As we looked out on Plaza del Pilar, we instantly knew that we hadn’t allocated enough time to explore Saragossa. Like many visitors, we came to this Spanish town to see El Pilar, but even the plaza had so much more to offer. Saragossa (spelt Zaragoza in Spanish), is a city of significant religious importance.
Local legend tells us that Saint James the Apostle came to Saragossa to spread Christianity. As he prayed one day in 40 AD, an apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to him. She gave him a 39 cm tall statue of herself and a pillar made of jasper. Following her instructions, he built a small chapel on the spot, thus creating the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church has been rebuilt many times, each time increasing in grandeur. The current Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (or just El Pilar) was designed in 1681 and remodelled in the 18th century, with the towers completed in the early 20th century. Thousands of pilgrims make their way here every year to kiss the small statue.
This is our first view of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, shot from the car.
The basilica is seen from Plaza del Pilar. Inside, the golden decor, tall archways, and intricate details make it difficult to forget. Unfortunately, no interior photos were allowed.
Also in the plaza are a variety of statues, fountains, museums, and another major cathedral.
This fountain sits on the plaza outside of the basilica.
Looking to the left, we can see La Seo Cathedral and the large cube entrance to the underground Roman Museum.
At the opposite end of the plaza sits the Fountain of the Hispanidad by artist: Samuel Magal, 2007.
Plaza del Pilar seen from the Fountain of the Hispanidad.
Modern shops and restaurants fill the streets leading to the main plaza. This is the entrance to Calle de Alfonso I, about midway across the plaza.
One of a series of sculptures dedicated to Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. One of Spain’s best-known painters, Goya grew up and studied painting while in Saragossa.
The Cathedral of the Savior, also called La Seo de Zaragoza is the other main Roman Catholic cathedral in the city.
A closer look at La Seo’s bell tower.
A closer look at the clock on La Seo’s tower.
More Information:
- Located inland in the northeast portion of the country, Saragossa is the capital of Spain’s Aragon region.
- El Pilar is the second-most visited pilgrimage destination in Spain after Santiago de Compostela.
- The annual nine-day Fiesta del Pilar is one of Spain’s most celebrated festivals.
- The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, La Seo Cathedral, and the Aljafería Palace (we didn’t visit here) are part of the Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- This updated post is a continuation of my throwback series encouraged by moving 40,000 photos to Lightroom.
- We toured through Spain for two weeks, driving the long way between two home-exchange houses in 2012 – the first in Catalunya, the second in Galicia. Our key travel stops in Spain were Saragossa, Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, and Vigo. In Portugal, we visited Evora, Sintra, Obidos, and Alcobaca.
We travel with the Lonely Planet guidebook for Spain.
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Have you been to Saragossa?
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A wonderful post about this historic place. Great images as well.
It is such an interesting place, and thanks.
“we instantly knew that we hadn’t allocated enough time to explore Saragossa” – We get that. In fact, we feel that almost everywhere we go. The churches you photographed are just gorgeous! We’ll have to make sure Zaragoze is on our itinerary the next time we get a chance to visit Spain. Thanks for sharing! #WeekendWanderlust
LOL – Yes, I feel that quite often myself, but Saragossa was the extreme, as we only had a few hours in an afternoon.
I had been contemplating visiting Zaragoza during my visit to Spain in March but ultimately couldn’t fit it in. Looks like I definitely missed out. That’s quite an unusual looking clock but I like it. Those sculptures are nice too, quite playful. I didn’t realise Zaragoza was a pilgrimage destination, interesting.
There is so many interesting and exciting things to see and do in Spain, No matter what you picked would have been a good choice.