Agustina Raimunda Maria Zaragoza and Domènech, called " Agustina of Aragon " (Barcelona, baptized on March 6, 1786 - Ceuta, on May 29, 1857), was a defender of Saragossa during the Sites, in the War of the Spanish Independence.
At the beginning of the 20th century his birth was established no doubt in 1786 in the city of Barcelona, concretely in the neighborhood of The Bank, in Sombrerers's street.Daughter of Francesc Ramon Saragossa i Labastida, worker, and of Raimunda Domènech i Gasull, both natives of Fulleda (Lerida), was baptized on March 6, 1786 in the basilica of Santa Maria of the Mar of Barcelona, contiguous to the street where it was born.
Agustina married 17 years Joan Roca i Vilaseca, end of artillery, on April 17, 1803 in the iglesía of Santa Maria of the Pine of Barcelona. The marriage had a son male whose name is not known, that died of short age. His husband took part from the beginning in the War of the Spanish Independence, taking part in the battle of the Bruch. The events of the war took them to him and to Agustina to Zaragoza
During the siege of this city, Agustina carried out the action that made her famous. After having fallen down injured men or dead men all the defenders of the so called door of the Gap, the French troops prepared to take it to the assault. Agustina, who was taking the food to his husband, taking the hand wick of a wounded gunner managed to shoot a cannon on the French troops that were running on the entry. He says the legend that the French assailants, being afraid of an ambush, fought in retreat, and new defenders came to cover the gap, defending itself the city once again.
There had born Agustina's myth of Aragon or The Artillera, name that was given from then to the woman, who, in a moment in that were so necessary the examples of heroism, happened to occupy a place emphasized in the pages of the books of history of Spain.
Again the legend tells that, informed the general Palafox of such a exploit, gave the orders to call the young woman and there same, on the battlefield, the sublieutenant's badge congratulated and granted it with the use of the shields of distinction with the motto of each one of them: " Defender of Saragossa " and " Reward of the value and patriotism ". The reality is slightly more sober: Palafox really admitted Agustina inside the gunners' body, but as level gunner. Probably the appointment had so much of practically as of honorific: the belonging to the gunners' body was providing to Agustina the right to eat of the mess of the soldiers, which was not contemptible in a deposited city. Later, nevertheless, Agustina would obtain successively the gallons of Sergeant and of Sublieutenant.
In spite of having worked out airy of his exploit, Agustina did not stop from his determination defending his city of the Frenchmen and took part actively in the defense of other sites of Saragossa. On February 21, 1809 and after two months of frantic resistance, the Aragonese city could not bear the Napoleonic pressure of the troops and fell down irremediably. Agustina was taken prisionera and liberated in an exchange. It crossed great part of Spain as hostess of the armies, where his exploit had become very known.
She married in the second nuptials in Ceuta Juan Cobo de Belchite and Maspera, having of this marriage a daughter called Carlota.
He died in his domicile of the Sovereign National street (nowadays Royal street) number 37 of Ceuta on May 29, 1857, 71 years after age, because of a bronchopneumonia, and it was buried in the cemetery of Holy Catalina of the above mentioned city. Until 1870 his remains were not moved to Saragossa, resting firstly in the Prop and, from June 14, 1908, in the chapel of the Annunciation of the Church of Our Lady of the Gap, where they are venerated as those of a great heroine who with value and decision repelled the adversities. It is considered to be one of the most representative symbols of the Spanish resistance against the Napoleonic invaders.
