Ruesta is a former

settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), downward movement of a structure's foundation *Settlement (finance), where securities are delivered against payment of money *Settlement (litigatio ...

in the

province of Zaragoza Zaragoza (), also called Saragossa in English,''Encyclopædia Britannica''Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)/ref> is a province of northern Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Aragon. Its capital is the city of Zaragoza, whic ...

, in the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

(

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

), today belonging to the municipality of

Urriés Urriés is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 59 inhabitants. See also * List of municipalities in Zaragoza This is a list of the municip ...

, in the region of Cinco Villas, judicial district of

Ejea de los Caballeros Ejea de los Caballeros (; ), commonly known simply as Ejea, is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Zaragoza (province), Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is one of the five main towns i ...

It is on the banks of the

Aragón river Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

and its

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

the Regal river as well as along the Barranco de Chesa, next to the

Yesa reservoir The Yesa Reservoir is located in the Pyrenees, and is formed with the damming of the Aragon River, in the Navarre town of Yesa (Spain), although the largest area of the reservoir is located in the province of Zaragoza, extending from east to west ...

, a swamp that floods part of its municipal area, which is also the cause of its current depopulation, since fields and houses were

expropriated Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...

for its construction in the 1960s. Many of its neighbors left for the new repopulation nuclei in the irrigated areas of the

Bardenas Canal The Bardenas Canal is an aqueduct that carries water from the Navarre town of Yesa, in northern Spain, to the southern part of Navarre and Province of Zaragoza, Zaragoza. It originates at the dam of the Yesa Reservoir, Yesa reservoir, where the P ...

such as Bardena, Santa Anastasia,

Pinsoro Pinsoro is a village situated to the northwest of the city of Zaragoza in northeastern Spain. The population is approximately 800. This village is located within the Ejea de los Caballeros municipal term. History Pinsoro was founded by colonis ...

and others; other neighbors left for other places. In Ruesta, since a few years ago, the old inhabitants and friends who wish to do so, meet in the town during the ''¡Ruesta vive!'' festivities. Part of its former municipal district passed into the hands of

Sigüés Sigüés is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population infor ...

, in the

Jacetania La Jacetania (; ) is a comarca in northern Aragon, Spain. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Huesca and Zaragoza provinces. The administrative capital is Jaca, with 13,374 inhabitants the largest town of the comarca. The area is fa ...

region, although the territory of Ruesta remained in

. The Hydrographic Confederation of the Ebro legally ceded the use of Ruesta to the

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

'' Confederación General del Trabajo de Aragón'', as part of a plan for the recovery of depopulated areas caused by reservoirs. The CGT, together with the ''Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Aragón'', has carried out some

reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

work on several buildings such as Casa Valentín and Casa Alfonso, which are now used as a

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...

and cultural center for

conferences A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

, a

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

and a

campsite Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping (an overnight stay in an outdoor area). The usage differs between British English and American English. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an ...

. The heritage recovery work carried out in May 2021 merited the Hispania Nostra Award for the rehabilitation project of the village and its section of the French ''Camino de Santiago'' in Aragon, coming from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

by the '' via Arletanensis'', reaches the city of

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

to cross the Pyrenean Mountains through the

Somport Somport or Col du Somport, known also as the Aspe Pass or Canfranc Pass, (el. 1632 m.) is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. Its name is derived from the Latin ''Summus portus''. It was one of the most po ...

pass. The rehabilitation of the Hermitage of Ruesta together with the one of Sigüés won the Ricardo Magdalena Trophy and has been executed by ''Sebastián Arquitectos'' and promoted by the Hydrographic Confederation of the Ebro. Ruesta appears in the film ''

La vaquilla ''La vaquilla'' (English: ''The Heifer'') is a 1985 Spanish comedy film written and directed by Luis García Berlanga. It was the first comedy made about the Spanish Civil War and the highest-grossing Spanish film in Spain at the time surpassing ...

'' by director

Luis García Berlanga Luis García-Berlanga Martí Medal of Merit in Labour, MMT (12 June 1921 – 13 November 2010) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. Acclaimed as a pioneer of modern Spanish cinema, his films are marked by social satire and acerbic criti ...

: the Republican camp was filmed in the village.

Architectural heritage

* Ruesta castle, included in the list of castles considered Sites of Cultural Interest in the list was published in the Official Gazette of Aragon on May 22, 2006. * Hermitage of Santiago * Hermitage of San Juan BautistaErmita de San Juan Bautista (Ruesta (Urriés), ZARAGOZA)
(in Spanish)

Gallery of photos

File:Ruesta (Zaragoza) 002.jpg, ''

Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago (, ; ), or the Way of St. James in English, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tra ...

'' File:Camino de Santiago. Ruesta.jpg, French ''

camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago (, ; ), or the Way of St. James in English, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tra ...

'' in

, passing through Ruesta. File:Alrededores de Ruesta.jpg, Surroundings of Ruesta File:Vista del pantano de Yesa desde Ruesta.jpg, View of the

Yesa Reservoir The Yesa Reservoir is located in the Pyrenees, and is formed with the damming of the Aragon River, in the Navarre town of Yesa (Spain), although the largest area of the reservoir is located in the province of Zaragoza, extending from east to west ...

from Ruesta File:Albergue de Ruesta.jpg, Welcome of the hostel File:Ruesta (Zaragoza) 005.jpg, Cultural house

Ramón Acín Ramón Acín Aquilué (30 August 1888, Huesca, Aragon, Spain – 6 August 1936) was a Spanish anarcho-syndicalist, teacher, painter, sculptor, writer and avant-garde artist who was murdered by fascists in the first year of the Spanish Civil ...

File:Ruesta (Zaragoza) - Vistas de la iglesia 001.jpg, Church of Ruesta File:Jaca - Museo Diocesano, pinturas murales de la Ermita de San Juan Bautista de Ruesta (Zaragoza) 01.jpg, Murals of the Hermitage of St. Juan Bautista de Ruesta now in the Diocesan Museum of Jaca. File:Ruesta (Zaragoza) - Vistas de la iglesia 006.jpg, Church façade File:Torres en ruinas en Yesa - panoramio.jpg, Towers File:Ruinas de Ruesta (1).jpg, House in ruins

References

External links

Ruesta (Official website)
(in Spanish)
Hostel of Ruesta
(in Spanish)
Camino Santiago. Camino Aragonés. Ruesta - Sangüesa.
(in Spanish)
CGT Official website. Come to Ruesta and enjoy!
(in Spanish) {{Comarcas of Aragon History of Zaragoza Camino de Santiago History of Aragon Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Zaragoza