Editing Aragon (section)

== History ==
{{Main category|History of Aragon}}

Aragon, occupying the northeast of the [[Iberian Peninsula]] has served as a bridge between the [[Mediterranean Sea]], the peninsular center and the coasts of the [[Cantabrian Sea]]. The human presence in the lands that today form the autonomous community date back several millennia, but present-day Aragon, like many of the current historical nationalities, was formed during the [[Middle Ages]].

=== Prehistory ===
[[File:Paleolítico en Aragón.svg|thumb|[[Paleolithic]] in Aragon]]

The oldest testimonies of human life in the lands that today make up Aragon go back to the time of the glaciations, in the [[Pleistocene]], some {{val|600000}} years ago. This population left the Acheulean industry that found its best weapons in the [[hand axe]]s of [[flint]] or the [[Cleaver (tool)|cleavers]] of [[quartzite]].

In the [[Upper Palaeolithic]] appeared two new cultures: Solutrean and Magdalenian.

The [[Epipaleolithic]] was centered in [[Lower Aragon]], occupying the epoch between the 7th and the 5th millennium.

In the first half of the 5th millennium [[Common Era|BCE]], [[Neolithic]] remains are found in the Huescan Outer Ranges and in Lower Aragon.

The [[Eneolithic]] was characterized in the [[province of Huesca]] presenting two important megalithic nuclei: the [[Pre-Pyrenees]] of the Outer Ranges and the High Pyrenean valleys.

The Late [[Bronze Age]] begins in Aragon around 1100 BCE with the arrival of the [[Urnfield culture]]. They are Indo-European people, with an alleged origin in Central Europe, who incinerate their dead by placing the ashes in a funeral urn. There are examples in the Cave del Moro of [[Olvena]], the Masada del Ratón in [[Fraga]], Palermo and the Cabezo de Monleón in [[Caspe]].

From the metallurgical point of view there seems to be a boom given the increase in foundry molds that are located in the populations.

The [[Iron Age]] is the most important, since throughout the centuries it is the true substratum of the Aragonese historical population.

The arrival of Central Europeans during the [[Bronze Age]] by [[Pyrenees]] until reaching the Lower Aragon area, supposed an important ethnic contribution that prepared the way to the invasions of Iron Age.

=== Ancient history ===
{{See also|Hispania}}
[[File:Murallaromanadezaragoza.JPG|thumb|left|The remains of the [[Roman walls of Zaragoza]]]]
[[File:WLM14ES - Zaragoza Exposición sobre Augusto 00006 - .jpg|thumb|right|upright|Bust of [[Augustus]] found in [[Tarazona]]]]

The [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] contributions represented a commercial activity that will constitute a powerful stimulus for the iron metallurgy, promoting the modernization of the tools and the indigenous armament, replacing the old bronze with the iron. There is presence of [[Phoenicia]]n, [[Greeks|Greek]] and [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] products.

In the 6th century BCE there are six groups with different social organization: [[Vascones]], [[Suessetani]], [[Sedetani]], [[Iacetani]], [[Ilergetes]] and Citerior [[Celtiberians]].

They are [[Iberians|Iberized]] groups with a tendency towards stability, fixing their habitat in durable populations, with dwellings that evolve towards more enduring and stable models. There are many examples in Aragon, among them Cabezo de Monleón in [[Caspe]], Puntal of [[Fraga]], Roquizal del Rullo or Loma de los Brunos.

The type of social organization was based on the family group, consisting of four generations. Self-sufficient societies in which the greater part of the population was dedicated to agricultural and livestock activities. In the Iberian scope the power was monarchical, exercised by a king; there was a democratic assembly with participation of the male population.

There were visible social differentiations and established legal-political statutes.

The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] arrived and progressed easily into the interior.

