Spain Guide
Aragón
Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
Opening time: Basilica daily 5.45am–9.30pm, until 8.30pm in winter; museum Tues– Sun 9am–1.30pm & 4–5.30pm; tower Mon– Thurs & Sat 9.30am–2pm & 4–6pm
Price: Basilica free; museum €2; tower €2
Majestically fronting the Río Ebro, the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar is one of Spain's greatest and most revered religious buildings. It takes its name from a pillar – the centrepiece of the church – on which the Virgin Mary is said to have descended from heaven in an apparition before St James the Apostle. The structure around this shrine is truly monumental, with great corner towers and a central dome flanked by ten brightly tiled cupolas; it was designed in the late seventeenth century by Francisco Herrera el Mozo and built by Ventura Rodríguez in the 1750s and 60s.
The pillar, topped by a diminutive image of the Virgin, is constantly surrounded by pilgrims, who line up to touch an exposed (and thoroughly worn) section, encased in a marble surround. The main artistic treasure of the cathedral is a magnificent alabaster reredos on the high altar, a masterpiece sculpted by Damián Forment in the first decades of the sixteenth century.
Off the north aisle, in the Museo Pilarista, you can inspect at close quarters the original sketches for the decoration of the domes by Francisco de Goya, González Velázquez and Francisco and Ramón Bayeu. Your ticket also admits you to the Sacristía Mayor, off the opposite aisle, with a collection of religious paintings and tapestries. You'll have to pay extra, however, if you want to enjoy the panoramic views from the Torre, the tower at the northwest corner of the church.