The city of Zaragoza and the Zaragoza region are located in the autonomous community (and former kingdom) of Aragón in north-eastern Spain. Zaragoza is the capital of both the region and the community at large.
Zaragoza was once a Roman town called Caesaraugusta. The Moors did not change the name, but pronounced and spelled it as Saraqusta, and afterwards the Romance and Spanish speakers transformed it into Zaragoza.
Zaragoza‘s best known landmark is the ancient Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar.
The University of Zaragoza (one of the oldest in Spain) is a major research and development center. It is also home to the MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program.
Zaragoza‘s most important industry sector is manufacturing of car parts and household appliances. The region is also an important military base.
To the west of the city, within the 90 km radius, lies the municipality of Illueca, with just over 3000 inhabitants. Illueca has a strong shoe making tradition – in the 17th century there were already three tanneries in the town. The modern shoe making industry was launched in the 1920s. By the 1940s numerous shoe making factories were flourishing, some of which still exist today. One of Illueca‘s shoe making companies is AGARE, part of Spanishoegallery‘s family of Made in Spain brands (see more posts with AGARE here, here and here).
