Zaragoza is the capital city of the autonomous region and former Kingdom of Aragon in Spain, and is situated on the river Ebro and its tributaries, the Huerva and Gállego, near the centre of the region, in a great valley with a variety of landscapes, ranging from desert (Los Monegros) to thick forest, meadows and mountains.

Culture

Zaragoza is linked by legend to the beginnings of Christianity in Spain. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously to Saint James the Great in the 1st century, standing on a pillar. This legend is commemorated by a famous Catholic basilica called Nuestra Señora del Pilar ("Our Lady of the Pillar").
The event, called "Las Fiestas del Pilar", is celebrated on October 12, which is a major festival day in Zaragoza. Since it coincided in 1492 with the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, that day is also celebrated as El Día de la Hispanidad (Columbus Day, literally Hispanic Day) by Spanish-speaking people worldwide.

Attractions

Near the basilica on the banks of the Ebro are located the city hall, the Lonja (old currency exchange), the La Seo Cathedral, and the ruins of the Roman city wall.
Near this area is a tapas zone called El Tubo and a nightclub district called El Casco. Other nightclub districts are La Zona and El Royo.
Some distance from the centre of the old city is an expansive Moorish castle or palace called the Aljafería, one of the northernmost important Moorish buildings in Spain and the setting for Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore (The Troubadour). The Aragonese parliament currently sits in the building.