ARAZONA, capital of the region of Moncayo, is situated in the middle of Queiles valley

to 86 km distance from Zaragoza, crossroads between communities "Castilla León", "Rioja" and "Navarra", with population of 11000 citizens.
Lattice windows of the court of the Cathedral

Roman municipality, in Its lot were based successively Visigoths, Arabs, Jews, Christians, turning Tarazona into one of the most memorable places of Aragón. An expansion of the small village towards the fertile Queiles valley and the military borders situation with "Castillla" and "Navarra" has defined, from middle ages, Its specific urban structure of high districts, alleys, narrow streets and passages.

The old town center is declared Historical Artistic Heritage in 1965.The rich heritage of Tarazona is perfectly complemented with surroundings abounding in sight-seeings: The mountain range Moncayo is protected from 1978 like a Natural Park. It is the idyllic place of the cistercian Monastery of Veruela and the samples of constructive mudejar tradition of Reagon's towns.
ART AND CULTURE:

Exist remains of villages - roman, arabic and jewish-cristian, formed part of Tarazona's history. From the numerous representative monuments we distinguish: The Cathedral " la Catedral": Enseble of Gothic style from XIII-XV sentury, It comprise also important architectural elements - cloister, dome, tower, chapel, outbuildings and art furniture in mudejar, renaissance and baroque style. The Old Bullring "La Plaza De Toros Vieja": It was constructed on particular initiative between 1790 - 1792. Shape it 32 housings arranged arround an octogonal square used as bullring until 1870.

panoramic view of the city.
An Arabian quarter "Morería": It formed an independent district occupying the street and the slope of San Juan and the Jewish quarter -district, closed by several doors, included the old one- streets "Rúa Alta", "Rúa Baja", "Aires", "Judería" y "Plaza de los Arcedianos" -and the new one "Plaza de Nuestra Señora". "Las Casas Colgadas" are a set of houses which back fronts jutting out over the Jewish quarter. "La Iglesia de Magdalena" possesses three apses, their style is Late-Romanesque
and the housings are from the beginning of XVth century. Its impressive Mudejar tower dominates the city. It consists of several medieval floors finished off with another one at the beginning of the century XVII. "El Palacio Episcopal" was the ancient Moslem water-mill and residence of Aragon's kings. It was turned into episcopal palace at the end of XIVth century. It is formed from Medieval - fortified tower with bishops' hall and Renaissance constractions - yard, stairs, fronts towards the river. It was built an extension onto in XVIIIth century.
HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS: The "CIPOTEGATO"
On first Sunday of July it is celebrated "Romería del Quililay" that consists of procession and parades from Tarazona up to " Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Moncayo"(1.620 m.) It is a holiday, civic religious certainly historical.
The Holidays of the patron saint are celebrated from 27th of August to 1st of September in honour of San Atilano. The festive program includes all kinds of festivities, bullfights and folklore acts.
"El Cipotegato": On 27th of August at 12 a.m. the attraction is the exit from the Town hall of an elusive celebrity, dressed from the head to the feet with a suit of colors named "cipotegato" to which thousands of tomatoes are thrown . By "cipote" in Aragon is comprehended a chubby and paunchy person being compared the mask that carries this figure with the feline expression of a cat. But this popular consideration can be clarify with some documentary information.
Between the people of Tarazona run different versions on the origin of this celebrity. Some old people narrate how " in times of the Moors when we had code of lows, sometimes there was a prisoner that they leaded on the square and started throwing bricks and stones to him. If the accused was clever and strong and he was able to go out alive of the square they let him free....
For others, "Cipotegato" is a celebrity that was adopted from municipality in XVI th century, but that already had had Its origin in the buffoons amusing the kings and the people of the village, taking "naturalization papers" with Philip II when one started call him " head of cat " or " face of cat ", turning finally into "Cipotegato". One tells, also, that "Cipotegato" had going out to scare the boys, who had been defending themselves. That was happened, at least, until 1925. It was after the Civil war when they started throwing tomatoes to "Cipotegato" .
Nevertheless, the notarial documents that are saved indicate new information, not very considered, and that responds to a resolution of the cathedral chapter of Tarazona, at the end of XVIIth century, forbiding during the vespers of "Corpus" Corpus Cristi the selebrating of "el pellexo de gato" "scin of a cat" , without to take into consider the protests of the boys from Tarazona did on that reason. That " pellexo de gato" consisted of a stuffed bladder of a cat with who they had been hitting all the people on the left and on the right, amusement that the canons were financing, precisely in the holiday Corpus Cristi, for that times the biggest holiday in the town.

But when San Atilano's holiday acquired major importance and was proclaimed as a patron saint of Tarazona, before the entrance of one of his relics, the "Cipotegato" changed Its date of celebrating on August 27th.

The festive fact is of a great importance and showiness and it was declared of regional interest in 1998. It consists of coming out of that celebrity from the Town hall, passing through the square and returning, avoiding the thousands kilos of tomatoes throwing on him by the people.

There are and other holidays that the districts "San Miguel", "Cinto", "Almehora" and "Cunchillos" celebrate

On October 5th, is celebrated San Atilano's holiday - patron saint of the city.

In The Holy week the different brotherhoods realize their processiones reviving our traditions.

From 7th to 16th of November is the novena of "Virgen del Río", patron saint of the city.
© 2002 Servicios.