Maestrazgo
Encyclopedia
The Maestrazgo or Maestrat (maesˈtɾat) is a natural and historic mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Iberian System
mountain range, in Spain
. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community
of Valencia
, in Castellón
province, and parts of the east of the Aragonese
province of Teruel
. The area is mountainous and sparsely populated with a rich mixture of flora and fauna.
The district was under control of military order
s following the 12th century Christian reconquest of the area from the Moors
. It also had a significant role in the 19th century Carlist Wars
and the 20th century Spanish Civil War
. After many years of decline the area is undergoing some re-vitalization, helped by funding from the European Union
and tourism.
era, 25,000 years ago. Cave paintings have been discovered in many locations and they have been designated by UNESCO
as part of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula World Heritage Site
.
Occupation by the Ilercavones
, a tribe of Iberians
, Romans and the Moors
followed, but the identity of the region was first established following the Reconquista
when the area was dominated by military order
s. Local stories persist that a group of Cathars, led by the perfectus
Guillaume Bélibaste
escaped from Carcassonne and took refuge in the Maestrazgo, living with a small community near Morella for about ten years, before being betrayed by a spy in the service of the Inquisition
. Bélibaste was taken to Carcassonne
and burnt at the stake there.
The name Maestrazgo is derived from the word maestre (English meaning - master) as these territories were historically under the jurisdiction of the Grand Masters
of the military orders of the Knights Templar
, St John of Malta and Montesa
.
In 1838, during the Carlist Wars
, the military district of la Comandancia General del Maestrazgo was created by Ramón Cabrera. During the Spanish Civil War
the area was intensively fought over, especially after the fall of Teruel
. Republican guerillas
of the Agrupación guerrillera de Levante y Aragón held out in the mountains of the Maestrazgo until the 1950s.
, Serra de la Vall d'Àngel, Serra d'en Galceran
, Serra d'Esparreguera
, Serra de Sant Pere
, Serra de Vallivana
, Serra d'En Celler
, Tossal de la Barbuda, Montegordo
, the Cervera Mountains
, Serra del Turmell, Serra de l'Espadella
, Moles de Xert
and the Benifassà Mountains, form the Mediterranean end of the Sistema Ibérico
. The highest point is the 1831 metres (6,007.2 ft) high Penyagolosa
, located at the southern end of the region. At the base of the mountain is the important pilgrimage destination of Sant Joan de Penyagolosa.
In the Castellón province administrative divisions, the Maestrazgo is divided into Alt Maestrat
and Baix Maestrat
. The historical territory does not exactly match these boundaries including also parts of Alcalatén
and Plana Alta
. In Aragon
, Teruel Province there is a comarca
officially called Maestrazgo
since 1999, but historically locations in other districts were also part of the Maestrazgo. The region has formed a Mancomunidad, a free association for cooperative purposes, between fifty five municipalities. Major settlements include Vilafranca
, Cantavieja
, Morella and Alcañiz
.
The Maestrazgo Cultural Park has been established to protect the regional culture and landscape. The area lies between altitudes of 480 metres (1,574.8 ft) to 1997 metres (6,551.8 ft) and is drained by the Guadalope
and Turia
rivers.
, rosemary
, lavender
, mint
, pennyroyal
, mountain tea
, chamomile
, black truffles, poplars, elm
s, ash, beech
, holm oaks and black pine
.
Fauna includes ibex
, muflón
, wildcat
s, otter
s, pine martens, fox
es, genets
, goshawks, Bonelli's eagle
s, sparrowhawks, owl
s, vulture
s, and game and fish such as partridge
s, quail
s, hare
s, rabbit
s, wild boar, trout
, and catfish
.
funding has led to the development of heritage centres and cooperatives providing training in practical crafts. Agriculture, including pigs, poultry, sheep, goats and smallholdings predominate in the valleys. In 1995, Ken Loach
's award winning film about the Spanish Civil War, Land and Freedom
, was filmed in the Maestrazgo. Life in the area and much of its history is described vividly in Jason Webster
's 2009 book Sacred Sierra - A Year on a Spanish Mountain. Efforts have been made to halt de-population by attracting immigrants from South America
and Romania
. This has had some success, helping keeping village facilities alive.
In 2008 palaeontologist
s discovered an intact specimen of a previously unknown species of sauropod
dinosaur
at a site near Morella. The animal was believed to have lived in the early Cretaceous
period, approximately 120 million years ago. Funding from wind energy companies and the regional government has aided the excavations and will support a dinosaur museum to be opened at Morella.
