Goya’s name is once again bringing Zaragoza and Madrid together around a shared project. Both cities will be two of the main venues for the commemoration taking place in 2028, and their city councils are already working to ensure that the programs in each capital complement one another and attract visitors in both directions. The aim is for those traveling to Madrid to extend their trip to Zaragoza to see its exhibitions, museums and activities, and for the same to happen in the opposite direction. The Ministry of Culture has confirmed that Zaragoza and Madrid will be the two most significant venues for the bicentenary because of their special links to the painter.
The cooperation is not limited to culture. Almeida has expressed Madrid’s “full and complete support” for Zaragoza in its bid to become European Green Capital in 2028, a candidacy that has already passed the evaluation stage and is among the five finalists selected by the European Commission. The decision will be announced next October 8 in Guimarães.
KEY AREAS OF COOPERATION
Almeida specifically highlighted some of the policies developed in Zaragoza as examples of urban sustainability, including the Bosque de los Zaragozanos, the renewal of the bus fleet, the restoration of waterways, and rehabilitation and energy-efficiency projects. The Madrid mayor said these are initiatives from which Madrid can also learn, as both mayors seek to further expand their relationship.
Along these lines, Almeida also highlighted the growing importance of the Aragonese capital and drew on a familiar expression to emphasize it: “People say that there is life beyond the M-30. Well, the best proof that there is life beyond the M-30 is Zaragoza.”
Chueca stressed that cooperation between the two city councils extends to areas including urban planning, housing, mobility, the environment, finance, technology, culture and tourism. She explained that municipal teams maintain ongoing collaboration and share experiences in order to bring initiatives producing good results from one city to the other.
