Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
Basílica del Pilar – the unexploded bombs (Zaragoza)
City site
The story
Early in the war a Republican aircraft attacked Nationalist-held Zaragoza and dropped bombs on the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Spain's great Marian shrine. Bombs fell on the church and the square beside it, and none exploded. Nationalist propaganda presented this as a miracle, and the event became a strong symbol of the religious meaning Franco's side gave its war. Two of the bombs are still displayed inside the basilica.
What you can see today
Two defused bombs hang on a pillar inside the basilica. There is also a mark of the damage on the ceiling vaults.
Plan your visit
The basilica is open daily with free entry, so visit outside Mass times. The bombs are near the Holy Chapel of the Pillar.
- Open
- Daily 08:30–13:30 and 16:30–20:30
- Price
- Free
- Notice
- Tower lift listed as temporarily closed
Checked September 2026 from official sources: catedralbasilicadelpilar.es. Things change, so check before you travel.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral-Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_the_Pillar
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral-Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_the_Pillar
Nearby sites
- Torrero Cemetery memorials (Zaragoza) · 4 km
- Fuentes de Ebro – tank attack of October 1937 · 26 km
- Ruta Orwell – Monte Irazo & Las Tres Huegas (Sierra de Alcubierre) · 36 km
- Codo – battle of the Montserrat requetés · 39 km
- Quinto – El Piquete church · 41 km
- Belchite old town (Pueblo Viejo) · 41 km
All 158 sites in Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 →
The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The battlefields, trenches, ruined villages, shelters, museums and memorials of the Spanish Civil War across the whole of Spain, told fairly from both sides.
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