Belchite

Belchite is a municipality and town 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.

Belchite
Municipality
The modern town
Flag Coat of arms
Belchite Location in Spain
Coordinates: 41°18′23″N 0°45′15″W
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  (2018)[1]
• Total	1,528
• Density	5.6/km2 (14/sq mi)
Demonym	Belchitanos
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	50130
Dialing code	976
Climate	BSk

In 1122, Alfonso the Battler founded the Confraternity of Belchite to defend the frontier between the Christian kingdoms and al-Andalus. On 15 June 1809, during the Peninsular War French and Spanish forces fought in the Battle of María near the town. Between 24 August and 7 September 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, loyalist Spanish Republican forces fought Francisco Franco's rebel forces in the Battle of Belchite in and around the town. After 1939, a new town was built near the ruins of the old one, which remains a ghost town as a memorial to the war.

Ruins of the former town of Belchite

The ruins of the old village have been used as a filming location in films including Terry Gilliam's 1988 film The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of municipalities in Zaragoza