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 (Zaragoza in Spanish), is a city of significant religious importance. Located inland in the northeast portion of the country, Saragossa is the capital of Spain’s Aragon region.
The First Church Dedicated to the Virgin Mary
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. El Pilar is not the original church on this location. 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. Construction on the towers finished in the early 20th century.
The Pilgrimage to El Pilar
Thousands of pilgrims make their way here every year to kiss the small stature. For many, it is a stop on their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. In fact, El Pilar is the second-most visited pilgrimage destination in Spain after Santiago de Compostela.
Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
Tour the Region
Pilar Square
Aptly named for the basilica, the plaza is called Pilar Square. In addition to El Pilar, we found a variety of statues, fountains, museums, and another major cathedral.
Cathedral of the Savior
The Cathedral of the Savior, also called La Seo de Zaragoza is the other main Roman Catholic cathedral in the city.
More Information on Saragossa and El Pilar:
- 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.
- We toured through Spain for two weeks, driving the long way between two home-exchange houses – the first in Catalunya, the second in Galicia.
Have you been to Saragossa?
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Sandy Roy
February 9, 2019 at 10:20 amIm sorry to say both your data and the one you link to are wrong, very wrong. First Aljaferia Palace is not Mudejar Art it is Islamic Art. Mudejar art did not replace other Architecture styles such and Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque, but it was a fussion between art styles, The East style mixed with the west styles. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar far from Mudejar , it is mostly Baroque with some, The Cathedral of San Salvador , la Seo for us does have Mudejar art and mostly on the lft hand side of the Basilica, it has a stunnning wall full of mudejar mosaic, https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/3b/0a/98/la-seo-del-salvador.jpg.
The mudejar art that is Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is to be found in the city of Teruel , also in Aragon. This unique artisitc style is only found the Iberian Peninsula, when is Spain three religions lived with respectfully, in Aragon are very proud of this unique style of architecture. It is a style of architecture that began in the 12th Century and lasted till the year 1610. Coexisitng with and combined with Romanesque art, Gothic art, Baroque and Renaissance.
Photo(Geo)grapher
May 9, 2017 at 5:13 amA wonderful post about this historic place. Great images as well.
Rhonda Albom
May 9, 2017 at 8:38 amIt is such an interesting place, and thanks.
Rob+Ann
April 29, 2017 at 11:55 am“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.
Rhonda Albom
April 30, 2017 at 9:42 amLOL – Yes, I feel that quite often myself, but Saragossa was the extreme, as we only had a few hours in an afternoon.
David @Travelsewhere
April 28, 2017 at 7:57 pmI 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.
Rhonda Albom
April 28, 2017 at 9:24 pmThere is so many interesting and exciting things to see and do in Spain, No matter what you picked would have been a good choice.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
April 28, 2017 at 4:48 pmAs a Roman Catholic, I think it would be wonderful to attend the festival or at least get to attend a mass at El Pilar and kiss the statue. Of course, the rest of Saragossa looks wonderful, too. I’m going to have a long To See list when I finally get back to Spain.
Rhonda Albom
April 28, 2017 at 9:21 pmYes, you are and I am sure Zaragoza and Santiago de Compostela will both be on it.
eileen g
April 27, 2017 at 1:38 ami understand that feeling of getting to a place and realizing that there is far more to it than you realized and you have not given yourself enough time there. Hopefully you’ll have a chance to go back. I was unfamiliar with this city but it certainly does seem worthwhile.
Rhonda Albom
April 27, 2017 at 11:20 pmI image it was a once in a lifetime experience.
Elaine J Masters
April 26, 2017 at 5:13 pmQuite a wonderful city. Loved the variety of sculptures and especially that earthquake style fountain. Such contrasts.
Rhonda Albom
April 27, 2017 at 11:11 pmI wish I had time to explore more than just this main plaza.
Nisha
April 26, 2017 at 4:22 pmWhat a lovely photo essay on Zaragoza . I am reminded of my own trip to this windy city a few years back, It was great to reminisce. The bell tower of The Cathedral of the Savior, looks amazing as ever.
