2. Graus is a village in the Spanish province of Huesca, located in the
Pyrenees at the confluence of rivers Esera and Isabena. It is the
administrative capital of the region. It is one of the areas of Aragon in
which is still preserved the Aragonese language.
3. The Battle of Graus took place here, and Spanish philosopher Baltasar
Gracian y Morales was exiled here. During the Spanish Civil War, the
village of Graus served as a fairly important local commercial center. It
was a libertarian stronghold and a centre of collectivization at that time.
4. Culture
Baile de las Espadas (Swords Dance). This dance has a structure consisting of three different musical
fragments, known as „Cardelina", „Taninana" and „Culebreta" (Small Snake). It is danced by five groups
with a total of twenty dancers and two „repatanes". Dressed in different outfits, the most striking is that
used by the middle frame, whose dancers wears pompous lace, stockings, gloves, necklaces and flowered
hats. The explanation for this costume can be found in trying to incorporate the feminine element in a
male dance that, originally, was in honour of strength, virility and fertility.
5. Gastronomy
The most known dish in
Graus is the longaniza, one
of the delicacies of this
region and awarded with
the brand "Q for Quality" in
Aragon. Its importance is
emphasized each year with
the celebration of the
„Longaniza Day", the last
weekend of July.
The „chireta" is a typical
dish of this region of
Aragon, which is made up of
lamb guts stuffed with rice
and meat. Finally the guts
are sewn and then boiled.
6. Geography
The municipality of Graus today includes the towns of: Abenozas,
Aguilar, Aguinalíu, Bellestar, Benavente Aragon, Castarlenas, Centenera,
Eixep, Güel, Chuseu, Panillo, La Puebla de Fantova, La Puebla del Mon,
Pueyo de Marguillén, El Soler, Torres de Esera, Torre de Obato,
Torrelabad, Torres del Obispo and Las Ventas de Santa Lucía.
