Teruel is a town in
Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of
Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,961 in 2013 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh
climate (hot in summer and very cold in winter), its renowned
jamón serrano (cured ham), its
pottery, its surrounding
archaeological sites, rock outcrops containing some of the oldest
dinosaur remains of the
Iberian Peninsula, and its famous Fiestas (
La vaquilla del ángel during the second weekend of July and "Bodas de Isabel de Segura" around the third weekend of February). Teruel is regarded as the "town of mudéjar" (Moorish-influenced architecture) due to numerous buildings designed in this style. All of them are comprised in the
Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon which is a
World Heritage Site by the
UNESCO. Teruel's remote and mountainous location (it is 915 metres above sea level) and its low population has led to relative isolation within Spain. A campaign group with the slogan
Teruel existe ("Teruel exists") was founded in 1999 to press for greater recognition and investment in the town and the province. Due in part to the campaign, transport connections to Teruel are being greatly improved with the construction of a
motorway between
Zaragoza and
Sagunto, large parts of which are now open. However, Teruel remains the only provincial capital in
peninsular Spain without a direct
railway link to the capital,
Madrid. ]