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This is of course a City I have passed by so many times. Unfortunately, always in my road warrior trails going further south only brief memories when a teenager with my dear late mom Gladys came in briefly, Time continue and always on the path south until finally went in and saw briefs of it. The city of Zaragoza is in the province of Zaragoza, of the autonomous community of Aragon, and the kingdom of Spain. For now , I am glad to have found this loose picture in my cd rom vault that prompted me to do this post for you and me. Therefore, let me tell you more about curiosities of Zaragoza , part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The City of Zaragoza has been bypassed many times sadly it really needs more, We passed on the A23 or Autovia Mudéjar coming from Jaca to exiit/salida 298 to connect with the N330 Carretera de Huesca towards Zaragoza entering by the Avenida de los Pirineos and cross the Ebro river on the Puente de Santiago bridge bearing left after crossing onto Paseo Echegaray y Caballero bordering the river on your left hand side continue bearing right onto Calle de Damiàn Forment, and the cathedral (see pic), The post needs a lot more but with one picture believe is enough I will be back for more ,promise.

The Lonja located at Plaza Nuestra Señora del Pilar, s/n ; was Zaragoza first fully Renaissance building and the most important civil construction of the 16C in Aragon. In 1541, the city decided to undertake the construction of a civil building for commercial exchanges, which until then had taken place in La Seo and other churches, in response to the requests of the city’s merchants and Archbishop Hernando de Aragón. Once you enter its doors, you will be captivated by its interior: a large hall with naves separated by ringed columns and covered by star-shaped vaults that will leave no one indifferent. Today, it hosts important exhibitions of photography, painting, sculpture, and more. Admission is free.

It is worth remembering that in 1919 the Lonja hosted a Hispano-French Exhibition of Fine Arts which brought together, among others, such prominent names as Beruete, Domingo, Iturrino, Nonell, Picasso, Regoyos, Vázquez Díaz, Zuloaga, Mariano Benlliure, Clará, Gargallo, Julio Antonio,and Macho; and from 1942 to 1945 the exhibitions of the International Autumn Photography Salon, which has been running since 1925; and during the years 1943 to 1955 the majority of the thirteen editions of the Aragonese Artists Salon, it was from the beginning of the 1970s when, with exhibitions such as that of Manuel Viola in 1972 and that of Pablo Serrano in 1975, the habitual use of the Lonja as an exhibition hall began to take on a true identity, becoming permanent and exclusive from the middle of the following decade.

The monument to Francisco Goya is located in the Plaza del Pilar near the Lonja as seen in the picture. It features a picturesque statue of two men and two women dressed as 18C majos and majas, immortalized by Goya in his tapestry cartoons. It was inaugurated on October 8, 1960. The figure of the painter, situated on a tall, stepped pedestal, presides over the complex. His eminent statue has its legs bent and holds a paintbrush in its hands. On one of the walls of the monument appears Goya’s quote: “Fantasy abandoned to reason produces monsters, but united with reason, it is the mother of the arts.” Some time later, the Plaza del Pilar was remodeled, integrating Goya’s sculptural ensemble into a large fountain where the water moves over large, low white plates.

The Zaragoza tourist office on its heritage : https://www.zaragoza.es/sede/portal/turismo/ver-y-hacer/top-monumentos

The Aragon regional tourist office on Zaragoza : https://www.turismodearagon.com/en/ficha/zaragoza/

The Spain National Tourist office on Zaragoza : https://www.spain.info/en/destination/zaragoza/

There you go folks, another wonderful spot in my dear Spain. This is Zaragoza and worth the detour, we shall be back, eventually, Again, hope you enjoy the post on curiosities of Zaragoza, part II !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!