"Pilar Experience" is the project with which the church aims to transform the way the basilica is explored and understood. The initiative is still in the development phase, with those responsible working on the content and narratives that will form part of the proposal, and the expectation is that it could be ready by 2028.
As José Antonio Calvo, chief of staff to the Archbishop of Zaragoza, holds a doctorate in Philosophy and is a canon of the Pilar, explains to ARAGÓN DIGITAL, the starting point is a reality that currently affects visits. "The Pilar is a building under strain and does not always offer a satisfactory experience for prayer or for appreciating its heritage," he says.
A NEW WAY TO DISCOVER THE PILAR
The future experience will seek to better organize the different uses and routes within the basilica. To this end, the project includes dividing the spaces into zones and creating routes intended to explain the Pilar more comprehensively and make it easier for each visitor to approach the church from different perspectives. "With this activity, we want to explain the Pilar better, and we are working on the content and narratives," Calvo explains.
The project thus aims to ensure that a visit to the Pilar is not limited solely to viewing its spaces, but also allows visitors to better understand what they encounter along the route. The proposal will combine the basilica’s artistic and historical heritage with its religious and devotional dimension.
One of the main challenges will be precisely to make this new way of visiting compatible with the church’s daily operations. The Pilar remains, above all, a place of worship, while also receiving numerous visitors attracted by its historical, artistic and tourist importance.
The expectation currently held by the Chapter is that the experience could be launched in 2028. "We hope it will be ready in 2028," Calvo says, although the project remains in the definition phase.
ZARAGOZA LOOKS TOWARD 2040
The new experience is also part of a longer-term vision for the basilica. The Metropolitan Chapter is preparing for the 2,000th anniversary of the Virgin’s coming, which will be commemorated in 2040.
This project, known as Pilar 2040, will mark 2,000 years since an event that, beyond its religious dimension, has formed part of Zaragoza’s history, culture and heritage for centuries. The future "Pilar Experience," planned for 2028, will be one of the steps in the process of renewing the way the monument is presented and explained.