In the territorial distribution that Rome made of [[Hispania]], the current Aragon was included in the [[Hispania Citerior]]. In the year 197 BCE, [[Sempronius Tuditanus]] is the praetor of the Citerior and had to face a general uprising in their territories that ended with the Roman defeat and the own death of Tuditanus. In view of these facts the [[Roman Senate|Senate]] sent the consul [[Cato the Elder|Marcus Porcius Cato]] with an army of {{val|60000}} men. The indigenous peoples of the area were rebelling, except for the [[Ilergetes]] who negotiated peace with Cato.

There were different uprisings of the Iberian peoples against the Romans, in 194 BCE sees a general uprising with elimination of half of the Roman army, in 188 BCE [[Lucius Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus|Manlius Acidinus Fulvianus]], praetor of the Citerior, must confront in Calagurris ([[Calahorra]]) with the [[Celtiberians]], in the 184 BCE Terentius Varro did it with the [[Suessetani]], to those who took the capital, Corbio.

In the 1st century BCE Aragon was the scene of the [[Sertorian War|civil war]] to seize the power of [[Rome]] where the governor [[Quintus Sertorius]] made Osca ([[Huesca]]) the capital of all the territories controlled by them.

[[File:Syd 1358.jpg|thumb|[[Denarius]] silver from [[Huesca]]]]
Already in the 1st century BCE, the today Aragonese territory became part of the province [[Hispania Tarraconensis|Tarraconensis]] and there was the definitive romanization of it creating roads and consolidating ancient Celtiberian and Iberian cities such as [[Caesaraugusta]] (Zaragoza), Turiaso ([[Tarazona]]), Osca ([[Huesca]]) or [[Bilbilis]] (Calatayud).

In the middle of the 3rd century the decay of the [[Roman Empire]] began. Between the years 264 and 266 the [[Franks]] and the [[Alemanni]], two Germanic peoples who passed through the [[Pyrenees]] and came to [[Tarazona]], which they sacked. In the agony of the Empire groups of bandits emerged who were dedicated to pillage. The [[Ebro Valley]] was ravaged in the 5th century by several gangs of evildoers called [[Bagaudae]].

=== Middle Ages ===
{{See also|Kingdom of Aragon|Crown of Aragon}}
[[File:Castell de Fontova.jpg|thumb|Castle of Fantova, 10th century Christian fortification, ([[La Puebla de Fantova]], [[Graus]])]]
[[File:Estancias testero norte aljaferia.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Aljafería]], of the 11th century, was residence of the [[Banu Hud]] kings of the [[Taifa of Zaragoza|Taifa of Saraqusta]].]]

After the disintegration of the [[Western Roman Empire]], the current area of Aragon was occupied by the [[Visigoths]], forming the [[Visigothic Kingdom]].

In the year 714 [[muslims]] from North Africa conquered the central area of Aragon, converting to [[Islam]] the ancient Roman cities such as [[Taifa of Zaragoza|Saraqusta]] (Zaragoza) or Wasqa ([[Huesca]]). It was at this time that an important [[Muwallad]] family arose, the [[Banu Qasi]] (بنو قاسي), their domains were located in the [[Ebro Valley]] between the 8th and 10th centuries.
After the disappearance of the [[Caliphate of Córdoba]] at the beginning of the 11th century, the [[Taifa of Zaragoza]] arose, one of the most important [[Taifa]]s of [[Al-Andalus]], leaving a great artistic, cultural and philosophical legacy.

The name of Aragon is documented for the first time during the [[Early Middle Ages]] in the year 828, when the small [[County of Aragon]] of [[Franks|Frankish]] origin, would emerge between the rivers that bear its name, the [[Aragón (river)|Aragón river]], and its brother the [[Aragón Subordán|Aragón Subordán river]].

[[File:Castillo de Loarre 2006.jpg|thumb|[[Castle of Loarre]] was built and expanded to serve as a frontier advance towards Muslim territories. It is one of the most important intact Romanesque castles in Europe.]]
[[File:Monasterio Antiguo de San Juan de la Peña - CS 22082009 160730 45635.jpg|thumb|[[Royal Monastery of San Juan de la Peña]]. In its Royal Pantheon a good number of kings of Aragon and some kings of Navarre are buried.]]

