Contamina
Encyclopedia
Contamina is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza
, Aragón
, Spain
to the west of the Sierra de Padros, in the upper valley of the river Jalón
, a tributary of the Ebro
. According to the 2008 census
(Instituto Nacional de Estadística
), the municipality has a population of 42 inhabitants. In 1930 the population was 252. The 16th century parish church is dedicated to St Bartholomew and is constructed in the baroque style. It has a notable 16th century altar depicting the life of Saint Bartholomew in eight panels.
The novel Secuestro y fonda de Cela en Contamina by José de Cora, is set in the pueblo and recounts a fictional history of the kidnapping of 1989 Nobel Prize
winner Camilo José Cela
by three local inhabitants.
Two kilometres to the east lies the spa town of Alhama de Aragón
. The main highway between Zaragoza and Madrid skirts the northern edge of the settlement. This is a rural community with arable and fruit farms. There is a restaurant and a casa rural (self catering accommodation).
A few kilometres to the south-east lies the Tranquera reservoir and the ancient Monasterio de Piedra
with its famous water gardens.
CONDOMIN(I)A (joint domain). Contamina used to lie on the Camino Real, the royal highway to Madrid, and in the Middle Ages was the location of stables for royal post horses. In 1361 king Pedro IV gave the manor of Contamina to Pedro Carrillo. In 1646 Contamina was granted by king Felipe IV to Sr. Juan Fernandez de Heredia of Cetina, who became Conde de Contamina. In the diaries of Elizabeth, Lady Holland, the Conde de Contamina was mentioned favourably as a supporter of the English cause against Napoleon during the Peninsular War
.
During the Spanish Civil War
Contamina remained in the Nationalist Zone following occupation of most of the province of Zaragoza
by Franco
's Nationalist forces in the summer of 1936.
Zaragoza (province)
Zaragoza is a province of northern Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Aragon.Its capital is Zaragoza, which is also the capital of the autonomous community. Other towns in Zaragoza include Calatayud, Borja, La Almunia de Doña Godina, Ejea de los Caballeros and Tarazona.Its...
, Aragón
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, 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...
to the west of the Sierra de Padros, in the upper valley of the river Jalón
Jalón (river)
The river Jalón is located in the northeast of Spain, and is one of the principal tributaries of the Ebro. It has a length of and drains a watershed of . The flow rate in Calatayud is , but is highly irregular due to the great range of Mediterranean rainfall patterns.The course of the river forms...
, a tributary of the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
. According to the 2008 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
(Instituto Nacional de Estadística
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
), the municipality has a population of 42 inhabitants. In 1930 the population was 252. The 16th century parish church is dedicated to St Bartholomew and is constructed in the baroque style. It has a notable 16th century altar depicting the life of Saint Bartholomew in eight panels.
The novel Secuestro y fonda de Cela en Contamina by José de Cora, is set in the pueblo and recounts a fictional history of the kidnapping of 1989 Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner Camilo José Cela
Camilo José Cela
Camilo José Cela y Trulock, 1st Marquis of Iria Flavia was a Spanish novelist and short story writer. He was awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize in Literature "for a rich and intensive prose, which with restrained compassion forms a challenging vision of man's vulnerability".-Biography:Cela published his...
by three local inhabitants.
Two kilometres to the east lies the spa town of Alhama de Aragón
Alhama de Aragón
Alhama de Aragón is a spa town located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, situated on the river Jalón, a tributary of the Ebro. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 1,150 inhabitants....
. The main highway between Zaragoza and Madrid skirts the northern edge of the settlement. This is a rural community with arable and fruit farms. There is a restaurant and a casa rural (self catering accommodation).
A few kilometres to the south-east lies the Tranquera reservoir and the ancient Monasterio de Piedra
Monasterio de Piedra
Monasterio de Piedra is a monastery, hotel and park complex in the Iberian System area, near Nuévalos, province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. The monastery was founded in 1194 by Alfonso II of Aragon wiht thirteen Cistercian monks from Poblet Monastery, in an old castle next to the Piedra river,...
with its famous water gardens.
History
The origin of the name Contamina is believed to be from the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
CONDOMIN(I)A (joint domain). Contamina used to lie on the Camino Real, the royal highway to Madrid, and in the Middle Ages was the location of stables for royal post horses. In 1361 king Pedro IV gave the manor of Contamina to Pedro Carrillo. In 1646 Contamina was granted by king Felipe IV to Sr. Juan Fernandez de Heredia of Cetina, who became Conde de Contamina. In the diaries of Elizabeth, Lady Holland, the Conde de Contamina was mentioned favourably as a supporter of the English cause against Napoleon during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
.
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...
Contamina remained in the Nationalist Zone following occupation of most of the province of Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
by 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...
's Nationalist forces in the summer of 1936.
Nearby places
- Alhama de AragonAlhama de AragónAlhama de Aragón is a spa town located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, situated on the river Jalón, a tributary of the Ebro. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 1,150 inhabitants....
- ArizaArizaAriza is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. It is located in the Almazán basin, near the western boundary of Aragon, 142 km from Zaragoza....
- CetinaCetina, AragonCetina is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon. It is situated in the southeast of the province.The town of Cetina forms part of the Cid's Road, the path taken by El Cid according to El Cantar del Mio Cid followed the course of the Jalón river, with the relevant lines stating that...
- Monasterio de PiedraMonasterio de PiedraMonasterio de Piedra is a monastery, hotel and park complex in the Iberian System area, near Nuévalos, province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. The monastery was founded in 1194 by Alfonso II of Aragon wiht thirteen Cistercian monks from Poblet Monastery, in an old castle next to the Piedra river,...
- NuevalosNuévalosNuévalos is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 384 inhabitants. This small town is two km down the Piedra from the Monasterio de Piedra...