Send Gift Baskets to Zaragoza, Spain

A native Iberian town called Salduie or Salduba existed before Roman colonization. Caesaraugusta was the ancient name for the city, from which came the Arabic word Saragossa Saraqusṭa (used during the Al-Andalus period), the medieval Çaragoça, and the modern Zaragoza.

Zaragoza lies in a relatively arid depression formed by the valley of the Ebro in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. It enters the municipality at 205 meters above sea level and exits at 180 meters above sea level, cutting across the city in a west-northwest by east-south-east direction.

As the geographical center of the rough hexagon formed by Bilbao, Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona, as well as Bordeaux and Toulouse, the city enjoys a good location.

1. Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

   – Located on the banks of the Ebro River, the Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The building dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, making it a gem of Baroque architecture.

2. Museo del Foro de Caesaraugusta

   – Located in Zaragoza, the Museum of the Roman Forum of Caesaraugusta offers a glimpse into Caesaraugusta, an ancient Roman colony (town) of the first and second centuries.

3. Catedral de Zaragoza

   – Known as Catedral de San Salvador, Catedral de La Seo, or simply La Seo, the Cathedral of Zaragoza is dedicated to Saint Salvador. Five naves make up the Zaragoza Cathedral. Despite the town’s complex history, its architecture reflects a melange of styles.

4. Visit Palacio de la Aljafería

   – The castle was built on a quadrangular plan around a courtyard, with four round towers and one rectangular tower called the Troubadour’s Tower. This building is characterized by its Islamic-style coffered ceilings and plasterwork ornamentation.

5. Fluvial Aquarium of Zaragoza

   – Featuring more than 300 aquatic species, this aquarium is a freshwater aquarium. It is surrounded by a symbolic glacier that feeds a variety of “river” habitats, each with a unique environment replicating a significant ecosystem on the planet, including the Nile and Amazon.

6. Be Inspired by the Educational Museum of Origami in Zaragoza (EMOZ)

   – a local “Paperfolding” group founded Zaragoza’s first Origami Museum (Escuela Museo Origami Zaragoza) in the 1940s. Besides offering classes and workshops, the museum hosts events like paper airplane contests.

7. Iglesia de San Pablo de Zaragoza

   – This church is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its exceptional architectural and historical value. A small Romanesque chapel on the town’s outskirts was replaced by the San Pablo Church in the 13th and 14th centuries.

8. See La Lonja de Zaragoza

   – Located across the basilica from the square, this splendid 16th-century building is one of the most impressive buildings in the city. Merchants conducted their trading and other commercial transactions in Zaragoza’s historic marketplace, La Lonja.

9. Instituto de Aragonés de Arte y Cultura Contemporáneo

   – Pablo Serrano’s iconic works are showcased at the Aragonese Institute of Art and Contemporary Culture. From the Figurative period to the Expressionist stage, Pablo Serrano’s work is represented in the museum’s collection.

10. Basílica Santa Engracia

    – Once part of the Hieronymite Monastery of Santa Engracia, this Renaissance church no longer exists. A jewel of Aragonese Renaissance architecture, the church features a remarkable Plateresque facade. Gil Morlanes started the building in 1511, his son completed it in 1517, and the building was later renovated in the 18th century.

11. Admire Artworks at Museo Goya

    – Colección Ibercaja – The Goya Museum – The Museo Camón Aznar displays the Ibercaja Collection, an art collection curated by a local professor, philosopher, and art critic José Camón Aznar. This museum is housed in the mansion that belonged to nobleman Jerónimo Cósida, a patron of the Ibercaja savings bank.

12. Museo de Zaragoza

    – The Museo de Zaragoza features exhibits about Zaragoza’s history, culture, and art. The museum is housed in the pavilion of the 1908 Universal Expo and houses a large and diverse collection of archaeology and delicate art items.

13. Museo Pablo Gargallo

    – Located in the 16th-century Palace of Arguello, this museum showcases the works of Pablo Gargallo, a brilliant contemporary sculptor from Aragon. Early marble and plaster sculptures, as well as works crafted from iron and other metals, are displayed in the museum.

14. Museo de las Termas Públicas de Caesaraugusta

    – Founded in the first century, Caesaraugusta’s thermal baths were an important center of social life in ancient Rome. The public baths were more than just places to bathe; they were also places to play sports, read, and listen to music and poetry.

15. Iglesia de Santa Maria Magdalena

    – A former Moorish mosque is the site of the Iglesia de Santa Maria Magdalena. In the 14th century, the original Romanesque church (that replaced the mosque) was renovated and updated with Baroque details in the 17th century.