After the Teachers Meeting, we will start all together a fascinating visit through a Mudejar Art Exhibition.

“Mudejar. The Andalusian heritage in the Spanish Culture”

The exposition focuses the attention on mudejar art, which is one of the best signs of the andalusian heritage in the Spanish culture. It is the first exhibition about Moorish culture in Spain on display. This has been organized to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the expulsion of the Moors, with which it ended centuries of "peaceful coexistence of Moorish, Mudejar and Christian"

After more than a year of preparations, the exhibition displays over one hundred and fifty original pieces of diverse nature and which is divided into three major thematic areas, the Mudejar decoration in all its art, architecture as a constructive alternative to the Christian and sumptuary and decorative arts, and survival of Islam.

Center of Zaragoza

Independence Street: It is the main avenue of Zaragoza. It starts at the Spain Square of Spain and ends at Aragon Square, and it is the hub of commercial and social life of the city. It is a meeting and walk point and has become one of the images of the city.

Aragon Square: We will see the monument to jurisdiction in honor of Juan de Lanuza, who was executed in 1564 during the episode known as the alterations of Aragon. We also see the captain general building which frontage follows patterns of sixteenth-century Italian palaces and is one of the most successful of late Neoclassicism in Saragossa.

Spain Square: In this square we will see County Council, Bank of Spain and Monument to the martyrs.

Monument to the Martyrs was inaugurated on October the 23th, in 1904. Was located in the plaza of Spain, replacing the Fountain of Neptune, who had lost their function with the arrival of running water. The purpose of the new monument was to perpetuate the memory of the countless martyrs and defenders of Aragon died during the Independence War. The main theme is an angel holding a wounded Aragonese, pointing to the sky, behind the group, a cross evokes the Coso Cross in memory of the martyred Christians. In the bottom of the pedestal is placed the figure of a matron Zaragoza symbol and emblem of the city.

Alfonso I Street: The street is known for its beautiful buildings and the panoramic view of Pilar Basilic, which shows the central dome. Houses have the same aesthetics, creating a harmonious urban landscape.

Pilar Square: It is the main square of Saragossa. Numerous events are celebrated here along the year. In the square we can find the Pilar Basilic, the Palace of La Lonja, Saragossa City Council, the courts of the city, Hispanic fountain and Goya monument.

Pilar Basilic: The Pilar Basilica is one of the most important Marian sanctuaries in the catholic world and is visited every year by thousands of pilgrims. It is also a leading artistic centre with a collection of valuable works from different periods, in particular the frescos by Goya.

The present day building is closely related to the increase in Marian devotion throughout the 17th century. The former Gothic-Mudejar construction had become outgrown by the increasing number of believers and it was necessary to erect a new imposing monumental temple, which was closer to the triumphant spirit of the Counter-Reformation and the newly acquired status of co-cathedral.

The appearance of the Pilar today is the result of a long process that was started by the Zaragozan Felipe Sanchez and later revised by the architect to Carlos II, Herrera el Mozo. From 1750 onwards, a second royal architect, Ventura Rodríguez, was to have a significant effect on the building. He renovated the interior decoration in line with the new classicism of the period and designed the Holy Chapel and the "Coreto" vault. He remodelled the exterior building plan, adding cupolas to the existing central one -which was originally intended stand alone- and towers that would not be completed until the middle of the 20th century.

La Seo Cathedral: The first Christian cathedral of Saragossa, built and dedicated to San Salvador, is raised on the same space that had previously been occupied by the Roman Temple of the Forum, the Visigoth church and the Higher Moslem Mosque. At the end of the 12th. century, the new work is started following the artistic guidelines of late Romanesque,with elements that had been developed in the cathedral of Jaca. As a reflection of this first stage we preserve the lower part of the apses, which is clearly differentiated from the rest as it is made of stone compared to the later brick. The semicircular windows are closed with alabaster and have chequered motifs and storied capitals. The central apse preserves an important sculptural unit on the inside, which remains, hidden behind the High Altarpiece.

The temple is extended at the end of the 14th. century, in order to build a larger and lighter church, in accordance with the new Gothic spirit. A testimony of this time are the upper apses and the wall of the -Parroquieta-, a key work of Zaragoza Mudejar. This work was carried out by Aragonese masters in collaboration with Seville Master Builders, who manage to convert a simple brick wall into a real polychrome tapestry. This wall encloses the chapel of San Miguel, whose construction was ordered by the archbishop Lope Fernandez de Luna as a funerary chapel; on the inside it holds the alabaster sepulchre of the prelate and a splendind gilt wood ceiling. The upper part of the central apse was raised at the star of the 15th century thanks to the sponsorship of Pope Luna, whose arms are found between the flamboyant oultines of the windows.
The Seo takes on definitive dimensions and aspect in the 16th century under the archbishopric of Hernando de Aragon. The cupola, which is erected to achieve greater lighting of the High Altarpiece, corresponds to this stage. This is valuable sample of the roots of Mudejar tradition in our region. The last interventions that complete this exterior physiognomy are the Baroque tower and the classicist front, built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The tower, designed by Giambattista Contini follows the model of Italian campanile adapted to the local tradition, also present in its internal structure of Almohade minaret. The main front was carried out by Julian de Yarza, inspired on the project that Ventura Rodriguez had planned for the Pilar.

The high Altarpiece on the inside stands out. This is a representative work of european gothic style carried out in the 15th century under the sponsorship of the archbishop Dalmau de Mur. The unit by the sculptors Pere Johen and Ans Piet d Anso, acted as a model for numerous later altarpieces, among which the High Altarpiece of the Pilar must be pointed out.

Cultural Heritage Monument: The area occupied by the convent of San Augustín, and the setting in general, provide a sequential testimony of all the cultures, periods and even historical vicissitudes that have occurred in Zaragoza.

The different archaeological digs carried out in the area unearthed examples of Iberian, Roman and Muslim cultures before the eventual settlement of the San Augustín convent, which was itself under the sale of church lands and the site`s subsequent transformation into a Service Corps barracks midway through the 19th century.

One must not forget the events of the Sieges of 1808 and 1809. The convent formed part of the city`s defensive perimeter and housed batteries and bastions that were the scene of fierce fighting and led to the destruction of the building. This was precisely one of the points where the French breached the defences and entered the city, leading to its eventual surrender.

In 1978, as a result of the so-called Operación Cuarteles (Operation Barracks), the site was placed into council hands and, following various projects, it has become home to the Zaragoza History Centre.