  We introduce and solvev a special family of integrable interacting vertex
models that generalizes the well known six-vertex model. In addition to the
usual nearest-neighbor interactions among the vertices, there exist extra
hard-core interactions among pair of vertices at larger distances.The
associated row-to-row transfer matrices are diagonalized by using the recently
introduced matrix product {\it ansatz}. Similarly as the relation of the
six-vertex model with the XXZ quantum chain, the row-to-row transfer matrices
of these new models are also the generating functions of an infinite set of
commuting conserved charges. Among these charges we identify the integrable
generalization of the XXZ chain that contains hard-core exclusion interactions
among the spins. These quantum chains already appeared in the literature. The
present paper explains their integrability.
