Zaragoza, once the residence of the kings of Aragon and now chief town of its province and the seat of a famous university, lies in the Ebro basin, on the right bank of the river, and from time immemorial has been the principal crossing point for traffic from the Pyrenees into Castile. The Huerta de
Zaragoza, well watered by the Canal Imperial and the rivers Ebro, Huerva and Gallego, is a region of great fertility, and Zaragoza is accordingly an important agricultural center, as well as possessing considerable industry (principally metal- processing and engineering).
History
The old Iberian settlement of Salduba was renamed by Augustus Colonia Caesaraugusta, from which its present name is derived. It fell into the hands of the Suevi in 452 and of the Visigoths in 476. In 712 it was conquered by the Moors, who held it for more than four centuries. After its recapture by Alfonso I of Aragon in 1118 it became the residence of the kings of Aragon and rose to considerable importance. In the 15th century, however, the court moved to Castile, and Zaragoza's importance declined. It put up a heroic defense against the French in 1808-09, half of the population being killed before the honorable surrender of the town. After the expulsion of the Carlists, who captured the town in a surprise attack in March 1838, Zaragoza earned the style "siempre heróica e inmortal" ("always heroic and immortal").
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