Exploring Zaragoza and Aragon

BCEA Students take an overnight excursion to Zaragoza, Aragon, and Belchite

The weekend of March 2, 2007 BCEA organized a trip to the city of Zaragoza in the province of Aragon, and to the ghost town of Belchite, a small town that was destroyed during a large battle in the Spanish Civil War. Students arrived in Zaragoza, checked-in to the hotel and enjoyed a guided tour of the city. This is the place where the “Mudejar” architecture style was born, a mixture of building materials and styles from the reign of the Muslims with the traditional styles of the Christian kings, who would later re-conquer the province. BCEA first visited, Basilica de Nuestras Sra. Del Pilar, a cathedral showcasing this unique architectural style, which can only be found in certain areas of Spain. It was very impressive. Later enjoyed the sunshine the main square of Zaragoza , Zaragoza Placa and learned that it was one of the largest plazas in all of Spain. On the final leg of the Zaragoza tour we visited a giant Muslim palace called Palaco Azara. While the outside was impressive, the inside architecture of the Mudejar style was even more so, showcasing intricate details, painted ceilings, and grand reception halls. That evening we enjoyed a traditional Aragonese dinner. The food was fantastic and included several traditional appetizers, salads, a lamb dish, and lemon smoothies for dessert. The following day we travelled to the small town of Belchite, a town that was completely destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and was never rebuilt. Our guides told us that a major battle had occurred there between the Liberals and the Fascists in which 10,000 people were killed in a matter of 13 days. It was a very raw, humbling experience because everything was left just as it was 70 years ago. We toured two ruined churches and walked through deserted streets, barely able to imagine the horrors that had occurred in the city. After our visit to Belchite and another excellent meal, we headed for home, but not before stopping off to visit some beautiful scenery in the Aragon countryside. It is very different from Catalunya, appearing more like a desert with rolling hills and quaint villages scattered in between. Overall, it was very interesting and fun trip; I know that many of the students were glad to see a different part of Spain and other places that they wouldn’t normally get to visit. Personally, I was extremely impressed by what we saw, and I would highly recommend the trip to other BCEA students in future semesters.