Colegiata Santa Maria la Mayor del Pilar

The Mudejar collegiate church of Santa María del Pilar de Zaragoza is the direct antecedent of the Baroque basilica of Pilar. It is the most durable temple of those that have been built to venerate the Holy Pillar, since its history takes place between 1293 and 1681, date of the beginning of the works of the current baroque factory.

From this collegiate they have left a graphic testimony the View of Zaragoza in 1563 by Antonio van den Wyngaerde and the panorama made by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo in 1647. There is also a notarial act that fully describes the temple, built on October 2, 1668.

All these data affirm that the collegiate church of Santa María was made of brick and in Aragonese Mudejar style. It was of a certain extent and was constituted by the church and the cloister - annex to the church, in a simple and rectangular way that did not exceed ninety meters of area - 1 where the Holy Chapel of Our Lady of the Pillar was located. It had only one wide ship and three Mudejar turrets. In its conception it was quite similar to the church of San Pablo in the Aragonese capital. Although she continued to dedicate herself to the Assumption of Mary, the people called her colloquially "of Saint Mary the Major" .

From this church the altarpiece of the Assumption of the main altar, Mudejar doors that are found in the main sacristy, the choir stalls and grating, carved between 1544 and 1548 by Esteban de Obray - Renaissance and Italianizing, alternating marquetry with wood are preserved polychrome— and the organ.