Rhonda Albom
April 27, 2017 at 11:07 pmSo much detail, so little time.
indah nuria
April 26, 2017 at 9:12 amAahhh Spain! I remember our road trip back in 2010 on the Southern part of Spain, from Barcelona up to Madrid and down to Sevilla, Granada, Valencia and back to Barcelona again..Thanks for sharing it again, Rhonda. It brings back all those beautiful memories of Spain.
Rhonda Albom
April 27, 2017 at 10:51 pmWe did the first half, the same, Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Sevilla, then we continued into Portugal, up the coast, across the top of Spain, into France and then back down towards Barcelona.
budget jan
April 25, 2017 at 9:16 pmWhat an unusual fountain of the Hispanidad by artist. Love your last two close up shots – beautiful.
Rhonda Albom
April 26, 2017 at 7:36 amThanks Jan. I don’t always shoot as many close-ups as I wish I had once I am home and review the photos.
Trisha Velarmino
April 25, 2017 at 7:40 pmI lived in Spain in the past and Zaragosa is one of my favorites with all the pilgrims it offers! Such a lovely place indeed.
Rhonda Albom
April 26, 2017 at 7:30 amWe did two home exchanges in Spain, so lived there for a few months. We loved it too.
Siddharth and Shruti
April 25, 2017 at 6:18 pmThe architecture is simply stunning! An interesting back story as well! Being history buffs, we would love to visit! How long did you spend exploring Saragossa?
Rhonda Albom
April 26, 2017 at 7:26 amWe only had a few hours as it was a stopped on our drive from Palamos (about 80km north of Barcelona, where we had a home exchange house) and Madrid. Clearly, it was not enough time, but better than missing it.
Travelera
April 25, 2017 at 9:32 amAww My beautiful city Zaragoza!!!! It makes me very happy see you have done a photo shooting of El Pilar! 😀 And Yes, the city is very big and has a lot to see, the area of Expo with its modern buildings, the old bridge or the beautiful Aljaferia Palace
Also the festivities in Zaragoza are very famous
Thanks for sharing fabulous pictures of my city!
Have an amazing week!
Nuria
Rhonda Albom
April 26, 2017 at 7:24 amWhat a fabulous place to be from. I do hope to spend more time in your beautiful Zaragoza some day. Thanks for sharing the links.
Amy Franks
April 25, 2017 at 9:28 amThat is a really awesome fountain, gosh so clever!
Rhonda Albom
April 26, 2017 at 7:23 amThe big one or the children with the fish? They were both pretty cool, but we did prefer the big one.
Siddhartha Joshi
April 24, 2017 at 3:35 pmAbsolutely gorgeous pictures and the history is intriguing as well…amazing that though the church has been rebuilt so many times, the statues had stayed on. Would love to visit Saragossa someday 🙂
Rhonda Albom
April 25, 2017 at 8:03 amIt is pretty impressive, but remember, each time it was built for the statue.
Harmony
April 24, 2017 at 1:46 pmI’ve never heard of this town, but crazy how its so Roman. Beautiful pics. Looking forward to reading more of the posts!
Rhonda Albom
April 25, 2017 at 8:02 amThe Roman Empire was huge, and traveling in Europe really drives that point home.
Ruth | Tanama Tales
April 24, 2017 at 12:48 pmRhonda, same experience in here. We visited Zaragoza as a short lunch break. It was hard to move on since we wanted to keep exploring the city. Well, more reasons to drive around Spain and make “proper” stops in certain destinations. #TPThursday
Rhonda Albom
April 25, 2017 at 8:01 amI don’t know if there really is proper. I think the longer we stayed in each destination, the more we would find that we want to do. Spain is so filled with variety and intersting destinations.
