Zaragoza

by Benito Pérez Galdós

"Zaragoza" by Benito Pérez Galdós is a novel published in 1873. The sixth book in Galdós's first series of National Episodes, it recounts the brutal second siege of Zaragoza during the Spanish War of Independence in early 1809. Narrated by Gabriel de Araceli, the story depicts the desperate defense led by General Palafox against French forces, capturing the devastating realities of war—military skirmishes, food shortages, yellow fever epidemics, and ultimately the city's fall to French plunder. Galdós creates an epic portrayal of heroic resistance amid overwhelming violence.