about

Most of the Zaragoza attractions, like La Lonja, El Pilar & cathedral La Seo, are found around the pretty Plaza del Pilar. Between this impressive square & the Ebro River is the large Basilica del Pilar, which has one giant central dome ringed by ten smaller ones, with 4 towers in each of the corners. It was constructed in honour of the Virgin of the Apostle who, according to local legend, supposedly appeared to St James on this site in 40 advert. The interior of the basilica is noted for the carvings & frescoes, with the undoubted highlight being a collection of paintings by Goya in the central dome. Goya was born in 1746 outside Zaragoza, in a little village. A few bombs fell on the church in the Civil War but most fortunately they did not explode.

The Romans originally founded Zaragoza about 2,000 years ago, & itgets its name from the emperor Augustus. Zaragoza was thenruled over by the Beni Hud kings in the 11th century. Despite hisreputation as a Spanish-Christian hero, the famous El Cid was in actual fact a mercenary who also fought for the Moslem Beni Huds in the work of this period. Zaragoza is also famed for resisting the Napoleonic armies in the work of the sieges of the 19th century.

there's some magnificent vistas of the city from the Puente de Piedra, that spans the Ebro River. Built in about1813, it contains segments of Basque, french & french design. Other local attractions in the city include the Puerta del Carmen, seven times part of the elderly city walls, & the Arabic Baths dating back to the late 13th century.

The Gothic La Seo Cathedral was constucted on the original site of the local mosque & the museum has many fine treasures, like the oil paintings, fine tapestries & statues. A short drive from La Seo is the amazing Renaissance exchange of La Lonja, built from millions of little bricks & the interior is noted for its stone adornments. The Aljaferia Palace, constructed in the work of the early 11th century, is found to the west of Zaragoza centre. Although it's been altered on many occasions over the centuries, this ancient Moorish palace still has the original mosque & central courtyard. The elaborate ceiling on the first floor has images of the monarchs, Ferdinand & Isabella.