Villanueva de Sijena

Villanueva de Sijena (Pop.: 502 in 2007) density 3,5 h. per km². Total Area 146 km².
It is a small village in the rather arid and deserted area of [http://www.losmonegros.com/ Los Monegros] , in the province of Huesca (Spain), near the Alcanadre river. Villanueva belongs to Sariñena town's comarca. Local economy is mostly based on agriculture, particularly corn, sunflower, rice, and cereals. Native livestock are goats and sheep.

Its major cultural interest lies in having been the birthplace theologian, physician and discoverer of pulmonary circulation, Michael Servetus (1511? - 1553), in his time condemed as "heretical" by Catholics and Protestants alike. A [http://miguelservet.monegros.net/ museum and interpretation center] is maintained by the [http://www.miguelservet.org/ Michael Servetus Institute] at the old house were Servetus was born, after a major restoration in 2002.

Nearby there are the [http://www.aragonromanico.com/hoya/sigena.htm/ Monastery of Santa María de Sigena] ruins of the Romanesque-styled, now also in process of restoration, founded (1188) by the kings of Aragon.

External links

* [http://www.villanuevadesigena.com/ Villanueva de Sigena] (Spanish only)
* [http://www.miguelservet.org/ Michael Servetus Institute] (English, Spanish, French, Italian)
* [http://miguelservet.monegros.net/centrovirtual/centrovirtual.html Virtual tour of the Servetus Interpretation Center] (Spanish only)
* [http://www.aragonromanico.com/hoya/sigena.htm Photo gallery of the Monastery of Sigena] (Spanish only)
* [http://www.losmonegros.com/comarca/comarca_situacion.asp Map of Los Monegros] (Spanish only)