ZARAGOZA—“INDEPENDENCIA” PROMENADE.
ZARAGOZA—PILAR CHURCH.
One must approach Zaragoza with one’s mind full of memories of heroes, queens, poets, and bandits that have been associated with this once mighty city, and one’s heart filled with sympathy and respect for the old, proud Aragon that flourished, and was illustrious in history while the Englanders still decorated themselves with blue paint, and were domiciled in caves. For Zaragoza is not altogether a gay or an exhilarating city. Many of the streets have a gloomy aspect, and the old houses are high, dark, and repellant. But the city is not only important as the seat of a university, an Audiencia, an archbishop, the captain-general of Aragón, and other officials; it is also the junction of four railways, and its commercial progress has been steadily increasing of recent years. For Zaragoza is in reality two cities—the old part with ancient fortified houses, converted now into stables and wood stores, and the new part traversed by broad, well-paved, and excellently-lighted streets, and lined with modern buildings. Until the railway connected the city with Madrid and Barcelona, Zaragoza was as dead as Salamanca, and as dilapidated as León. But it has always held the advantage of those places in having two cathedrals to their one. The principal cathedral, that of La Seo, is a venerable Gothic pile occupying the site of a Moorish mosque, and its high arches have echoed many councils, and looked down on the solemn coronations of the kings of Aragon. More modern is the Cathedral El Pilar, so called from the identical pillar on which the Virgin descended from heaven. It was commenced on St. James’s Day, 1686, the work being designed and carried out by the famous Don Francisco Herrera, the architect. In the year 1753 King Ferdinand VI. instructed Ventura Rodriguex, the architect, to design and build a new church, as luxurious as possible, in which to instal the image without taking it out of its temple. This was done by erecting a small Corinthian temple under the magnificent cupola, which was ornamented with the richest marble and jasper that could be procured. On one of the altars of this temple, which is crowned with a magnificent silver canopy, reposes the venerated effigy, the jewels on which are of incalculable value.
A FLEMISH DANCE.
AT NUEVALOS.
The Stone Monastery at Nuevalos, on the right bank of the river from which it takes its name, is one of the places most worthy of a visit in the province of Zaragoza, not only on account of the building itself, which is of great historical interest, having been built in 1195, but for the delicious picturesqueness of the place. Surrounded by rocks, winding amidst thick woods and dashing into deep abysses, this river runs its erratic course, imparting life to a landscape which is, according to the noted poet, Don Ramon Campoamor, “an improved dream of Virgil.” Among its many picturesque waterfalls, the one called “La Caprichosa” is perhaps the most beautiful.