teruel

File:Teruel Cathedral 2024 - South façade 2.jpg Cathedral]]

The area around Teruel has been populated since the times of the Celtiberians, 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."{{Cite book|title=El Concejo de Teruel en la Edad Media|last=Gargallo Moya|first=Antonio|publisher=IET|isbn=84-86982-64-2|volume=I|pages=82}} 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 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 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.{{Cite book|title=Alfambra en la Edad Media y Moderna. Una visión de su historia y su arte a través del conjunto mural de la Ermita de Santa Ana|last=Barragán|first=Juan José|publisher=Sarrión: Muñoz Moya Editores|year=2015|isbn=978-84-8010-264-3}}

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, which had been in the hands of the Muslims, and in the War of the Two Peters against the Kingdom of Castile. 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.

File:Puesta del pañuelico.jpg]]

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=160&letter=T&search=teruel|title=TERUEL - JewishEncyclopedia.com|website=www.jewishencyclopedia.com}}

Teruel was fought over in the Spanish Civil War, 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.

File:Clima Teruel (España).PNG

According to the Köppen climate classification, Teruel has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk). Summer temperatures are warm to hot, although there is much daily variation, and winters are cold, with low minimum temperatures sometimes dropping to {{convert|-10|C|F|1}}. 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 {{convert|41.3|C|F|1}} on August 14, 2021{{cite web |url=https://www.diariodeteruel.es/teruel/teruel-bate-con-413-su-record-de-temperatura-mas-alta-por-segundo-dia-consecutivo|title=Teruel bate con 41,3º su récord de temperatura más alta por segundo día consecutivo |publisher=Diario de Teruel|date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021|language=Spanish |trans-title=Teruel beats its highest temperature record with 41.3º for the second consecutive day}} and {{convert|-21|C|F|1}} on January 12, 2021.{{cite web |url=https://elpais.com/espana/2021-01-11/espana-sufre-su-noche-mas-gelida-en-al-menos-20-anos.html|title=España sufre su día más gélido en los últimos 20 años, con ocho capitales a 10º bajo cero |publisher=El País|date=12 January 2021|access-date=12 January 2021|language=Spanish |trans-title=Spain suffers its coldest day in the last 20 years, with eight capitals at 10º below zero}}

{{Weather box

|location = Teruel 918m (1991-2020), extremes (1986-present)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 22.9

|Feb record high C = 24.8

|Mar record high C = 28.2

|Apr record high C = 32.9

|May record high C = 35.8

|Jun record high C = 38.8

|Jul record high C = 40.6

|Aug record high C = 41.3

|Sep record high C = 36.7

|Oct record high C = 33.2

|Nov record high C = 26.3

|Dec record high C = 21.2

|year record high C=

|Jan high C = 10.1

|Feb high C = 12.0

|Mar high C = 15.6

|Apr high C = 17.9

|May high C = 22.4

|Jun high C = 27.8

|Jul high C = 31.9

|Aug high C = 31.3

|Sep high C = 25.7

|Oct high C = 20.1

|Nov high C = 13.8

|Dec high C = 10.5

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 4.0

|Feb mean C = 5.2

|Mar mean C = 8.3

|Apr mean C = 10.7

|May mean C = 14.7

|Jun mean C = 19.3

|Jul mean C = 22.7

|Aug mean C = 22.5

|Sep mean C = 17.9

|Oct mean C = 13.1

|Nov mean C = 7.6

|Dec mean C = 4.6

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = -2.2

|Feb low C = -1.6

|Mar low C = 0.9

|Apr low C = 3.3

|May low C = 7.0

|Jun low C = 10.8

|Jul low C = 13.4

|Aug low C = 13.6

|Sep low C = 10.1

|Oct low C = 6.1

|Nov low C = 1.3

|Dec low C = -1.4

|year low C =

|Jan record low C = -21.0

|Feb record low C = -12.8

|Mar record low C = -10.6

|Apr record low C = -5.3

|May record low C = -2.7

|Jun record low C = 0.7

|Jul record low C = 4.6

|Aug record low C = 3.0

|Sep record low C = -0.4

|Oct record low C = -4.0

|Nov record low C = -12.2

|Dec record low C = -19.0

|year record low C=

|precipitation colour=green

|Jan precipitation mm = 16.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 14.0

|Mar precipitation mm = 26.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 39.7

|May precipitation mm = 49.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 43.1

|Jul precipitation mm = 23.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 32.8

|Sep precipitation mm = 33.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 38.8

