Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar reopens crypt on 31 October
Published on 10/31/2026 at 11:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSCrypt reopening and historic setting
- The Cabildo opens the crypt beneath the Holy Chapel from 31 October 2026.
- Access continues through 2 November 2026, with religious services able to interrupt visits.
- The present Basilica took shape from the seventeenth century under Felipe Sánchez and Ventura Rodríguez.
Visitors can enter the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar) in Zaragoza during a temporary crypt reopening from 31 October to 2 November 2026. The opening coincides with All Saints and the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, bringing a normally closed part of the basilica into the public visit.
The Basilica crypt reopens for All Saints weekend
The crypt lies beneath the Holy Chapel, one of the most venerated spaces inside the basilica. It will open on Saturday 31 October, Sunday 1 November and Monday 2 November 2026, according to the Cabildo’s opening notice.
The temporary access is linked to All Saints on 1 November and the following commemoration of the dead. The crypt is a place of prayer and reflection, so visits may be interrupted by religious services and visitors are asked to follow staff instructions.
The Cabildo’s notice gives access through the riverside side of the building and exit towards the square. It also states that photography and video are not permitted, while the maximum capacity is 50 people.
What the crypt adds to Zaragoza’s Baroque basilica
The crypt contains the remains of figures connected with Zaragoza and the temple, including the general José de Palafox, several archbishops and canons, and benefactors. Its location below the Holy Chapel connects the temporary visit with the basilica’s central devotional space.
The crypt was inaugurated on 12 October 1794 and restored in 1994. Its short reopening therefore offers access to a historic part of the complex that normally remains outside the visitor route, rather than changing the ordinary use of the main church.
The wider building developed through a long construction process that began in the late seventeenth century. Felipe Sánchez started the project, while Francisco Herrera the Younger revised it and Ventura Rodríguez later reshaped the interior, including the Holy Chapel and the Coreto vault, as the Zaragoza tourism authority explains.
The basilica is also an important artistic centre, with frescoes by Francisco de Goya and a collection spanning several periods. The crypt’s reopening places burial history beneath a chapel designed as a focal point for the shrine’s Marian devotion.
Visiting Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The crypt is open from 31 October to 2 November 2026 beneath the Holy Chapel in Zaragoza.
- Access is temporary and religious services may interrupt visits; photography and video are not allowed.
- The Cabildo’s notice sets a maximum capacity of 50 people and separates the riverside entrance from the square-side exit.
- The crypt contains the remains of José de Palafox and other figures linked to Zaragoza.
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Frequently asked questions about Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
When does the crypt reopening take place at Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar?
The crypt reopens from 31 October to 2 November 2026 beneath the Holy Chapel in Zaragoza.
What is the crypt beneath Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar?
It is a burial space containing the remains of José de Palafox and other figures connected with Zaragoza and the basilica.
Where is Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and how do you get there?
The basilica stands on Pilar Square in Zaragoza, beside the Ebro and within the city centre.