That County of Aragon would be linked to the [[Kingdom of Pamplona]] until 1035, and under its wing it would grow to form a dowry of [[García Sánchez III of Pamplona]] until the death of the king [[Sancho III of Pamplona|Sancho "the Great"]], in a period characterized by Muslim hegemony over almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. During the reign of [[Ramiro I of Aragon]] the borders would be extended following the annexation of the counties of [[County of Sobrarbe|Sobrarbe]] and [[County of Ribagorza|Ribagorza]] (year 1044), after having incorporated the populations of the historical comarca of [[Cinco Villas, Aragon|Cinco Villas]].

In 1076, on the death of [[Sancho IV of Pamplona]], Aragon incorporated part of the Navarrese kingdom into its territories while Castile did the same with the western area of the former domains of Sancho "the Great". During the reigns of [[Sancho Ramírez]] and [[Peter I of Aragon and Pamplona]], the kingdom extended its borders to the south, established threatening fortresses in the capital of Zaragoza in [[El Castellar]] and [[Juslibol]] and took [[Huesca]], which became the new capital.

The reign of [[Alfonso the Battler|Alfonso I of Aragon]] saw the conquering of the lowlands of the middle Ebro Valley for Aragon: [[Ejea de los Caballeros]], [[Valtierra]], [[Calatayud]], [[Tudela, Navarre|Tudela]] and [[Zaragoza]], the capital of the [[Taifa of Zaragoza|Taifa of Saraqusta]]. Upon his death the nobles would choose his brother [[Ramiro II of Aragon]], who left his religious life to assume the royal scepter and perpetuate the dynasty, which he achieved with the dynastic union of the [[House of Barcelona|House of Aragon]] with the owner of the [[County of Barcelona]] in 1137, year in which the union of both patrimonies would give rise to the [[Crown of Aragon]] and would add the forces that would make the conquests of the [[Kingdom of Majorca]] and the [[Kingdom of Valencia]] possible. The Crown of Aragon would become the hegemonic power of the Mediterranean, controlling territories as important as [[Kingdom of Sicily|Sicily]], [[Corsica]], [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1324–1720)|Sardinia]] or [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]].

The monarch was known as King of Aragon and also held the titles of [[King of Valencia]], [[King of Majorca]] (for a time), [[Count of Barcelona]], [[Lord of Montpellier]], and (temporarily) [[Duke of Athens]] and [[Neopatria]]. Each of these titles gave him sovereignty over the specific region, and the titles changed as territories were lost and won.

According to [[Fuero#Basque and Pyrenean fueros|Aragonese law]], the monarch had to swear allegiance to the kingdom's laws before being accepted as king. Like other Pyrenean and Basque realms, the Aragonese justice and decision-making system was based on Pyrenean [[Custom (law)|consuetudinary law]], the King was considered ''[[primus inter pares]]'' ('first among equals') within the nobility. A nobleman with the title "[[Chustizia d'Aragón]]"<ref name="English Web of Justia de Aragon">{{cite web|url=http://www.eljusticiadearagon.com/index.php?cambia_idioma=3&zona=que_es |title=El Justicia de Aragón |publisher=Eljusticiadearagon.com |date=2007-02-27 |access-date=2012-06-04}}</ref> acted as ombudsman and was responsible for ensuring that the King obeyed the Aragonese laws. An old saying goes, "en Aragón antes de Rey hubo Ley" ("in Aragon Law came before King"), similar to the saying in Navarre, "antes fueron Leyes que Reyes", with much the same meaning.

