Belchite

Belchite
Municipality
Old town of Belchite

Coat of arms
Belchite
Location in Spain
Coordinates: 41°18′N 0°45′W / 41.300°N 0.750°W / 41.300; -0.750
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Aragon
Province Zaragoza
Comarca Campo de Belchite
Judicial district Zaragoza
Government
 • Mayor Angeles Ortiz Álvarez (PSOE)
Area
 • Total 273.7 km2 (105.7 sq mi)
Elevation 440 m (1,440 ft)
Population (2009)
 • Total 1,671
 • Density 6.1/km2 (16/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Belchitanos
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code 50130
Dialing code 976
Climate BSk

Belchite is a municipality and village in the province of Zaragoza, Spain, about 40 km southeast of Zaragoza. It is the capital of Campo de Belchite comarca (administrative region) and is located in a plain surrounded by low hills, the highest of which is Lobo. The area around Belchite is one of the most arid places of Aragon.

In 1122 Alfonso the Battler founded the Confraternity of Belchite to defend the frontier.

On June 15, 1809, French and Spanish forces in the Peninsular War fought the Battle of María near Belchite.

Between August 24 and September 7, 1937, loyalist Spanish Republican and rebel General Franco's forces in the Spanish Civil War fought the Battle of Belchite in and around the town. After 1939 a new village of Belchite was built adjacent to the ruins of the old, which remain a ghost town as a memorial to the war.

The remains of the old village have been used as filming locations in films including Terry Gilliam's 1988 film The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. The ruins of the town were also used in the opening scene of the 1983 ITV documentary The Spanish Civil War.

Places of interest

  • The ruined village east of the rebuilt town
  • Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Pueyo, located a few kilometres west of Belchite new town



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