The Cortes of Aragon, the Metropolitan Chapter of Zaragoza, Grupo Henneo and Fundación Ibercaja have formally approved the initiative at the Aljafería Palace. The exhibition, which can be visited until January 2, 2027, will offer a broad look at the history of Our Lady of the Pillar through religious heritage, goldsmithing, photography, posters, the press and popular culture.
"Gratitude to Our Lady of the Pillar: Light of Aragon" begins with a simple question: ¿How has Aragon thanked Our Lady of the Pillar throughout history?", said María Navarro, president of the Cortes of Aragon. The project is based on the idea of heritage as a shared legacy, received from previous generations and which institutions and society are responsible for preserving, understanding and passing on.
This exhibition brings together pieces from different periods and origins to show how history also becomes a meeting point and a link between generations. The official opening of "Gratitude to Our Lady of the Pillar: Light of Aragon" will take place on October 9.
PIECES OF GREAT HERITAGE AND SENTIMENTAL VALUE
One of the exhibition's main pieces will be the reliquary bust of Saint Braulius, an extraordinary medieval silver work dating from the 15th century and linked to the history of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar itself. It will also feature an important selection of historical posters and photographs loaned by Zaragoza City Council, allowing visitors to trace through images the evolution of the Fiestas del Pilar and their relationship with the city.
This visual journey will be completed by three glass plates featuring photographs of the shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar, the mantle of the Aragonese community in Manila, pieces such as the tapestry "Apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar to the Apostle Saint James," a 1936 statue of Our Lady of the Pillar and an audiovisual totem explaining the process of making the Jewel Mantle.
