Zaragoza Cathedral (La Seo)

La Seo, officially the Cathedral of the Savior, is one of the two co-cathedrals of Zaragoza, and it is the older and more architecturally mixed of the pair. The other is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, which stands only a few hundred metres away on the same great square, the Plaza del Pilar. Where the Pilar is grand, popular and Baroque, La Seo is a quieter building with a layered history. It stands on the site of the city's main mosque, and before that of the Roman forum, and its walls contain several centuries of Aragonese art.

The building grew in stages from the twelfth century onward. The earliest church, Romanesque, was enlarged in the Gothic period into a spacious hall church with several naves of equal height, and the most striking exterior element is the east end, the apse wall, decorated in brick with geometric patterns, glazed tile and blind arches in the Mudéjar style. This wall is among the monuments grouped under the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon. Later additions brought Renaissance and Baroque elements, including a tall bell tower and a showy Baroque façade facing the plaza, built in the eighteenth century, which contrasts with the older fabric.

Inside, the high altar is a masterpiece. The Retablo Mayor, in alabaster, was carved in the fifteenth century by Pere Johan and Hans of Swabia, and it is full of figures and scenes in the late Gothic style, pale and translucent in the light. Side chapels display different periods, with rich Baroque decoration in some and Mudéjar patterns in others. The Parroquieta, a small chapel with Mudéjar features, gives another view of how Muslim and Christian craftsmen worked together in Aragon. The Capilla de la Asunción and other chapels include tombs and altarpieces.

A museum of tapestries, the Museo de Tapices, holds a notable collection of Flemish tapestries, among the finest of their kind in Spain, though it has been closed to visitors at times, so check before you go. The cathedral also has a small museum of sacred art.

Because La Seo sits on the same square as the Pilar, it is easy to visit both in one morning. The Mercado Central de Abastos and the Torres de la Zaidería are within walking distance, and the Aljafería Palace is a short ride away. It suits those interested in medieval and Mudéjar art, and in the history of Aragon. Check current hours and ticket arrangements.