You will find her hidden away in the dusty desert, neighboured
between Madrid and Barcelona and humbly awaiting to be discovered.
Do you know much about her? Have you ever even heard of her?
Not many outside of Spain have, sadly.
Zaragoza is her name. She’s the Aragonese capital and fifth
biggest city in Spain with a population of around 700,000 people.
Throughout the two
years I lived there, my opinion changed immensely and my love for her grew the
longer I stayed. Upon arrival, I was not blown away. I found it to be a
slightly joyless place, but that feeling quickly melted as soon as I got to
exploring and finding out the hidden charms that she beholds.
The city has a special festival every year called ‘Pilares’
in honour of their female patron saint. The beautiful and majestic basilica
that is the centre point of the city is named after her. It is an important
religious hub, and every year pilgrims come to the city to lay down flowers in
a huge centrepiece in front of the basilica. Some people walk for days to
arrive and up to one million people visit during the ten day period – an almost
overwhelming sight of colourful folklore and cultural dedication for any
visitor. (Photo: Aragonese children on the day of Pilares wearing traditional costumes)
Zaragoza, or Saragossa, has been stewing in history since
the Iberos were in town. The Romans left a huge mark on the city during their
founding of it in 24BC. The name Zaragoza actually comes from the Roman
Emperors name, Cesar Augustus. It was an important city with 30,000 inhabitants
as well as baths, sewers, a huge amphitheatre, a market and roads connecting it
to other cities in the empire.
Today there still remain parts of the roman walls that were
built around the city as well as the amphitheatre that astonishingly wasn’t
discovered until 1972 when foundations were being made for a new building.
Falling under Moorish rule in 714, like the rest of Spain, the
Muslims left their mark on the city too, including the stone bridge - ‘puente de
piedra’ - which crosses over the river Ebro and joins the two sides of the city
together. They also built the building which now serves as the Aragonese government
building, the Aljeferia - a magnificent fortress.
Later, in 1118 when King Alfonso I overthrew the Moors, the city
belonged to the Christians and became the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon.
Over the ages an array of beautiful architecture has fusioned
together including the influences of Roman, Gothic and Arabic. Buildings such as La
Seo, San Pablo’s church and la Magdalena church pay homage to these times.
Nowadays Zaragoza is a modern city mixed with the pasts’
influence. You can now see a huge area called The Expo which was built for The
World Expo 2008 that Zaragoza hosted. There are some impressive contemporary
buildings and pieces of art, however the city’s hopes of being recognised
through this venture didn’t pay off and today most of this area lies unfinished
and overlooked.
One of the best things about the
city is its people, for they are one of a kind. The Aragonese or Maños, as they
are commonly referred to, are said to
be a stubborn and proud breed. This has been noted at times, however, the friendliness
and kindness of the people I encountered was immense. An open, generous
and blunt people.
If you’re looking for good food and entertainment in
Zaragoza, it is plentiful. The famous place to eat is called ‘El Tubo’ which is
right in the heart of the old centre off Calle Alfonso. There you can find an
array of tapas bars and restaurants offering many types of traditional and
modern food fusions. There are also many plazas (squares) spread all over the
city in different neighbourhoods that offer local cuisine.
For night-life, a more mature crowd head to the area
called La Zona which has some more up-market clubs and clientele. El Casco is
the area in the old town that mostly caters to students and younger people with
jam-packed grimy but interesting bars. La cucaracha is a must visit! There are,
however, a few other bars that are a bit more alternative around this area,
situated near El Tubo.. Some personal favourites include Bacharach, Jane Berkin,
BU! and Casa Magnetica.
El Oasis, in the San Pablo neighbourhood is another bigger club that opens later on weekends.
A must-stop attraction is the El Plata cabaret show. The
club has been open since 1920 and the show was developed by Spanish film
director Bigas Luna. You can find it on Called del Cuatro de Agosto
The city also caters for gay and lesbian visitors. You can
find the bars and clubs Calle Fita and Calle Doctor horno (which are closer to the Puerta del Carmen area.
……………………………..
After two years as my home I can safely say that the city
and surrounding areas are worth a visit. Not only is Zaragoza a fabulous city,
there are also some extraordinary places in the region or Aragon such as
Belchite, a town destroyed and left intact during the civil war, and beautifully
preserved villages like Albaracin in Teruel and relaxed winter resorts in the Pyrenees
mountains.
My time in Zaragoza was interesting and ever changing. I was
always finding something new and different during my street wandering free time.
It’s a part of Spain that most people don’t know or have had the opportunity to
appreciate. It’s a Spain away from the typical stereotypes or sun, sangria and sand.
It’s the Spain of today, that’s changing quickly and waiting to be explored.
Go discover...
Besos,
Stevieg
Promotional video for Zaragoza.
Some other facts about Aragon:
- Their typical dance
is the fastest in the country called La Jota.
- Before the civil war they had their own Aragonese language called La Fabla. However, during the time of Dictator General Franco, there was a repression of regional languages and dialects and La Fabla never recovered after his death unlike others such as Basque, Catalan and Galician.
- Zaragoza is the biggest exporter of La Trufa (truffles) an expensive delicacy made from cream and a rare type of mushroom that is searched out by trained animals, usually hogs.
- The typical dish is called ‘cordero’ which is roast lamb. When you visit, a great place to eat is called El Fuelle - http://www.el-fuelle.com
- The first scene of the movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ with Orlando Bloom was filmed in at a rural castle called Loarre in the Huesca province of Aragon. (see photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment