GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE IN SPAIN

AND PORTUGAL

12TH TO 16TH CENTURY

1. INFLUENCES
MAP OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
MAP OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
HISTORICAL & SOCIAL

 The establishment of the Spanish Inquisition

(1477) in Castile and later in other provinces
was designed to bring about national unity
by first securing national unity.
 This scheme resulted in the expulsion from

Spain of both Jews and Moslems, who were

important communities in commercial and
industrial life, and Spain was thus materially
weakened by their departure.
HISTORICAL & SOCIAL

 During the whole of the Medieval period,

until 1492, Spain was divided into
different kingdoms under the
independent rule of Christian kings and
Moslem caliphs and emirs.
 The Catholic sovereigns Ferdinand and
Isabella abrogated to themselves supreme
power, making use of church, nobles and
cities as instruments of their government.
HISTORICAL & SOCIAL

 They established police against brigandage,

annexing the power and money of the
military orders, and enforcing military service
from the nobles.
 They even reduced the cortes of Castile to a

money granting machine and gradually

crippled commerce and industry through the
control of officials and the imposition of
excise duties.
2. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
 Despite the fall of the Moslem capital of
Toledo in 1085, Moorish influence
remained a salient aspect of Spanish art
and architecture until the final expulsion
of the Moors with the fall of Granada in
1492.
 The Gothic style was most highly
developed in Catalonia where, though
mainly of French lines, the grand scale of
the single-span vaulted interiors gives it
a specifically Spanish character.
 Moorish influence made itself felt in such
Moslem features as the
 HORSESHOE ARCH
 PIERCED STONE TRACERY
 RICH SURFACE DECORATION OF
INTRICATE GEOMETRICAL AND
FLOWING PATTERNS.
PIERCED STONE
TRACERY
HORSESHOE ARCH
 Church exteriors are flat in appearance,
owing to the chapels which are so
frequently inserted between the
buttresses.
 Unlike French Gothic, large wall
surfaces and horizontal lines are
conspicuous, and generally there is
excessive ornament, due to Moorish
influence, without regard to its
constructive character.
 The cloisters of many cathedrals are very
characteristic.
cloister
4. ARCHITECTURAL EXAMPLES
A. ECCLESIASTICAL
BURGOS CATHEDRAL
 Burgos Cathedral is
irregular in plan and
the most poetic of all
the Spanish cathedrals.
The two western
towers, with open-work
spire and a richly-
treated central lantern
or cimborio is a feature
of the exterior.
 The interior has elaborate
triforium tracery, massive piers
rebuilt to support the high
cimborio, and fine transeptual
circular windows.
 The CORO is in the usual Spanish
position west of the crossing, which
reduces the nave to a vestibule.
 Among the side chapels, which are of
extraordinary size, the octagonal
CAPILLA DE CONDESTABLE, over 15.2
meters in diameter, is especially
remarkable for the beauty and
magnificence of its late Gothic detail.
TOLEDO CATHEDRAL
PLAN

 With five aisles and a

range of side chapels,
Toledo Cathedral
resembles Bourges
Cathedral in plan, but
wider, with the choir
enclosure west of the
crossing.
INTERIOR

 A singularly SHALLOW SANCTUARY,

with an immense WOODEN RETABLO,
flanked by tiers of arcaded statuary,
is terminated by a chevet of double
aisles and chapels completing a most
impressive interior.
INTERIOR
INTERIOR
EXTERIOR

 The exterior has a LOW ROOF,

USUAL IN MOST SPANISH
CHURCHES, and has a fine
ornamental northwest steeple.
B. SECULAR
PALACIO DE LA AUDIENCIA, BARCELONA

 PALACIO DE LA AUDIENCIA,
Barcelona has a remarkable court
containing a picturesque external
stairway.
LA LONJA DE LA SEDA, VALENCIA

 Used as a SILK EXCHANGE, it has an

unbalanced façade of about 60 meters,
with a central tower, an east wing with a
large gateway and two pointed windows.
 Its west wing has two rows of square-

headed Gothic windows surmounted by

open galleries.
PUERTA SERRANOS, VALENCIA

 With its medieval fortifications, it has

two polygonal towers flanking the
gateway, above which is a traceried
wall panelling and a gallery of
enormous corbels.
PUERTA DEL SOL, TOLEDO

 This forms part of the town walls of

Toledo.
 Its HORSESHOE ARCHES,

INTERSECTING ARCADES, and

MOORISH BATTLEMENTS indicate
that the medieval Spaniards applied
the art of the time to all secular
buildings.
5. ARCHITECTURAL TERMS
CIMBORIO – Spanish
term for a lantern or raised
structure above a roof,
admitting light into the
interior.

CORO - a Spanish choir

which usually occupied
two or more bays of the
nave
REJA – an ornate iron grill
or screen, a characteristic
feature of Spanish church
interiors

REREDOS – the
screen or ornamental work
rising behind the altar.
RETABLE – the ledge
or shelf behind an altar
for holding vases or
candles.

RETABLO – an ornate
reredo
SPIRE – the tapering
termination of a tower

STEEPLE - a tower
crowned by a spire