After the luxury of a sleep-in, something that has been
denied us the last several weeks, we boarded the local bus to Zaragoza centre –
comfortable, quick, cheap. After
alighting we walked up Carre Caesar Augustus (Zaragoza is derived, via Arabic,
from the Latin for Caesar Augustus, the name bestowed on the city in the 1st
century CE by the Roman emperor of that name).
First stop was, of course, a church, the Parrochia del Santiago el
Mayor, dating from 1625. Large and very
impressive, but it does not rate a mention in the tourist brochures – perhaps a
sign of things awaiting us. We continued
on to the Basilica del Pilar – a double wow with pike! This gigantic cathedral dates from 1680, built
on the site of an earlier 11th century Romanesque church, and contains
many valuable artworks and frescoes painted by Goya, Zaragosa’s favourite son. It is
absolutely huge, with many different chapels and long, wide, open corridors
that seem to have any specific purpose – just wide open spaces. There was a service going on at the time,
which limited our access somewhat, and photographs are prohibited, which limits
your access.
Then a short walk to the end of the square to the Cathedral
del Salvador, built over the main mosque of the old Muslim city. It contains an eclectic mix of styles, from
Romanesque to Neoclassical. The huge Gothic
altarpiece is so detailed that it is difficult to take it all in – and we sat
there for quite some time, trying. On
all sides of the church are private chapels, each seemingly intent on outdoing
the other. An artisan’s wonder.
After lunch at a nearby tapas bar we boarded the tourist bus
for the 90-minute loop to learn more of the history of the city and get our
bearings for our return trip tomorrow. Spain has amazing architecture and we
passed many buildings that combine architecture with nature in the Gaudi tradition. During the journey we passed over the
Millennium Bridge, built in 2008, the largest bridge in the world with a raised
cable-stayed arc, measuring 270 metres long, enabling it to span the Ebro
River. We also passed over Puente de
Piedra, or Stone Bridge, completed in 1659 after failed attempts
dating back to the 13th century to build a bridge that would not be
swept away in floods. It is guarded at
each end by a pair of fierce-looking lions.
After leaving the bus we walked to the Goya Museum and spent
a pleasant hour viewing many of his originals as well as the many prints that
he produced – it seems that Goya was one of the first to mass-produce his
art. The gallery also contains artworks
by those who influenced Goya and those who were influenced by him.
Then back down Carre Caesar Augustus and on to our 603 bus
for the journey home.
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