Right away, The Fuente de la Hispanidad fountain in Zaragoza attracted my attention. Water and photography always work together very well, but there was something odd about this installation. I circled the fountain several times wondering what it could be, all the while questioning why someone would build such an odd fountain?
The full name of this structure is The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and in Spanish – Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The façade which you see was built between 1681 and 1872 in Baroque style. When I looked at the lights warmly enlightening this building and the decorative couples, I had a rather One Thousand and One Night Tales moment in my mind, rather than the European Baroque Church.
The Cathedral of The Saviour of Zaragoza (also known as ‘La Seo’) is another pearl of the city. It is less popular than its counterpart El Pilar but offers an equally unique history. Like so many other places in Zaragoza, its architecture takes you through the past by combining Roman, Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance and Baroque influences in a very unique way.
On both sides of the road, there are lion columns that are very distinctive for the Zaragoza buildings – The El Pilar Cathedral and The Cathedral of The Saviour of Zaragoza (La Seo). The Lions are the symbol of the town and from the bridge you can enjoy the best views on El Pilar. I was fortunate enough to enjoy sunsets during my visit and it was wonderful to see the locals stopping on the bridge after returning from work and truly enjoying the moment, even though they would have seen the area various times.
In the Aljaferia Palace, I enjoyed the connection of the styles the most. Though the Islamic palace has a very characteristic interior, with mixtilinear arcs and arabesque on large surfaces, this courtyard reminded me of a more gothic style. As I learned later, the name of this courtyard is Patio de San Martin.
There are so many open spaces and big squares in Zaragoza. Moreover, it’s not overcrowded, and you can find really nice angles and perspective for photographing panoramic views. The architecture of El Pilar Basilica in Zaragoza, as well as the oriental style of the city, makes you feel like in a 1001-night story but in Spain.
The Aljafería Palace is the only fortified Islamic palace that dates to the middle ages. The construction works of the palace have been completed in the second half of the 11th century. Being a very well preserved place, today it serves as headquarter of the Aragonese Parliament.
The palace is built on foundation walls of a tower house, which dates back to the Moorish Kingdom in the 9th century. The original building has been expanded and altered many times since its establishment during the Taifa Kingdom in 1065. Especially after the recapture by the catholic kings in 1118 its design was remarkably influenced by the immigrating Muslims and their renowned Mudejar style.
Zaragoza turned out to be the positive surprise of our trip to Spain. Many spacious squares, ideal conditions for photography and very interesting architecture. Moreover, the buildings were illuminated throughout all night and long in the morning, while tourists were nowhere to be found at this time. An absolute Dream!
All photos taken by Nico Trinkhaus unless indicated otherwise.
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