Barbastro
Barbastro is a municipality and city in the Province of Huesca, within the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain, functioning as the capital of the Somontano de Barbastro comarca.[1][2] With an estimated population of 16,883 inhabitants as of 2023, it lies at an elevation of 341 meters on the banks of the Vero River, serving as the primary economic, administrative, and cultural center for the surrounding area known for its transition from Pyrenean foothills to plains.[1]
Originally settled as Barbatanya under Muslim rule and reconquered by Christian forces in the 11th century—notably through the international Crusade of Barbastro in 1063–1064, an early expedition involving Aragonese, Navarrese, French, and Norman knights that briefly captured the city from the Taifa of Zaragoza—Barbastro has maintained its strategic position as the longstanding capital of Somontano since its medieval foundation.[3][4] Today, the city is distinguished by its leadership in the Somontano Denominación de Origen wine region, encompassing over 4,000 hectares of vineyards producing varietal wines from 15 authorized grape types across 28 bodegas, alongside its preserved historic core featuring the 16th-century Barbastro Cathedral, a Renaissance basilica designated as a Historic-Artistic Monument.[5][6]