Mary was here

Eventually our party made its way into Zaragoza. Our visit there leaves me with many questions and one disagreement with Jack. And this is the overall impression I still have of the city.

Zaragoza is most famous for its basilica which is a massive temple that houses a statue of Mary – about 15 inches tall - and the jasper pillar on which she stands. The pillar is pretty big – though you can’t see much of it, it’s hidden under a skirt. The statue and pillar are part of an altar. On the back side of the altar, there is a small area of the pillar exposed for the faithful, or just the curious, to look at, touch, kiss, whatever. The church is named after it: Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.



The legend is that the apostle James was touring Spain, pretty much like we were. But he was on mission to spread the Word. (We were just cruising around.) It wasn’t going well, he was feeling disheartened about his job, and so he sat down by the river in Zaragoza to pray. Mary appeared to him in a dream, told him to get back to work, and somehow delivered the little wood statue and the heavy marble pillar as proof that everything was going to work out. And she told him to build a church right there. That massive church that stands there now is not exactly the one he built, but he probably woke up feeling like he had a big job ahead of him.

Being who I am, I have a lot of questions about this story. Let’s take the physical presence of the pillar. Yes, I have my questions about the little statue, too, but for the moment let’s just image the problem with the pillar. The thing is pretty big – a few yards high and about a foot in diameter. That’s a heavy item to 1) just show up next to you when you wake up from your dream and 2) to move out of the way without a crane while you build your church. So, I question the whole part about the pillar being part of the dream, etc. But the pillar is part of the legend and the miracle and the thing that everyone goes and kisses. It just doesn’t add up for me. Too many logistical issues.

Of course, that’s just the beginning of my questions about the legend, but the list is just too long to include in whole here. There are many more things about Zaragoza that intrigue me.


There is another huge church, the Seo Cathedral, on the main plaza. Another absolutely massive building. The interior is chock full of everything you’d expect from a Catholic cathedral. I’m not distracted with my questions there. It’s the outside that troubles me. It’s quite beautiful on the exterior – very heavily influenced by the Moors. Here’s what I don’t get: if you are sworn enemies with another group with whom you repeatly engage in bloodbaths, doesn’t it seem funny that you would build your most venerated buildings with the distinctive mark of that enemy on it?



Okay, one more building on the plaza that you have to take a look at – the leaning tower. The obvious questions: it is a mistake or a kind of cool trick to show off? Wait, is it really leaning, or it is just me? Why would you do that? Is it in peril?

Besides all the questions, my impression of Zaragoza is that it is a city far more comfortable with being part of the modern world than Madrid is. This is where Jack and I disagree. He thinks Madrid is modern, but that I just don’t see it because we live in the old part of the city. I think Zaragoza isn’t afraid to mix contemporary art and life right in the heart of its historic district, and this is evidence that Zaragoza is much more comfortable with the present and the future. I don’t see anything nearly as modern as these grand sculptures in Madrid, particularly in the heart of Madrid.



In the same plaza with the Basilica and the cathedral, there are some fun contemporary structures that remind you that you live in the 21 century. It makes me feel good, reminders that it’s a modern world. There are some Roman ruins in the area that have been mixed with contemporary design – a statement that Zaragoza is willing to embrace it’s past while still moving forward.


I like this mixing of ancient and contemporary most about this city. It’s hip and cool and old and rich with history.