Megan Jerrard
April 23, 2017 at 11:43 pmWow, looks like a beautiful area, thanks for the photo tour! I love visiting squares like this which are surrounded by history and architecture, it looks like I would love Plaza del Pilar. I’m especially a fan of cathedrals at the moment – there’s something about them which leaves me in awe 🙂
Rhonda Albom
April 24, 2017 at 8:58 amI am the same, only in this case we needed significantly more time. There is just so much to see in the world.
mark wyld
April 23, 2017 at 8:29 pmSpain is amazing and certainly home to many catholic cathedrals and places of miracles. Luckily enough religious history and architecture interest me. We plan to head back to Spain in the next few years and this destination will be on our list
Rhonda Albom
April 24, 2017 at 8:53 amInterestingly, I was never really that interested in religious history until I visited Spain.
Chloe
April 23, 2017 at 12:49 pmSpain is so beautiful and the architecture looks so intricate. I will visit there soon!
Rhonda Albom
April 24, 2017 at 8:52 amI hope you love Spain as much as I do.
Corey with fifi + hop
April 23, 2017 at 9:54 amWow, I’m getting flashbacks to 20 years ago when I visited Saragossa while doing my college semester abroad! I love Spain. We’re headed back this summer, to Barcelona. I cannot wait. #wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
April 24, 2017 at 8:50 amHow exciting. I love Spain, and would happily head back anytime.
Hannah
April 23, 2017 at 8:44 amI seriously need to go back to Spain! I’ve only been to Barcelona but towns like this make me want to go back and see more of the country. Saragossa looks like a beautiful spot to explore and I love the legend associated with it!
Rhonda Albom
April 24, 2017 at 8:50 amBarcelona is so full of life, like so much of Spain. Each region really has it’s own personality.
Lexa Cain
April 23, 2017 at 8:14 amThe basilica and town are gorgeous and so clean! I love European countries where the streets look spotless. Sooo different from Egypt.
Rhonda Albom
April 24, 2017 at 8:49 amLOL – I still haven’t made it to Egypt yet, but I would imagine it to be quite a contrast to Spain.
Amelie
April 23, 2017 at 5:51 amA good friend of mine met through travelling is from Saragossa. I have never visited Spain, but your photos really make me want to pay her a visit now.
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:59 amYour friend would know I didn’t spend nearly enough time in the city.
Vanessa Brune
April 23, 2017 at 4:35 amI definitely need to explore more of the Spanish mainland! I’ve only been to Alicante and the islands so far but it looks like the inland region has so much to offer!
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:58 amBetween the two of us, we have seen it all. You have been to the only region we missed.
Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor
April 23, 2017 at 4:17 amI’ve never been to Saragossa. Definitely will put it on the list if I ever get back to Spain. Great architecture and I love the street sculptures.
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:58 amThere is so much to see in Spain, and for you it would depend if you were sailing or overland.
Jenn and Ed Coleman
April 23, 2017 at 3:26 amWhat a beautiful post and lovely photography. Spain retains so much of its regional heritage you almost have to visit each region as a separate trip. Add to that the various festivals and you have almost an entire summer you could spend wandering the Spanish countryside. Of course, there are worse things you could do in the world.
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:57 amYes, we spent about 10 weeks in Spain, and it still was not nearly enough time.
Trekking with Becky
April 23, 2017 at 2:03 amGreat, as usual! I’m going to be going crazy in Barcelona next month because I’ll be thinking of all these other places you’ve posted about that I won’t have time to see.
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:56 amWith limited time in Barcelona, personally, I wouldn’t head to Saragossa. I would spend my time exploring Barcelona. It is such a great city.
Indrani
April 22, 2017 at 11:26 pmWe halted here for around 3 hours on our road trip from Madrid to Barcelona. Couldn’t explore much but the cathedral visit is memorable.
I remember that statue of three boys with fish. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:55 amWe did exactly the same. I would love to have seen the old Roman colosseum, the underground Roman museum, and had time to enjoy a meal.
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
April 22, 2017 at 10:15 pmI love the domes. It give the church an eastern look. Is it the Moorish influence do you think?
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:54 amYes, I love the Moorish influence. I think it provides my favourite architectural style.
Chrysoula
April 22, 2017 at 10:15 pmSaragossa looks amazing, I haven’t visited yet but it’s one of the Spanish cities I would love to visit. Now I know that I need to plan extra time here as there are so many things to see. The Basilica of our Lady is impressive and I like the story behind it.