The subsequent legend made the [[Crown of Aragon|Aragonese monarchy]] eligible and created a phrase for the coronation of the king that would be perpetuated for centuries:
{{Blockquote|We, who are worth as much as you we make you our King and Lord, as long as you keep our [[fuero]]s and liberties, and if not, not.|The [[Chustizia d'Aragón]]}}

[[File:Aragonese Empire 1443.svg|thumb|right|The [[Crown of Aragon]] in the middle of the 15th century]]
This situation would be repeated in the Commitment of Caspe (1412), which avoids a war that had dismembered the [[Crown of Aragon]] when a good handful of aspirants to the throne emerged after the death of [[Martin of Aragon]] a year after the death of his first-born, [[Martin I of Sicily]]. [[Ferdinand I of Aragon]] is the chosen one, of the Castilian [[House of Trastámara]], but also directly connected with the Aragonese king [[Peter IV of Aragon]], through his mother Eleanor of Aragon.

Aragon was already a large-scale political entity: the Crown, the [[Cortes of the Kingdom of Aragon|Cortes]], the [[Deputation of the General of the Kingdom of Aragon|Deputation of the Kingdom]] and the [[Foral Laws|Foral Law]] constituted its nature and its character. The marriage of [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] with [[Isabella I of Castile]], celebrated in 1469 in [[Valladolid]], derived later in the union of the crowns of Aragon and Castile, creating the basis of the [[State (polity)#Modern state|Modern State]].

=== Early Modern Age c. 1500–1789 ===
The [[Early modern period|Early Modern Age]] was marked by increasing tension between the power of the [[Monarchy of Spain|Spanish Monarchy]] and those of the regions. The appointment of a Castilian as Viceroy in 1590, contrary to the agreement all Royal officials be Aragonese caused widespread unrest; when the Madrid authorities attempted to arrest the Aragonese writer and politician Antonio Perez in May 1591, it caused street violence in Zaragossa and a revolt known as the Alterations of Aragon.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zagorin|first1=Perez|title=Rebels and Rulers, 1500-1660: Volume 2, Provincial Rebellion|url=https://archive.org/details/rebelsrulers15000001zago|url-access=registration|date=1982|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=052128712X|pages=[https://archive.org/details/rebelsrulers15000001zago/page/32 32–33]}}</ref> The unrest was largely confined to Zaragossa and quickly suppressed, with Perez going into exile. Philip then ordered a reduction in the proportion of taxes retained by the Generality of Aragon to lessen their capacity to raise an army against him.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pérez Gascón|first1=Jesús|title=The Aragonese Rebellion of 1591|url=https://www.academia.edu/9931175|journal=Immanuel Ness (Ed.), the International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest. 1500 to the Present|date=January 2006|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Aragonia Regnum.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|''Aragonia Regnum'', map of the [[Joan Blaeu|Blaeu]] based on that of [[João Baptista Lavanha]] published circa 1640]]
The decay of independent institutions meant political activity focused instead on the preservation of Aragonese history, culture and art. The Archive of the Kingdom of Aragon preserved legal documents and records from the Justiciar and the [[Palace of the Deputation of the Kingdom of Aragon|Palace of Deputation]] or Parliament, largely destroyed by the French in the battles of 1809. Debates on the causes of the 1590/91 revolt became a contest between opposing views of history that arguably persist in modern Spain.

The new emphasis on Aragonese history led to the creation of the position of Chronicler or Historian of Aragon; its holders included [[Jerónimo Zurita y Castro]], the De Argensola brothers, [[Bartolomé Leonardo de Argensola|Bartolomé]] and [[Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola|Lupercio]], Juan Costa and Jerónimo Martel. Much of the work produced by Aragonese writers challenged Philip II's version of events and were censored by the central government. In retaliation, the Generality of Aragon ordered the work of Castilian historian [[Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas]] to be burned and commissioned Vicencio Blasco de Lanuza to write an alternative. His 'History of Aragon' was published in two volumes, 1616 and 1619 respectively; the urgency shows the importance placed on responding to Herrera. Other works commissioned at this time for the same purpose include a ''History of the Aragonese Deputation'' by Lorenzo Ibáñez de Aoiz and a detailed cartography of the Kingdom of Aragon by João Baptista Lavanha.

