Teruel () is a city in
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, ...
, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of
Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its harsh
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...
, with a wide daily variation on temperatures and its renowned ''
jamón serrano'' (cured ham), its
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...
, its surrounding
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...
s, rock outcrops containing some of the oldest
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
remains of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
, and its famous events: ''
La Vaquilla del Ángel'' during the weekend (Friday to Monday) closest to 10 July and "Bodas de Isabel de Segura" around the third weekend of February.
Teruel is regarded as the "town of
Mudéjar
Mudéjar were Muslims who remained in Iberia in the late medieval period following the Christian reconquest. It is also a term for Mudéjar art, which was greatly influenced by Islamic art, but produced typically by Christian craftsmen for C ...
" (Moorish-influenced architecture) due to numerous buildings designed in this style. All of them are comprised in the
Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon which is a
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
by the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
.
Teruel's remote and mountainous location
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
and its low population has led to relative isolation within Spain. A campaign group with the slogan ''
Teruel existe'' ("Teruel exists") was founded in 1999 to press for greater recognition and investment in the town and the province. Due in part to the campaign, transport connections to Teruel were improved with the construction of a
motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
between
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
and
Sagunto
Sagunto () is a municipality of Spain, located in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community. It belongs to the modern fertile ''comarca'' of Camp de Morvedre. It is located approximately north of the city of Valencia, close to the Costa ...
. However, Teruel remains the only provincial capital in
peninsular Spain
Peninsular Spain is the part of the territory of Spain located within the Iberian Peninsula, thus excluding other parts of Spain: the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and several islets and crags off the coast of Morocco kno ...
without a direct road or
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
link to the national capital,
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
. A running joke in the Spanish online satirical publication
El Mundo Today is that Teruel does not exist.
History
The area around Teruel has been populated since the times of the
Celtiberians
The Celtiberians were a group of Celts and Celticized peoples inhabiting an area in the central-northeastern Iberian Peninsula during the final centuries BC. They were explicitly mentioned as being Celts by several classic authors (e.g. Strabo) ...
, who called it Turboleta. The place-name Turboleta could come from the Basque-Iberian term ''itur'' + ''olu'' + ''eta'' (place of the water source, spring), according to the theory of
Basque-Iberism. The area was later occupied by the Romans, who left remains in nearby towns, such as
Cella.
Some authors claim that in the location of the current city of Teruel (specifically its Jewish quarter) was originally called Tirwal, a name that would have come from the Arabic word meaning "tower." A Muslim enclave is said to have existed in that location in the year 935. However, the corresponding archaeological sites found there belong to a defensive structure, not a population center.
On 1 October 1171,
King Alfonso II captured Tirwal. He was threatened by the
Almohads’ capture of Valencia, and wanted to strengthen the southern border of his kingdom. In the same year, he founded the city of Teruel, granting it
fueros
(), (), (), () or () is a Spanish legal term and concept. The word comes from Latin , an open space used as a market, tribunal and meeting place. The same Latin root is the origin of the French terms and , and the Portuguese terms and ...
and privileges to facilitate the repopulation of the area.
The foundation of Teruel marked an unprecedented change in the political and territorial structure of southern Aragon. The predominance of
Albarracín
Albarracín () is a Spanish town, in the province of Teruel, part of the autonomous community of Aragon. According to the 2007 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 1075 inhabitants. Albarracín is the capital of the mountainous Si ...
and
Alfambra during the Muslim era was replaced by that of the newly-founded cities, Teruel in particular, to the detriment of Alfambra, which would remain in the background under the organizing principle of
manorialism
Manorialism, also known as seigneurialism, the manor system or manorial system, was the method of land ownership (or "Land tenure, tenure") in parts of Europe, notably France and later England, during the Middle Ages. Its defining features incl ...
.
According to one legend, Teruel was founded when all the wise and important people of the town came together to look for signs and omens. The omen they found favorable was a bull, mooing from atop a high place with a star shining on it from above. The high place where they found the bull was eventually made into the town’s main square. According to some authors, the name of the city has its origins in this meeting, since the combination of the words “bull” (''toro'') and the name of the star, "Actuel," would make "Toroel," which could become "Toruel." The legend of this encounter also explains the star and bull on the city’s flag and coat of arms.
The inhabitants of Teruel intervened in the conquest of
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
, which had been in the hands of the Muslims, and in the
War of the Two Peters against the
Kingdom of Castile
The Kingdom of Castile (; : ) was a polity in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It traces its origins to the 9th-century County of Castile (, ), as an eastern frontier lordship of the Kingdom of León. During the 10th century, the Ca ...
. The population was granted the title of city in 1347 by
Pedro IV of Aragon for their support in the
Battle of Épila. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish and
Mudejar communities attained considerable importance within the social and economic life of the city, since their
aljamas were consolidated towards the end of the 13th century.
The Jewish Quarter of Teruel still preserves its name, and many archaeological sites have been found there. In the Middle Ages, Teruel possessed a prominent Jewish community, which was robust during the centuries Muslims were in power and enjoyed several privileges. Later on after the Christian reconquest of Spain, the Jewish community paid a yearly tax of 300
sueldos (in the 14th century). Its members were engaged in commerce and industry, especially in wool-weaving. During the persecutions of 1391 many of them were killed, while others accepted Christianity in order to save their lives.
Teruel was fought over in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, and much of the city was destroyed. The
Battle of Teruel in December 1937-February 1938, was one of the bloodiest of the war. The town changed hands several times, first falling to the Republicans and eventually being re-taken by the Nationalists. In the course of the fighting, Teruel was subjected to heavy artillery and aerial bombardment. The two sides suffered up to 140,000 casualties between them in the three-month battle. The Nationalists won a decisive victory.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Teruel has a
cold semi-arid climate
Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...