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:53 amEven if you don’t have enough time, just stopping to see the Basilica and the statue is worth it.
Hilary Melton-Butcher
April 22, 2017 at 7:37 pmHi Rhonda – wonderful photos and definitely a place I want to visit … thanks because your blog is a great reference place to look at things … cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:52 amThanks Hilary, that is my goal.
Lyndall
April 22, 2017 at 5:48 pmI would love to visit Spain one day, it’s on the bucket list! Thanks for introducing us to Saragossa Rhonda… it looks delightful 🙂
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:52 amSpain is one of my favourite countries in Europe. We have done two home exchanges there and spent quite a bit of time.
Kathy Marris
April 22, 2017 at 11:10 amNo I haven’t been to Spain yet, but it is rapidly making its way to the top of my bucket list. What a lovely place Saragossa is!
Rhonda Albom
April 23, 2017 at 7:52 amIt caught me by surprise, as it was just a quick stop between Barcelona and Madrid.
Comedy Plus
April 22, 2017 at 2:56 amGreat photographs. It appears you enjoyed yourselves very much. Sometimes you don’t have enough time to explore everything you want to see. I would have loved to visit the cathedral. Always so inspiring.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Rhonda Albom
April 22, 2017 at 8:24 amWe only had half a day here. If we did it all again I think we would have spent a night, seen some of the ruins, and had time for a long, lingering Spanish dinner.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
April 22, 2017 at 1:29 amThere is so much beautiful in these photos. You can feel the past just looking at these pictures. Wonderful Rhonda.
Enjoy your Friday my friend. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
April 22, 2017 at 8:23 amThanks Paul.
jill
April 22, 2017 at 1:12 amLovely photos – that fountain is quite unique. I didn’t realize that Saragossa was such a pilgrimage site. In fact, I had never heard that before.
Rhonda Albom
April 22, 2017 at 8:23 amIt was a really hot day when we were there and we were all tempted to jump into the fountain.
Jim ~ ReflectionsEnroute
April 21, 2017 at 10:22 pmWe went to Saragossa long, long ago. I don’t remember much but I do remember thinking we did not plan enough time in that beautiful city! #wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
April 21, 2017 at 11:12 pmWe only had half day, as we drove from Barcelona to Madrid.
jo
April 21, 2017 at 7:22 pmI hadn’t realised that Saragossa, and El Pilar in particular, was such a destination for pilgrims – did you manage to see the tiny statue? There’s clearly a lot to see there I can understand why you wanted to stay for longer. In the UK we here a lot about Santiago de Compostela but not so much about Saragossa.
Great pictures I love the art work on the buildings and the statues and fountains. Your trip to Spain is inspiring! #Wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
April 21, 2017 at 11:05 pmYes, we saw the statue. Honestly, I hadn’t realised it either. Like you I was only aware of Santiago de Compostela.
Mary {The World Is A Book}
April 21, 2017 at 7:06 pmZaragoza looks so beautiful! I’ve only heard of it and this makes me want to visit. That cathedral is absolutely stunning. Love the statues too.
Rhonda Albom
April 21, 2017 at 11:04 pmI wish I could have taken photos inside the cathedral. It was even more beautiful that the exterior.
Lolo
April 21, 2017 at 6:04 pmZaragoza has been on my radar for a long time, and even more so when I taught two Spanish girls from there in my English class. Beautiful cathedral! #wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
April 21, 2017 at 10:53 pmWere the girls exchange students?
Blake den Hartog
April 8, 2017 at 12:06 amIs there a city, town or village we can drive to so we can get close to the trees? I know they are in the Alentejo region in Portugal and and we’re driving from Yaro.
Tony Payne
July 16, 2012 at 10:23 pmIt looks great, I would love to spend time exploring Spain. Definitely doing shorter drives and staying multiple nights is the way to go in Europe, where there is so much to see in a small area.
Rhonda
July 17, 2012 at 9:45 amIt’s not so far for you, can’t you take a ferry over? Spain is so much fun to explore.