In 1590–1591, the Spanish monarchy was at the height of its strength but during the 17th century Spanish power declined for a number of reasons.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Storrs|first1=Christopher|title=The Decline of Spain in the Seventeenth Century|url=https://www.gale.cengage.co.uk/images/SpainChristopherStorrs.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.gale.cengage.co.uk/images/SpainChristopherStorrs.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|website=State Papers Online|publisher=Gale; Cengage Learning|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref> Famine, disease and almost continuous warfare, largely in the Spanish Netherlands drained money, energy and men and weakened the economy; it is estimated the population of Spain fell nearly 25% between 1600 and 1700.

War and economic decline inevitably led to increases in taxes, with predictable results; the refusal of the Catalan [[Cortes Generales|Cortes]] to contribute their share of the 1626 [[Union of Arms]] eventually led to a full-scale revolt in 1640.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zagorin|first1=Perez|title=Rebels and Rulers, 1500-1660: Volume 2, Provincial Rebellion|url=https://archive.org/details/rebelsrulers15000001zago|url-access=registration|date=1982|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=052128712X|pages=[https://archive.org/details/rebelsrulers15000001zago/page/34 34–37]}}</ref> While Aragon itself remained relatively peaceful, it had to be treated with care by the Madrid government; during the reign of [[Charles II of Spain|Charles II]] from 1665 to 1700, it provided his half-brother [[John of Austria the Younger|John of Austria]] with a power base in his battle for control of government with the Queen Regent [[Mariana of Austria]].

During the 1701–1714 [[War of the Spanish Succession]], Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia and Majorca supported the Austrian claimant [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles]]. The victory of [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] accelerated the trend towards greater centralisation; the ''Nueva Planta'' decrees of 1707 abolished the ''fueros'' and Aragonese political structures with their powers transferred to the Deputation of the Kingdom in Madrid; Aragon and Valencia were brought into the system in 1712, Catalonia and Majorca following in 1767.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Vives Vi|first1=Jaime|title=An Economic History of Spain|date=1969|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0691051658|page=591|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i1DWCgAAQBAJ&q=deputation+of+the+aragon&pg=PA591|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref>

=== 1790–1936 ===
[[File:Gobierno Político de Aragón.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Emblem of the Political Government of Aragon under the [[Trienio Liberal|Liberal Triennium]], 1820]]

The French invasion of 1808 that made [[Kingdom of Spain under Joseph Bonaparte|Joseph Bonaparte]] King led to the outbreak of the ''Guerra de la Independencia Española'' or War of Independence in May. Zaragoza was largely destroyed in February 1809 during the [[Second Siege of Zaragoza]], bringing a halt to its economic development. The 1812 Constitution proposed a number of reforms, including the creation of provincial territories and dividing Aragon into the four provinces of [[Province of Calatayud|Calatayud]], [[province of Teruel|Teruel]], [[province of Soria|Soria]] and [[province of Guadalajara|Guadalajara]]. However, these reforms were delayed by [[Ferdinand VII of Spain|Ferdinand VII]]'s refusal to accept the constitution and finally implemented in 1822 during the 1820–23 [[Trienio Liberal]]. When Ferdinand was restored by French Bourbon forces in 1823, he abolished the Constitution along with the provincial reforms. When he died in 1833, the [[1833 territorial division of Spain|provincial division of 1833]] divided Aragon into its current three provinces.

[[File:Santa Engracia - Lejeune.jpg|thumb|left|175px|French troops storming the [[Abbey of Santa Engracia]], February 1809, painted by Lejeune]]
Throughout the 19th century, Aragon was a stronghold of the [[Carlism|Carlists]], who offered to restore the ''fueros'' and other rights associated with the former [[Kingdom of Aragon]]. This period saw a massive exodus from the countryside into the larger cities of Aragon such as [[Huesca]], [[Zaragoza]], [[Teruel]] or [[Calatayud]] and other nearby regions, such as [[Catalonia]] or [[Madrid]].

