Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar rises on the banks of the Ebro in Zaragoza and is one of the great pilgrimage churches of Spain. Its many domes, covered in glazed tiles in blue, yellow and white, and its four corner towers make it one of the most recognisable silhouettes in Aragon, especially when seen from across the river. The basilica is dedicated to the Virgen del Pilar, whose feast on 12 October is the patronal day of Zaragoza and also the Day of the Hispanic world, a national holiday in Spain.

According to a very old tradition, the apostle James was preaching in Hispania when the Virgin Mary appeared to him on a pillar, which is the reason for the name. A small chapel stood here for centuries, and the present Baroque basilica was begun in the late seventeenth century, to plans by the architect Francisco Herrera the Younger, and carried on over the following centuries. The towers were completed only in the twentieth century. The result is a vast building with a rectangular plan, eleven domes and a long, solemn interior.

The centre of the basilica is the Santa Capilla, the Holy Chapel, designed by Ventura Rodríguez in the middle of the eighteenth century. It houses the small wooden image of the Virgin on top of her jasper pillar, dressed in rich mantles that change with the liturgical calendar. A section of the pillar is exposed at the back of the chapel, where pilgrims queue to kiss it, a ritual that has continued for generations. The chapel is a lavish marble and silver setting for the shrine.

The basilica also holds notable art. The ceiling frescoes in the domes include early work by Francisco de Goya, who painted a fresco in the Regina Martyrum chapel and the dome in the 1780s, and by his brother-in-law Francisco Bayeu. Two bombs dropped on the basilica during the Spanish Civil War failed to explode, and they are displayed as a reminder, which many pilgrims consider a miracle. The museum, the Museo Pilarista, displays jewels, the mantles of the Virgin and other treasures, including preparatory works for the decoration.

The church faces the huge Plaza del Pilar, one of the largest squares in Spain, which hosts the Ofrenda de Flores during the October festival, when hundreds of thousands of people offer flowers to the Virgin. It suits pilgrims, art lovers and sightseers, and it is easily combined with La Seo and the Aljafería. Dress modestly and expect services to limit access at times.