|Nov precipitation mm = 26.7

|Dec precipitation mm = 15.8

|year precipitation mm =

| unit precipitation days = 1 mm

| precip days colour =

| Jan precipitation days =3.3

| Feb precipitation days =2.8

| Mar precipitation days =4.4

| Apr precipitation days =5.9

| May precipitation days =6.9

| Jun precipitation days =5.4

| Jul precipitation days =3.0

| Aug precipitation days =3.8

| Sep precipitation days =4.7

| Oct precipitation days =5.3

| Nov precipitation days =4.7

| Dec precipitation days =3.9

| year precipitation days =

| Jan snow days =2.3

| Feb snow days =2.8

| Mar snow days =1.8

| Apr snow days =1.0

| May snow days =0.2

| Jun snow days =0

| Jul snow days =0

| Aug snow days =0

| Sep snow days =0

| Oct snow days =0.1

| Nov snow days =0.9

| Dec snow days =1.4

| year snow days =

| Jan humidity =74

| Feb humidity =67

| Mar humidity =62

| Apr humidity =60

| May humidity =58

| Jun humidity =53

| Jul humidity =49

| Aug humidity =54

| Sep humidity =61

| Oct humidity =68

| Nov humidity =73

| Dec humidity =76

| year humidity =

| Jan sun =149

| Feb sun =170

| Mar sun =211

| Apr sun =231

| May sun =267

| Jun sun =300

| Jul sun =344

| Aug sun =310

| Sep sun =243

| Oct sun =189

| Nov sun =141

| Dec sun =130

| year sun =

|date=October 2016

|source 1 = Agencia Estatal de Meteorología{{cite web |url=https://www.aemet.es/es/datos_abiertos/AEMET_OpenData |title=AEMET OpenData |publisher=Aemet.es |access-date=4 December 2024}}{{cite web|url=http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/efemerides_extremos*?w=0&k=arn&l=8368U&datos=det&x=8368U&m=13&v=todos|title=Teruel: Teruel - Valores extremos absolutos - Selector - Agencia Estatal de Meteorología - AEMET. Gobierno de España|first=Agencia Estatal de|last=Meteorología|website=www.aemet.es}}

}}

The beauty of the town's cultural inheritance, which has some Islamic influence, has been recognised by UNESCO, which includes four churches in the World Heritage Site Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon, notably the town's ornate cathedral in the Mudéjar style.{{cite book|author=Alejandro Lapunzina|title=Architecture of Spain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yDmR2i32cygC&pg=PA37|year=2005|publisher=Greenwood|page=37|isbn=9780313319631}}

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{{Cite web|url=http://www.teruelmudejar.com/|title=Torre mudéjar de El Salvador, Patrimonio Mundial de la Humanidad.|website=www.teruelmudejar.com}}
• 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 and museum centred on dinosaurs. Promoted as a paleontological park, it includes a life-size robotic model of a Tyrannosaurus rex.{{Cite web|url=https://www.elmundo.es/metropoli/2005/09/23/ninos/1127426456.html|title=ELMUNDO.ES/METROPOLI - Como hace un millón de años|website=www.elmundo.es}} 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

File:Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre.jpg located in the Teruel province and operated by CEFCA in Teruel.]]

A branch of the University of Zaragoza 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{{cite news |title=Javalambre's Astrophysics Observatory gets national recognition |url=https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/teruel/2014/10/08/el-observatorio-astrofisico-javalambre-consigue-reconocimiento-nacional-314849-2261128.html |access-date=12 November 2023 |work=Heraldo Teruel |date=2014-10-08}} as a national {{ill|Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure|es|Infraestructuras Científicas y Técnicas Singulares}}.

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.

The 3rd Stage of The 2024 La Vuelta Femenina finished at Teruel on April 30th. It was won by Marianne Vos.{{cite web | url=https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/video/sport/dplus-sport-dplus-sport-sport/la-vuelta-femenina-stage-3-6570122 | title=Discovery+ }}

• Alba Bautista (born 2002), rhythmic gymnast and world bronze medalist
• David Civera (born 1979), singer
• Manuel Macías y Casado (1844–1937), general and military governor
• Luis Milla (born 1966), association football 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

• La Vaquilla del Ángel
• Diocese of Teruel and Albarracín.
• Lovers of Teruel
• Battle of Teruel
• List of municipalities in Teruel

{{Reflist}}

{{EB1911 Poster|Teruel (capital)|Teruel}}

• English [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/378/ World Heritage Centre]

{{Municipalities in Teruel}}

{{Capitals of Provinces in Spain}}

{{Authority control}}