The history of Aragon in the first half of the 20th century was similar to that of the rest of Spain; the building of infrastructure and reforms made by [[Miguel Primo de Rivera]] led to a brief economic boom, with new civil and individual liberties during the [[Second Spanish Republic]]. In June 1936, a draft Statute of Autonomy of Aragon was presented to the [[Cortes Generales]] but the outbreak of the [[Spanish Civil War]] prevented the development of this autonomist project.

=== Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 ===
During the [[Spanish Civil War|1936–1939 Civil War]], Aragon was divided between both sides. The eastern area closer to Catalonia was run by the Republican [[Regional Defence Council of Aragon]], while the larger western area was controlled by the [[Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War)|Nationalists]]. Some of the most important battles of the war were fought in or near Aragon, including [[Battle of Belchite (1937)|Belchite]], [[Battle of Teruel|Teruel]] and [[Battle of the Ebro|Ebro]]. After the defeat of the [[Second Spanish Republic|Republic]] in April 1939, Aragon and the rest of Spain was governed by the [[Francoist Spain|Francoist dictatorship]].

Aragon was a stronghold for the [[Spanish Revolution of 1936|Spanish Revolution]], which was a workers' [[social revolution]] that began at the outbreak of the [[Spanish Civil War]] in 1936 and for two to three years resulted in the widespread implementation of [[Anarchism in Spain|anarchist]] and, more broadly, [[Libertarian socialism|libertarian socialist]] organizational principles throughout various portions of the country.

In Aragon, agrarian collectives were formed that were structured by work groups of between five and ten members. To each work group, the community assigned a piece of land for which it was responsible. Each group elected a delegate who represented their views at community meetings. A management committee was responsible for the day-to-day running of the community. This committee was in charge of obtaining materials, carrying out exchanges with other areas, organizing the distribution of production, and the public works that were necessary. Its members were elected in general assemblies in which all the people who made up the community participated.

Even during the second phase of the revolution when some revolutionary structures were subordinated to the government, giving rise to the dissolution or beginning of absorption, appropriation, and intervention of the revolutionary structures by the republican state government, Aragon remained a stronghold of anarcho-syndicalist labor.

=== 1939–present ===
[[File:Calle de Belchite.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Belchite]] town, destroyed during the [[Battle of Belchite (1937)|Battle of Belchite]], became a symbol of the [[Spanish Civil War]].]]

Especially during the 1960s, there were large migrations, with a depopulation of the rural areas, towards the industrial areas like the provincial capitals, other areas of Spain, and other European countries. In 1964, one of the so-called Development Poles was created in [[Zaragoza]].

In the 1970s, the old town of [[Mequinenza]] was demolished almost completely due to the construction of the [[Ribarroja Dam|Ribarroja reservoir]]. The inhabitants of Mequinenza had to leave their homes to move to the new town on the banks of the River Segre. Some left for more industrial areas such as Barcelona or Zaragoza or even abroad to continue working in mining industries. By the end of 1974 all of the population had already abandoned the Old Town of Mequinenza and was living in the new town.

In the 1970s a period of transition as in the rest of the country was experienced, after the extinction of the previous regime, with the recovery of democratic normality and the creation of a new constitutional framework.

It began to demand an own political autonomy, for the Aragonese historical territory; sentiment that was reflected in the historic manifestation of April 23, 1978 that brought together more than {{val|100000}} aragoneses through the streets of [[Zaragoza]].

