Aragonese nationalism and nation. The regional dimension of Francoist Spain

The following article offers and overview of the construction of the Aragonese regional identity under the Franco regime. The Spanish Civil War constituted a break with the past. Aragonese regional identity was (re)built through the use of different historical myths and the celebration of folklore and popular culture. In addition to the omnipresent devotion to the Virgin of the Filar, its central elements were the regional chant, la jota, and the exaltation of the customs of a typical Aragonese rustic, known as baturrismo. This Francoist version of Aragonesism vindicated the regional particularities of Aragon while seeking to achieve a greater integration into Spain. This phenomenon could be described as one of the various versions of what has been called regionalised nationalism.