Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Zaragoza: Basilica

Zaragoza is a really cool city. It has tons of Roman ruins, and a lot of the Roman-era history happened here. You'll probably notice the name sounds a lot like Augustus-- ceSAR AGOSto. It has a beautiful basilica, one that is built around a small chapel traditionally built by the Apostle James. The basilica, named Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, has a beautiful view, and is partly a big deal because James is the patron saint of Spain (according to tradition, his body was laid to rest here) and also because it is the first place a chapel was dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
There's a fantastic view of the city from the top, and it was really fun seeing a more modern church- this one is purely in the baroque style, and construction began in the 17th century. Having mostly seen gothic and romanesque cathedrals, it was really fun seeing something a little different. There were beautiful marble pillars throughout, and the murals were all painted by Francisco Goya-- he received his commission for the court for his work here in the basilica.




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