Jaca
Jaca as viewed from the Rapitan fort.
Flag Seal
Coordinates: 42°33′N 0°33′W / 42.55°N 0.55°W / 42.55; -0.55Coordinates: 42°33′N 0°33′W / 42.55°N 0.55°W / 42.55; -0.55
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Aragon
Province	Huesca
Comarca	La Jacetania
Government
• Mayor	Víctor José Barrio Sena
Area
• Total	406.34 km2 (156.89 sq mi)
Elevation	820 m (2,690 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	13,396
• Density	33/km2 (85/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CET (UTC+2)
Website	https://www.jaca.es

Castle of San Pedro.

Detail of Jaca Cathedral interior.

Jaca (Chaca in Aragonese) is a city of northeastern Spain near the border with France, in the midst of the Pyrenees in the province of Huesca. Jaca, a ford on the Aragón River at the crossing of two great early medieval routes, one from Pau to Zaragoza, was the fortified city out of which the County and Kingdom of Aragon developed: Jaca was the capital of Aragon until 1097 and also the capital of Jacetania.

Villages [link]

Besides Jaca town, there are a number of outlying villages in Jaca's municipal term: Abay, Abena, Acín, Ara, Araguás del Solano, Ascara, Asieso, Astún, Atarés, Badaguás, Banaguás, Baraguás, Barós, Bataraguá, Bergosa, Bernués, Bescós de Garcipollera, Binué, Botaya, Caniás, Espuéndolas, Fraginal, Gracionépel, Guasa, Guasillo, Ipás, Jarlata, Larrosa, Lastiesas Altas, Lastiesas Bajas, Martillué, Navasa, Navasilla, Novés, Orante, Osia, Ullé, Villanovilla and Yosa de Garcipollera,

History [link]

The origins of the city are obscure, but its name apparently reflects the Iaccetani, mentioned by Strabo as one of the most celebrated of the numerous small tribes inhabiting the basin of the Ebro. Strabo adds that their territory was the scene of the wars in the 1st century BC between Sertorius and Pompey. The Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman world describes this modern city as the ancient "Iaca (or Iaka)" ^[1] which minted coins in the 2nd half of the 2nd century BC, a small number of which are now in the British Museum.^[2] These show an unidentified bearded head, to the right with an inscription to the left and dolphin to right on the obverse. While the reverse depicts a Horseman carrying a spear, to the right, with an inscription below in Iberian reading iaka.^[3]

The Moorish writers mention Dyaka as one of the chief places in the province of Sarkosta (Zaragoza). When it was reconquered is unknown. Ramiro I of Aragon (1035–1063), gave it the title of "city," and in 1063 held within its walls a council, in which, the people were called in to sanction its decrees: an early milestone in the parliamentary traditions in the Pyrenees.

The mutiny of the garrison at Jaca, demanding the abolition of monarchy and a democratic republic, December 12–13, 1930, was suppressed with some difficulty. It was an early event that presaged the Spanish Civil War.

Main sights [link]

Jaca is home to medieval walls and towers surrounding an 11th century Romanesque cathedral.

The citadel, a fortification dating to the late 16th century, is home to a colony of Rock Sparrows.

The Diocesan Museum of Jaca (Museum of Medieval Sacred Art) protects Romanesque and Gothic frescoes from some of the most remote locations in the district of Jaca, unsuspected until the first one was discovered in the Church of Urriés, in 1962, where it had been hidden and protected by the painted and gilded retable, or altarpiece.

Tourism and sports [link]

Jaca is a tourist destination in the region for summer holidays and winter sport.

Jaca was the host city of the 1981 and 1995 Winter Universiades. Its popularity for winter sports has been a motivating factor in the city's failed bids for the 1998 Winter Olympics, 2002 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Olympics. It was again the applicant city of Spain for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but the bid failed again when it was not selected as a candidate city.

See also [link]

• Diocese of Jaca

References [link]

External links [link]

• Official website
• Diocesan Museum of Jaca
• Homepage of the Jaca 2014 bid
• Jaca: Useful information about tourism and lodgings

Gallery [link]

• 

  Armour coutyard of the castle

• 

  One of Statues inside the castle representing the living in the medieval castle

• 

  Statues in west-side of the cathedral

• 

  Cathedral, interior

• 

  San Peter's Church

• 

  Calle Mayor

• 

  Casa Borau

• 

  Plaza de la Catedral

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jaca

v t e Municipalities in the province of Huesca Abiego Abizanda Adahuesca Agüero Aísa Aínsa-Sobrarbe Albalate de Cinca Albalatillo Albelda Albero Alto Albero Bajo Alberuela de Tubo Alcalá de Gurrea Alcalá del Obispo Alcampell Alcolea de Cinca Alerre Alfántega Almudévar Almunia de San Juan Almuniente Alquézar Altorricón Angüés Ansó Antillón Aragüés del Puerto Arén Argavieso Arguis Ayerbe Azanuy-Alins Azara Azlor Baélls Bailo Baldellou Ballobar Banastás Barbastro Barbués Barbuñales Bárcabo Belver de Cinca Benabarre Benasque Berbegal Bielsa Bierge Biescas Binaced Binéfar Bisaurri Biscarrués Blecua y Torres Boltaña Bonansa Borau Broto Caldearenas Campo Camporrélls Canal de Berdún Candasnos Canfranc Capdesaso Capella Casbas de Huesca Castejón de Monegros Castejón de Sos Castejón del Puente Castelflorite Castiello de Jaca Castigaleu Castillazuelo Castillonroy Chalamera Chimillas Chía Colungo El Grado El Pueyo de Araguás Esplús Estada Estadilla Estopiñán del Castillo Fago Fanlo Fiscal Fonz Foradada del Toscar Fraga Gistaín Grañén Graus Gurrea de Gállego Hoz de Jaca Hoz y Costean Huerto Huesca Ibieca Igriés Ilche Isábena Jaca Jasa La Fueva La Puebla de Castro La Sotonera Labuerda Laluenga Lalueza Lanaja Laperdiguera Las Peñas de Riglos Lascellas-Ponzano Lascuarre Laspaúles Laspuña Loarre Loporzano Loscorrales Lupiñén-Ortilla Monesma y Cajigar Monflorite-Lascasas Montanuy Monzón Naval Novales Nueno Olvena Ontiñena Osso de Cinca Palo Panticosa Peñalba Peralta de Alcofea Peralta de Calasanz Peraltilla Perarrúa Pertusa Piracés Plan Poleñino Pozán de Vero Puente de Montañana Puente la Reina de Jaca Puértolas Pueyo de Santa Cruz Quicena Robres Sabiñánigo Sahún Salas Altas Salas Bajas Salillas Sallent de Gállego San Esteban de Litera San Juan de Plan San Miguel del Cinca Sangarrén Santa Cilia Santa Cruz de la Serós Santa María de Dulcis Santaliestra y San Quílez Sariñena Secastilla Seira Sena Senés de Alcubierre Sesa Sesué Siétamo Sopeira Tamarite de Litera Tardienta Tella-Sin Tierz Tolva Torla Torralba de Aragón Torre la Ribera Torrente de Cinca Torres de Alcanadre Torres de Barbués Tramaced Valfarta Valle de Bardají Valle de Hecho Valle de Lierp Velilla de Cinca Vencillón Veracruz Viacamp y Litera Vicién Villanova Villanueva de Sigena Villanúa Yebra de Basa Yésero Zaidín