. Barbastro and the Barbitaniya area were overtaken by Musa bin Nusair
Musa bin Nusair
Musa bin Nusayr al-Balawi was a balawi who served as a governor and general under the Umayad caliph Al-Walid I. He had ruled over the Muslim provinces of North Africa , and directed the islamic opening of the Visigothic kingdom in Hispania....
in 717, as part of the Ummayad push to conquer northern states of the Marca Hispanica
Marca Hispanica
The Marca Hispanica , also known as Spanish March or March of Barcelona was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier between the Umayyad Moors of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Kingdom....
and the name Madyar was given to the town.
It was later settled by the Banu Jalaf
Banu Jalaf
The Banu Jalaf was a family that ruled Huesca and the region called Barbitanya on the Iberian Peninsula from about 802 to 862, and Barbitanya alone from 862 to about 882....
who made it the capital of the Emirate of Barbineta and Huesca until 862, and was known as the Emirate of Brabstra until 882.
In 1064, Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragón, and his Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
Christian forces, led by William VIII of Aquitaine
William VIII of Aquitaine
William VIII , born Guy-Geoffrey , was duke of Gascony , and then duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitiers between 1058 and 1086, succeeding his brother William VII ....
and Le Bon Normand, invaded the city, which at the time was part of the emir of Zaragoza
Taifa of Zaragoza
The taifa of Zaragoza was an independent Muslim state in Moorish Al-Andalus, present day eastern Spain, which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, which emerged in the 11th century following the destruction of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the Moorish Iberian Peninsula.During the...
. This attack, which caused over 50,000 victims, was known as the Siege of Barbastro
War of Barbastro
The War of Barbastro was an international expedition, sanctioned by Pope Alexander II, to take the Spanish city of Barbastro from the Moors. A large army composed of elements from all over Western Europe took part in the successful siege of the city...
. The following year, however, it was reconquered by the Moors. In 1101 it was conquered by Peter I of Aragon, who made it a bishopric seat. Barbastro since then followed the history of Aragon and Spain.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
51 Claretians
Claretians
The Claretians, a community of Roman Catholic priests and brothers, were founded by Saint Anthony Claret in 1849. They strive to follow their founder's “on fire” example and help wherever they are needed. Their ministries are highly diverse and vary depending on the needs of the area. They focus...
were executed in Barbastro by militiamen of the Popular Front
Popular Front (Spain)
The Popular Front in Spain's Second Republic was an electoral coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various left-wing political organisations, instigated by Manuel Azaña for the purpose of contesting that year's election....
. Numerous socialist, republican and communist activits were jailed and executed in the following years by the Fascist regime of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
.
Barbastro's economy flourished until the 20th century, when a period of decline began, ending only in the 1960s due to the grow of agricultural production.
Notable residents
- St. Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei
- Jose Antonio ForteaJose Antonio ForteaJosé Antonio Fortea Cucurull is a Spanish writer and calligrapher, and a Roman Catholic priest and exorcist of the diocese of Alcalá de Henares .-Education and work:...
, Catholic priest and exorcist
- Fray Luis de CancerLuis CancerFather Luis Cancer or Fray Luis de Cancer was a Dominican priest and pioneer Spanish missionary to the New World.He was born at Barbastro, in Aragon...
, Dominican missionary and protomartyr of Florida
External links
- History of Entremuro (in Spanish) Places, people and events about city's old quarter