Boltaña

Boltaña ( Boltanya Aragonese ) is a city in the northern Spanish province of Huesca Aragon the region. Together with the municipality of Ainsa - Sobrabe it is administrative and judicial seat of the comarca Sobrabe, where Ainsa - Sobrabe is the economic center. Boltaña has an area of ​​139.5 km ² currently (January 1, 2013) 1071 inhabitants.

Geography

The town is located 643 meters above sea level in the lower reaches of the river Ara in Zerbillonar valley of the Aragon Pre-Pyrenees, a few kilometers downstream (and south west ) of Fiscal and the upper Broto Valley of Ara. It lies at the foot of Mount San Martín, on which the ruins of an originally built by the Arabs before the 10th century fortress located, the Castle of Boltaña which is erroneously called the " Castle of the Counts of Sobrabe " even though they never considered seat of power of the Christian County Sobrabe served.

On the left side of the river from the gorge of Cañimás, on one side of San Vicente de Labuerda, the second most important town of the community Labuerda, lies on the other Moriello de Sampietro, an abandoned village at the conclusion of the Organic Valley, which is part of Boltaña.

History

The town was the capital of the so-called Boletania that already existed at the time of the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The Romans called the place municipium Boletanum; During this time he was the main town along the Ara. The castle was built here by Boltaña after the Arab conquest, and formed an important defensive position on the border with Spanish Mark. It is narrated that Caliph Abd ar -Rahman III. in the early 10th century a Amrus ibn Muhammad as governor of the fortress appointed. Is not known exactly when Christian rulers Boltaña conquered, but counted García III. Sánchez of Pamplona 941 possessions in the county Sobrabe to his dominion. In the 11th century Boltaña was under the rule of Sancho Garcés ' by his nephew Gimeno Garcés ( 1028-1031 ) and then under Ramiro I and Sancho I of Aragon ruled by Sancho Galíndez ( 1036-1080 ). During this time, the fortress and settlement of Boltaña important points of the Reconquista.

In the 12th century Boltaña lost in favor of the neighboring Ainsa increasingly important, especially after Alfonso Ainsa Carta Puebla in a 1124 special rights ( Fuero ) currently enjoys. In the following centuries the importance Boltañas took off more and more until it was legal for a Ainsa ruled out of place with no special privileges.

1430, when a certain Juan de Bardají held the title of Lord of Boltaña, recanted King Alfonso V the special rights ( foral ) of the place and gave it back to the crown of Aragon. In August 1456 Boltaña received after all, the right to a mayor back.

Monuments

• The Peter the Apostle ordained Roman Catholic parish church dates from the 13th century and is of Gothic style.
• The main square, Plaza de España, is characterized by arcades and for Oberaragonien typical patios from.
• The ruins of the castle of Boltaña eventually consist of the remains of walls and the lower part of an octagonal tower. Legend has it that take place in the castle as on the Brocken Hextentänze ...