Manchones
Encyclopedia
Manchones is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza
, Aragon, Spain. According to the Spanish Statistical Institute
(INE), the municipality had a population of 123 inhabitants in 2010. The pueblo is in the comarca
of Campo de Daroca
, about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwest of Daroca
and just southeast of Murero
in the Calatayud-Daroca depression. The Jiloca River passes to the west.
The parish church is dedicated to the Conversion of St Paul. There are some remnants of defensive walls from the time of the Reconquista
, when Alfonso the Battler
, king of Aragon, forced a route through towards Valencia from Zaragoza
.
and Daroca. The pueblo lies on an ancient route between the Meseta Central, the Ebro
and the coast of the Levante
, which was certainly established in Roman times.
settlement in Manchones. It has been suggested that the name of the pueblo derives from mancusos, gold coins in circulation in Aragon during the 11th century.
Diego López de Lobera, who served under Alfonso the Battler
during the Reconquista
, was given the castle of Manchones in 1152. In 1248, by grant from Jaime I of Aragon
, Manchones was freed from its dependence on Daroca, becoming part of the Community of Daroca Villages, which was dissolved in 1838.
. A 15th century wooden crucifix is housed in the sacristy.
Surviving remains of defensive walls and towers indicate that Manchones was part of the defensive system for Daroca.
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...
, Aragon, Spain. According to the Spanish Statistical Institute
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....
(INE), the municipality had a population of 123 inhabitants in 2010. The pueblo is in the comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
of Campo de Daroca
Campo de Daroca
Campo de Daroca is one of the comarcas of Aragon, in the Province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. It is located in the mountainous Iberian System area.-Municipalities:...
, about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwest of Daroca
Daroca
Daroca is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, situated to the south of the city of Zaragoza. It is the center of a judicial district....
and just southeast of Murero
Murero
Murero is a municipality in Zaragoza province....
in the Calatayud-Daroca depression. The Jiloca River passes to the west.
The parish church is dedicated to the Conversion of St Paul. There are some remnants of defensive walls from the time of the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
, when Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso I , called the Battler or the Warrior , was the king of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Peter I...
, king of Aragon, forced a route through towards Valencia from Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
.
Situation
Manchones is a small settlement situated at the base of a hill in the valley of the river Jiloca, between CalatayudCalatayud
Calatayud is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza in Aragón, Spain lying on the river Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest city in the province after the capital, Zaragoza, and the largest town in Aragón other than the three provincial...
and Daroca. The pueblo lies on an ancient route between the Meseta Central, 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....
and the coast of the Levante
Levante, Spain
The Levante is a name used to refer to the eastern region of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It roughly corresponds to the former Xarq Al-Andalus, but has no modern geopolitical definition...
, which was certainly established in Roman times.
History
Prehistoric remains have been found in the area and there is some evidence of CeltiberianCeltiberians
The Celtiberians were Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group used the Celtic Celtiberian language.Archaeologically, the Celtiberians participated in the Hallstatt culture in what is now north-central Spain...
settlement in Manchones. It has been suggested that the name of the pueblo derives from mancusos, gold coins in circulation in Aragon during the 11th century.
Diego López de Lobera, who served under Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso I , called the Battler or the Warrior , was the king of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Peter I...
during the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
, was given the castle of Manchones in 1152. In 1248, by grant from Jaime I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
, Manchones was freed from its dependence on Daroca, becoming part of the Community of Daroca Villages, which was dissolved in 1838.
Fiestas
The festivities in honour of St. Vincent and St. Paul are held in the last weekend of January, coinciding with the feast of St. Valero in Zaragoza, while those in honour of San Roque usually last five days, ending with the feast of the saint on 16 August. On August 15 they celebrate with a pilgrimage and a feast in the town square.Buildings
The parish church of the Conversion of St Paul was built in the eighteenth century on the site of a medieval church and was restored in 2004–2005. Its chapel is dedicated to the Virgen del Pilar which contains a late 17th-century baroque reredosReredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
. A 15th century wooden crucifix is housed in the sacristy.
Surviving remains of defensive walls and towers indicate that Manchones was part of the defensive system for Daroca.
Famous residents
- Jesús Ángel Bernal Julián – actor and founder of Teatro de la Estación in Zaragoza.
- Antonio Palacios Rodrigo – (1932–1958) bullfighter.
- José Luis Roca Millán – (born 1934) past president of the Spanish Football Federation.