Not having plebiscited, in the past, affirmatively a draft Statute of autonomy (second transitory provision of the constitution) and not making use of the difficult access to autonomy by Article 151 whose aggravated procedure required, apart from the initiative of the process autonomic follow the steps of article 143, which was ratified by three quarters of the municipalities of each of the affected provinces that represent at least the majority of the electoral census, and that this initiative was approved by referendum by the affirmative vote of the majority absolute of the electors of each province, Aragon acceded to the self-government by the slow way of article 143 obtaining lower competence top, and less self-management of resources, during more than 20 years.

On August 10, 1982, Aragon's autonomy statute was approved by the [[Cortes Generales]], signed by the then [[President of the government|president of the Government]], Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, and [[Pragmatic sanction|sanctioned]] by His Majesty [[Juan Carlos I of Spain]].

On May 7, 1992, a Special Commission of the [[Aragonese Corts]], elaborated a reformed text that was approved by the Aragonese Corts and by the Spanish Cortes. Again, a small statutory reform in the year 1996 extended the competence framework, forcing a definitive comprehensive review for several years, a new statutory text was approved in 2007, by majority but without reaching total unanimity.

In the 1990s the Aragonese society increases a significant qualitative step in the quality of life due to the economic progress of the State at all levels.

At the beginning of the 21st century, a significant increase in infrastructures was established, such as the arrival of the High Speed Train ([[AVE]]), the construction of the [[Autovía A-23|new dual carriageway Somport-Sagunto]] and the promotion of the two airports in the Autonomous Community, [[Zaragoza Airport|Zaragoza]] and [[Huesca–Pirineos Airport|Huesca-Pirineos]]. At the same time, large technological projects are being undertaken, such as the [[Walqa Technology Park]] and the implementation of a telematic network throughout the community.

[[File:Expo 2008 Zaragoza 0.jpg|thumb|General view of the [[Expo 2008]] from the [[Torre del Agua]]]]
In 2007 the [[Statute of Autonomy of Aragon]] was reformed again -which was approved by a broad consensus in the Aragonese Corts, having the support of the [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party|PSOE]], the [[People's Party (Spain)|PP]], the [[Aragonese Party|PAR]] and the [[United Left (Spain)|IU]], whereas [[Chunta Aragonesista|CHA]] abstained- granting the Autonomous Community the recognition of [[Nationalities and regions of Spain|historical nationality]] (since the Organic Law of 1996 reform of the statute, it had the condition of [[nationality]]<ref name = "organic law 1996 reform 1982 statute ">{{cite web | url = http://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1996-29115 | title = Organic Law 5/1996, of December 30, of Reform of the Organic Law 8/1982, of August 10, of the Statute of Autonomy of Aragon, modified by the Organic Law 6/1994, of March 24, of reform of said Statute. | access-date = February 17, 2015 | author = State Agency [[Boletín Oficial del Estado|Official State Gazette]] | date = December 31, 1996 | work = Documento BOE-A-1996-29115 | pages = 38912–38918 }}</ref>), includes a new title on the Administration of Chustizia and another on the rights and duties of the Aragoneses and guiding principles of public policies, the possibility of creating an own tax agency in collaboration with that of the State, and also the obligation to public authorities to ensure to avoid transfers from watersheds such as [[National Hydrological Plan (Spain)|transfer of the Ebro]], among many other modifications of the Statute of Autonomy.

The designation of [[Zaragoza]] as the venue for the [[Expo 2008|2008 International Exhibition]], whose thematic axis was [[Water]] and [[Sustainable development]], represented a series of changes and accelerated growth for the [[autonomous community]]. In addition, two anniversaries were celebrated that same year, the bicentennial of [[Siege of Zaragoza (disambiguation)|Sieges of Zaragoza]] of the [[War of Spanish Independence|War of Independence]] against the [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Napoleonic]] invasion, occurred in 1808 and the centenary of the [[Hispano-French Exposition of 1908]] that it supposed as a modern event, to demonstrate the cultural and economic thrust of Aragon and at the same time serve to strengthen ties and staunch wounds with the [[France|French]] neighbors after the events of the [[Napoleonic Wars]] of the previous century.