The Basilica of the Pilar is continuing efforts to transform the way one of Zaragoza’s great symbols is viewed and discovered. After recently unveiling new artistic lighting in the Main Altar and the Holy Chapel, the temple is now working on an immersive experience designed to offer tourists, pilgrims and Zaragoza residents a new way to connect with its history, heritage and significance.
A week after the controversial pepper spray incident in the Congress of Deputies, a stick and a stone ended up on the floor of Zaragoza City Council on Wednesday. Unaffiliated councilor Marisa Gaspar brought them during a debate on several motions concerning the situation in Ceuta, explaining that they represented "the weapons the invaders used against the Spanish Army, our soldiers."
Zaragoza City Council’s plenary session has approved budget amendments that raise multi-year commitments through 2032 by €28.9 million, including investments in the airport, the Huerva River and the future Holy Week Museum, among others. The proposal also includes an extraordinary €576,500 credit for various measures under the 2026 budget.
Under the concept of creating a “temporary urban garden,” around 20 stalls—many run by florists’ associations, animal shelters and pet shops—are the main autumn attraction in Zaragoza. The innovative proposal began on September 6 at José María Forqué Square with the aim of creating a true garden in the El Gancho area.
Some restaurants draw people back for a particular dish, while others bring them back because of how they make them feel. La Mazmorra seems to offer both. This restaurant in Zaragoza’s Picarral district has made a name for itself with its ternasco, croquettes and homemade vermouth, but among the thousands of reviews from diners, one thing is repeated almost as often as the praise for its food: the service.
One of Zaragoza’s defining features is its multiculturalism. Since the Romans laid the first stone of Caesaraugusta in the 1st century B.C., the city has been ruled at different times by civilizations and peoples of all kinds. Much is said about the Aragonese capital’s Roman past, but Muslims also governed the city for centuries. One of the last remnants proving Al-Andalus’s presence in Zaragoza is a spectacular tower that has watched over the city’s residents for 11 centuries.
Recipes that have brought families together around the table for decades are also a way to preserve the memory and stories of a city. With this goal, Zaragoza City Council today presented "Savoring Memories," a project developed through the Home Help Service (SAD) that turns the experiences of its users into a gastronomic and emotional legacy for future generations.
Public bike service Bizi Zaragoza was suspended for several hours on Tuesday due to a computer system outage. The problem also affected other cities where the operator works, so the incident was not exclusive to the Aragonese capital.
Aragonese cuisine has returned from Palencia with one of its tastiest honors. Zaragoza restaurant Foodverzo, led by chef Luigi Rubertone, won over the public jury at the Grand Final of the 7th International Patatas Bravas Preparation Contest Palencia Brava 2026, earning the Popular Jury Prize with its Bravas Foodverzo recipe.
Zaragoza City Council’s Finance and European Funds Committee approved the 2027 Tax Ordinances project on Tuesday, keeping all municipal taxes frozen and returning property tax to the legal minimum. After debating and voting on amendments, 15 proposals were added to the text, which will now continue through the approval process before going to the Plenary for final approval.
Families with children under three will be able to park one vehicle for free in Zaragoza’s blue and orange zones from 2027. The measure, added to the draft 2027 Tax Ordinances after a vote on amendments in the City Council’s Finance Committee, was proposed by Vox and passed with the support of the People’s Party and non-aligned councillor Marisa Gaspar, while the PSOE and Zaragoza en Común abstained.
The eviction of Esmeralda and her 11-year-old daughter in Zaragoza’s Torrero neighborhood was halted on Tuesday after several tense hours. Around 80 people, including local residents and members of the Zaragoza Tenants’ Union and Stop Evictions, gathered outside the home throughout the morning to try to prevent the mother and daughter from having to leave.
Zaragoza City Council will allocate €600,000 for a new grant program to renovate and improve the appearance of residential façades in key tourist and commercial areas, including Paseo de la Independencia, Plaza de España, Calle Alfonso I, the surroundings of Plaza del Pilar, La Seo, Mercado Central and Plaza del Justicia, as well as the entire Old Town.
Zaragoza’s street-cleaning strike will begin this Wednesday, September 30, with the 40.5% minimum services decreed by the City Council, a decision that has further heightened tensions between the unions and the municipal government. CGT and CCOO believe the percentage imposed by the council aims to limit the visibility of the protests and have directly criticized Environment Councillor Tatiana Gaudes, accusing her of favoring FCC’s interests instead of mediating to resolve the labor dispute.
Zaragoza City Council can still pursue nearly €12 million from Sociedad Deportiva Tiro de Pichón over the expropriation of land along the Ebro riverbank. Urban Planning Councillor Víctor Serrano presented a report by the Municipal Legal Advisory Office on Tuesday concluding that the claim has not expired and that the suspension of the implementation of the October 2022 plenary agreement remains in effect under the law. According to Serrano, the report also finds that the company’s appeal for reconsideration, filed in December 2022, should not be resolved now because it could conflict with the pending court ruling.
The Stone Bridge will not need to close this Wednesday, September 30. Zaragoza City Council said the drone flights planned to assess the bridge structure have been postponed to a new date yet to be determined due to operational issues beyond the council’s control.
Local crafts and design will have their own prelude to the 2026 Pilar Festivities in Zaragoza. With the city about to enter its biggest celebrations, Las Terrazas del Náutico will host a new edition of its market, an event designed for strolling along the Ebro, discovering small businesses and finding those final accessories to complete your Pilar outfits.
The renovation of Pilar Square, one of Zaragoza’s most ambitious urban development projects, has had to overcome its first obstacle even before construction begins. The City Council has relaunched the tender for the renovation of the Goya Fountain after the first bidding process received no offers from interested companies. The new attempt maintains the budget of 564,033 euros and aims to unblock a project that will serve as the starting point for transforming the heart of the city.
The Los Sitios Monument is once again displaying its full splendor in central Zaragoza. After months hidden behind scaffolding during comprehensive restoration work, the emblematic sculptural complex can now be viewed almost in its entirety, revealing the results of an intervention aimed at restoring its original appearance and ensuring its preservation.
In Zaragoza, more and more households have a dog as another member of the family. That is why spaces that make caring for and bathing dogs easier, comfortably and calmly, are increasingly valued. With this in mind, Laura Viera opened Patas & Espuma just a month ago, a self-service dog wash offering a practical way to care for dogs and presenting itself as a unique concept in the Aragonese capital.