(''BSk''). Summer temperatures are warm to hot, although there is much daily variation, and winters are cold, with low minimum temperatures sometimes dropping to . The lowest amount of rainfall is in winter and the highest in late spring and mid autumn.
The temperature records registered at the Observatory of Teruel were on August 14, 2021
and on January 12, 2021.
Main sights
The beauty of the town's cultural inheritance, which has some
Islamic
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
influence, has been recognised by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
, which includes four churches in the
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon, notably the town's ornate
cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
in the
Mudéjar
Mudéjar were Muslims who remained in Iberia in the late medieval period following the Christian reconquest. It is also a term for Mudéjar art, which was greatly influenced by Islamic art, but produced typically by Christian craftsmen for C ...
style.
One of Teruel's best known monuments is very small statue of a bull on top of a tall column, known as ''El Torico'' ("the little bull"). It is located in the main square, ''Plaza Carlos Castell'', more commonly known as the ''Plaza del Torico'' in the middle of the town center.
Other sights include:
*''Torre de El Salvador'' (14th century), in ''mudéjar'' style
*Cathedral: Catedral de Santa María de Teruel, in ''mudéjar'' style
*''San Pedro'', a ''mudéjar'' church (16th century) with a tower similar to that of the cathedral. It includes a mausoleum, Mausoleo de Los Amantes, housing the
mummified bodies of Isabel de Segura (a wealthy woman) and Diego de Marcilla (a poor man who battled at Crusades to earn some money with the intention to return to get married with Isabel) whose love ended tragically. This story is known as ''
los amantes de Teruel'' and has inspired writers (for example Hartzenbusch) and an opera composed by
Tomás Bretón.
*Church of ''La Merced'', with a bell tower in ''mudéjar'' style (the upper sector added later in Baroque style).
*Church of ''San Salvador'' (17th century), with one of the most outstanding ''mudéjar'' towers. It houses a 14th-century wooden sculpture of Christ.
*Church of ''San Martín'' (17th century).
*''
Torre de San Martín'' (14th century), in ''mudéjar'' style
*Church of ''San Miguel'' (12th century), remade in the 17th century in Baroque style.
*''Castillo de Alambes'', a 15th-century fortification built over the Arabic Alcazar.
*''Casa El Torico'', ''Casa Ferrán'' and ''Casa La Madrileña'', 1910s liberty style houses
*Palace of the Marquis of Tosos (17th century)
*The Gothic church of St. Francis (1391–1492). It has a single nave with chapels covered by a ribbed vault with no crossing.
*''
Los Arcos'', an aqueduct with two orders of arcade from 1538.
On the outskirts of Teruel is Dinópolis Teruel, a combined
theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
and
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
centred on
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
s. Promoted as a
paleontological park, it includes a life-size robotic model of a ''
Tyrannosaurus rex
''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...
''. Dinópolis also owns three other museums in the surrounding area, which display the remains of dinosaurs discovered in the region. The chimney of the
Teruel Power Plant is one of the tallest freestanding structures in Western Europe.
File:El Torico 2024.jpg, El Torico Fountain
File:Torre de El Salvador 10.jpg, Mudéjar Tower of El Salvador (14th century)
File:Museo de Arte Sacro, Teruel, España, 2014-01-10, DD 42.JPG, Glass roof of the museum of religious art in Teruel
File:Escalinata neomudéjar (Teruel).jpg, La Escalinata
Education and research

A branch of the
University of Zaragoza
The University of Zaragoza, sometimes referred to as Saragossa University () is a public university with teaching campuses and research centres spread over the three provinces of Aragon (Spain).
Founded in 1542, it is one of the List of oldest u ...
is located in Teruel. The
Aragon Center for Physics of the Cosmos (CEFCA in Spanish), which conducts research in astrophysics and cosmology is also located in Teruel. CEFCA operates the
Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre (OAJ), which is located in the south of the Teruel province and recognized as a national .
Transportation
Teruel Airport opened in 2013, after being repurposed from an original military airbase; it is primarily an aircraft storage and maintenance facility, with no passenger traffic.
Sport
The 3rd Stage of The
2024 La Vuelta Femenina finished at Teruel on April 30th. It was won by
Marianne Vos.
Notable people
*
Alba Bautista (born 2002), rhythmic gymnast and world bronze medalist
*
David Civera
David Civera Gracia (born in Teruel, Aragón, Spain on 8 January 1979) is a Spanish singer.
Biography
Civera was born in Teruel, in 1979. His parents are José and Pilar and he has two sisters, Sonia is older than David, and Andrea is the yo ...
(born 1979), singer
*
Manuel Macías y Casado (1844–1937), general and military governor
*
Luis Milla (born 1966),
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
player and manager
*
Javier Sierra (born 1971), journalist and writer
*
Juan Gabriel of Teruel, 16th-century Spanish translator known for translating the Quran into Latin
See also
*
La Vaquilla del Ángel
*
Diocese of Teruel and Albarracín.
*
Lovers of Teruel
The Lovers of Teruel () is a popular romance story. It is alleged to have taken place in 1217 in the city of Teruel (Aragón).
Notable versions include a play written by Juan Pérez de Montalbán, first printed in 1635.
Story
In the city there ...
*
Battle of Teruel
*
List of municipalities in Teruel
This is a list of the municipalities in the province of Teruel in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. There are 236 municipalities in the province. List
See also
* Geography of Spain
* List of cities in Spain
* List of Aragonese comarcas ...
References
External links
*Englis
World Heritage Centre
{{Authority control