Sistema Ibérico
The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...
mountain range, in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Valencia
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
, in Castellón
Castellón (province)
Castellón or Castelló is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The western side of the province is in the mountainous...
province, and parts of the east of the Aragonese
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
province of Teruel
Teruel (province)
Teruel is a province of Aragon, in the northeast of Spain. The capital is Teruel.It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia , Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Zaragoza....
. The area is mountainous and sparsely populated with a rich mixture of flora and fauna.
The district was under control of military order
Military order
A military order is a Christian society of knights that was founded for crusading, i.e. propagating or defending the faith , either in the Holy Land or against Islam or pagans in Europe...
s following the 12th century Christian reconquest of the area from the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
. It also had a significant role in the 19th century Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
and the 20th century Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. After many years of decline the area is undergoing some re-vitalization, helped by funding from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and tourism.
History
The earliest signs of human habitation date back to the PleistocenePleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
era, 25,000 years ago. Cave paintings have been discovered in many locations and they have been designated by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as part of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Occupation by the Ilercavones
Ilercavones
The Ilercavones were an ancient Iberian people of the Iberian peninsula . They are believed to have spoken an Iberian language....
, a tribe of Iberians
Iberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
, Romans and the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
followed, but the identity of the region was first established following the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
when the area was dominated by military order
Military order
A military order is a Christian society of knights that was founded for crusading, i.e. propagating or defending the faith , either in the Holy Land or against Islam or pagans in Europe...
s. Local stories persist that a group of Cathars, led by the perfectus
Cathar Perfect
Perfect was the name given to a monk of the medieval French Christian religious movement commonly referred to as the Cathars. The term reflects that such a person was seen by the Catholic Church as the "perfect heretic"...
Guillaume Bélibaste
Guillaume Bélibaste
Guillaume Bélibaste is said to have been the last Cathar parfait in Languedoc. He was burned at the stake in 1321, as a result of the Inquisition at Pamiers led by Jacques Fournier...
escaped from Carcassonne and took refuge in the Maestrazgo, living with a small community near Morella for about ten years, before being betrayed by a spy in the service of the Inquisition
Medieval Inquisition
The Medieval Inquisition is a series of Inquisitions from around 1184, including the Episcopal Inquisition and later the Papal Inquisition...
. Bélibaste was taken to Carcassonne
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
and burnt at the stake there.
The name Maestrazgo is derived from the word maestre (English meaning - master) as these territories were historically under the jurisdiction of the Grand Masters
Grand Master (order)
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
of the military orders of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, St John of Malta and Montesa
Order of Montesa
The Order of Montesa is a Christian military order, territorially limited to the Kingdom of Aragon.-Templar background:The Templars had been received with enthusiasm in Aragon from their foundation in 1128...
.
In 1838, during the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
, the military district of la Comandancia General del Maestrazgo was created by Ramón Cabrera. During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
the area was intensively fought over, especially after the fall of Teruel
Battle of Teruel
The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War in December 1937 – February 1938. The combatants fought the battle during the worst Spanish winter in twenty years. It was one of the bloodier actions of the war. The city changed hands several times,...
. Republican guerillas
Spanish Maquis
The Spanish Maquis were Spanish guerrillas exiled in France after the Spanish Civil War who continued to fight against the Franco regime until the early 1960s, carrying out sabotage, robberies , occupations of the Spanish Embassy in France and assassinations of Francoists, as well as contributing...
of the Agrupación guerrillera de Levante y Aragón held out in the mountains of the Maestrazgo until the 1950s.
Geography
The mountains in the Maestrazgo, like the Serra de la Creu, Serra d'En Segures, Talaies d'AlcalàTalaies d'Alcalà
Talaies d'Alcalà , also known as Serra de les Talaies or simply Les Talaies, is a 21.5 km long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Talaia Grossa ....
, Serra de la Vall d'Àngel, Serra d'en Galceran
Serra d'En Galceran
Serra d'En Galceran is a mountain range of the Valencian Community, Spain. Its main peaks are 1,078 m high Tossal de la Vila, Penya Blanca and Tossal de la Toiola . This range is one of the most important areas in Europe where there are still pristine woods and thickets of Phoenician juniper,...
, Serra d'Esparreguera
Serra d'Esparreguera
Serra de d'Esparreguera or Serra Esparreguera is an over long mountain range in the Alt Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain....
, Serra de Sant Pere
Serra de Sant Pere
Serra de Sant Pere or Serra del Solà is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Tossal de Sant Pere...
, Serra de Vallivana
Serra de Vallivana
Serra de Vallivana or Muntanyes de Vallivana is an over long mountain range straddling the Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat comarcas, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Muixacre , located close to the Port de Querol mountain pass in the N-232 road. Other important peaks are Montserrat...
, Serra d'En Celler
Serra d'En Celler
Serra d'En Celler is a mountain range of the Valencian Community, Spain. Its main peaks are 1281 m high Tossal de la Nevera and Tossal d'Orenga ....
, Tossal de la Barbuda, Montegordo
Montegordo
Montegordo is a mountain forming part of the eastern end of the Iberian System, Valencian Community, Spain. It is located near Albocàsser and its altitude is .-See also:* Mountains of the Valencian Community* Serra d'En Celler, a mountain range nearby...
, the Cervera Mountains
Cervera Mountains
The Cervera Mountains is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. In some ancient texts these mountains are known as Serra d'en Menor. Its highest point is Revoltons .-Location:...
, Serra del Turmell, Serra de l'Espadella
Serra de l'Espadella
Serra de l'Espadella is an over long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Espadella...
, Moles de Xert
Moles de Xert
Moles de Xert is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Mola Gran . The other main summits are Mola Murada, Moleta Redona and Mola Llarga. These mountains have very original shapes, topped by regular rocky outcrops resembling castles...
and the Benifassà Mountains, form the Mediterranean end of the Sistema Ibérico
Sistema Ibérico
The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...
. The highest point is the 1831 metres (6,007.2 ft) high Penyagolosa
Penyagolosa
Penyagolosa is a mountain in the Alcalatén area, Valencian Community, Spain. Geologically it is part of the Iberian System, located at the eastern end of Iberian Peninsula. Its peak is at 1,813 meters above sea level and is often crowned with snow in the winter.The Penyagolosa is widely...
, located at the southern end of the region. At the base of the mountain is the important pilgrimage destination of Sant Joan de Penyagolosa.
In the Castellón province administrative divisions, the Maestrazgo is divided into Alt Maestrat
Alt Maestrat
Alt Maestrat is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain.- Municipalities :*Albocàsser*Ares del Maestre*Benasal*Catí*Culla*Tírig*La Torre d'En Besora*Vilar de Canes*Villafranca del Cid...
and Baix Maestrat
Baix Maestrat
Baix Maestrat is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain.- Municipalities :*Alcalà de Xivert*Benicarló*Càlig*Canet lo Roig*Castell de Cabres*Cervera del Maestre*Chert/Xert*La Jana*Peñíscola*La Pobla de Benifassà...
. The historical territory does not exactly match these boundaries including also parts of Alcalatén
Alcalatén
Alcalatén is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain.- Municipalities :*L'Alcora*Atzeneta del Maestrat*Benafigos*Xodos*Costur*Figueroles*Lucena del Cid*Useras*Vistabella del Maestrazgo...
and Plana Alta
Plana Alta
Plana Alta is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain.- Municipalities :*Almassora*Benicàssim*Benlloch*Borriol*Cabanes*Castelló de la Plana*Les Coves de Vinromà*Orpesa*La Pobla Tornesa*Sant Joan de Moró*Sarratella...
. In Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Teruel Province there is a comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
officially called Maestrazgo
Maestrazgo, Aragon
Maestrazgo is a comarca in southeastern Aragon, Spain. Its names derives from the Maestrat/Maestrazgo mountain massif that extends to the east to the Comarques of the Valencian Community Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat. The most important town is Cantavieja...
since 1999, but historically locations in other districts were also part of the Maestrazgo. The region has formed a Mancomunidad, a free association for cooperative purposes, between fifty five municipalities. Major settlements include Vilafranca
Vilafranca
Vilafranca is a municipality in the comarca of Alt Maestrat, Castellón, Valencia, Spain. Its official Castilian name is Villafranca del Cid....
, Cantavieja
Cantavieja
Cantavieja is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 740 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Maestrazgo comarca.-Demography:-External links:**...
, Morella and Alcañiz
Alcañiz
Alcañiz is a town and municipality in the province of Teruel, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. The town is located on the banks of the river Guadalope. Alcañiz is the unofficial capital of the Lower Aragon historical region...
.
The Maestrazgo Cultural Park has been established to protect the regional culture and landscape. The area lies between altitudes of 480 metres (1,574.8 ft) to 1997 metres (6,551.8 ft) and is drained by the Guadalope
Guadalope
The Guadalope River is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro .-Course:...
and Turia
Turía (river)
The Turia is a small river, 9 km in length and an altitude of 250 m above the sea, which rises in the town of Taramundi and drains into the Eo River in the town of Puente Nuevo ....
rivers.
Flora and fauna
The Maestrazgo supports a diverse section of plants and trees including thymeThyme
Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
, rosemary
Rosemary
Rosemary, , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs, and is one of two species in the genus Rosmarinus...
, lavender
Lavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
, mint
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
, pennyroyal
Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal refers to two plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. For the American species, see American pennyroyal. The European pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium, , is a plant in the mint genus, within the family Lamiaceae. Crushed Pennyroyal leaves exhibit a very strong fragrance similar to spearmint...
, mountain tea
Sideritis
Sideritis is a genus of flowering plants well known for their medicinal properties...
, chamomile
Chamomile
Chamomile or camomile is a common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. These plants are best known for their ability to be made into an infusion which is commonly used to help with sleep and is often served with either honey or lemon. Because chamomile can cause uterine...
, black truffles, poplars, elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
s, ash, beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, holm oaks and black pine
European Black Pine
Pinus nigra, the European Black Pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across southern Mediterranean Europe from Spain to the Crimea, in Asia Minor and on Cyprus, and in the high mountains of the Maghreb in North Africa....
.
Fauna includes ibex
Spanish ibex
The Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, Spanish wild goat, or Iberian wild goat is a species of ibex with four subspecies. Of these, two can still be found on the Iberian Peninsula, but the remaining two are now extinct. The Portuguese subspecies became extinct in 1892 and the Pyrenean subspecies became...
, muflón
Mouflon
The mouflon is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis aries. Populations of Ovis aries can be partitioned into the mouflons and urials or arkars...
, wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
s, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s, pine martens, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, genets
Common Genet
The Common Genet , also known as the Small-spotted Genet or European Genet, is a mammal from the order Carnivora, related to civets and linsangs. The most far-ranging of all the fourteen species of genet, it can be found throughout Africa, parts of the Middle East, and in Europe in Spain, Portugal,...
, goshawks, Bonelli's eagle
Bonelli's Eagle
The Bonelli's Eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.It breeds in southern Europe, Africa both north and south of the Sahara Desert and across southern Asia to Indonesia...
s, sparrowhawks, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
s, and game and fish such as partridge
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
s, quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
s, hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, wild boar, trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, and catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
.
Today
Tourism has in recent years brought a halt to economic decline in the region and the injection of European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
funding has led to the development of heritage centres and cooperatives providing training in practical crafts. Agriculture, including pigs, poultry, sheep, goats and smallholdings predominate in the valleys. In 1995, Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
's award winning film about the Spanish Civil War, Land and Freedom
Land and Freedom
Land and Freedom is a 1995 film directed by Ken Loach and written by Jim Allen. The film narrates the story of David Carr, an unemployed worker and member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, who decides to fight for the republican side in the Spanish Civil War...
, was filmed in the Maestrazgo. Life in the area and much of its history is described vividly in Jason Webster
Jason Webster (author)
Jason Webster is an Anglo-American crime novelist, travel writer and critic, the main focus of whose work is devoted to Spain. He was born in California in 1970 and lives in Valencia, Spain-Education:Webster was educated in England, Egypt and Italy...
's 2009 book Sacred Sierra - A Year on a Spanish Mountain. Efforts have been made to halt de-population by attracting immigrants from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. This has had some success, helping keeping village facilities alive.
In 2008 palaeontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
s discovered an intact specimen of a previously unknown species of sauropod
Sauropoda
Sauropoda , or the sauropods , are an infraorder of saurischian dinosaurs. They had long necks, long tails, small heads , and thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land...
dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
at a site near Morella. The animal was believed to have lived in the early Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period, approximately 120 million years ago. Funding from wind energy companies and the regional government has aided the excavations and will support a dinosaur museum to be opened at Morella.
See also
- Mountains of the Valencian Community
- IlercavoniaIlercavoniaIlercavonia is an ancient comarca of Spain formerly populated by the ancient Iberian tribe known as Ilercavones. It is a greater comarca made up of smaller ones...
- Ports (comarca)Ports (comarca)Ports is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. It mostly overlaps the historical comarca known as Ports de Morella , except for the municipal areas surrounding Catí and Vilafranca that were excluded from the present-day Ports...
- Ports de Beseit
- Tinença de BenifassàTinença de BenifassàTinença de Benifassà is a historical comarca of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is nowadays part of the Baix Maestrat, one of the present-day Comarques of the Valencian Community, even though commercial and human relationships have been stronger with Els Ports in the west, the Terres de l'Ebre...
- Moles de XertMoles de XertMoles de Xert is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Mola Gran . The other main summits are Mola Murada, Moleta Redona and Mola Llarga. These mountains have very original shapes, topped by regular rocky outcrops resembling castles...