You’re in luck-you can’t miss your next stop! Just look across the street in front of you for a grand, sandy-colored building that seems to stretch and curve around the block. Its three stories are covered in neat rows of arched windows with greenish frames, and the walls are made from beautiful pale brick. The windows look like they’re stacked in columns, and the building dazzles in the sunlight. If you see tall palm trees flanking the side and elegant black street lamps marching along the sidewalk, you’ve found it: the PP school, Escolapios.
Now, let’s step back in time-way back, all the way to 1731, when the Escolapios first arrived in Zaragoza. Back then, before electric lights and wifi, this very spot began its life as a new chapter for the city’s kids. This school, first known as the Colegio de Santo Tomás de Aquino, opened its doors in 1740-so imagine the thrill in the air as students rushed inside, maybe only half awake for early lessons!
Here’s a fun fact: for about 250 years, this was a boys-only zone. Only in 1990 did girls start joining the school’s daily adventures. And some quite impressive adventurers studied here: one of them was none other than Francisco de Goya, the famous painter. Rumor has it, the walls have seen more than a few doodles over the centuries-maybe even a masterpiece or two.
Escolapios isn’t your average school. Kids come here as toddlers just 2 years old, and some don’t leave until they’re 18. It’s paid for by the state, but run privately, so you get a feeling that tradition and community are woven into every stone.
Can you feel the history as you look at that old brickwork and those tall, arched windows? If only the building could talk, I bet it would spill stories of eager students, stern teachers, and maybe even a practical joke or two echoing down the marble halls. Oh, and the patio inside-called the Patio de Palafox-is one of the last pieces from the original building, where you can just picture young Goya peeking out the window, daydreaming about colors.
So take a moment here by the gates to imagine all the footsteps, laughter, and secrets this place has held. And don’t worry-the only pop quiz today is if you can spot the tallest palm tree next to the building!
