The Pilar Church (also known as the Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar) in Zaragoza is the center of pilgrimages to Our Lady of Pilar. Inside, a Roman-style pillar is topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus that dates from the fifteenth century. It is housed in a chapel of marble, jasper, and gilded bronze that forms almost a church-within-a-church.The Pilar Church is the dynamic center of life in Zaragoza. Another popular custom happens each evening when young children are presented to the Virgin. Altar boys take the children and carry them to the front of the pillar, where their picture is taken by families standing outside the altar rail.
