World Heritage Sites in Spain
WORLD HERITAGE IN SPAIN
In recent times, there have been few ideas of such compelling
force as the concept of World Heritage. There are places in nature
and culture with a value and importance reaching far across geographical
and political boundaries and becoming a heritage of the world
in general. This promising idea was taken up by an International
Convention of the Unesco in 1972. Today over 100 countries have
joined it.
This Convention does not only strengthen the idea that all countries
should make the defence of a unique, exceptional heritage a common
cause, but for the first time it draws up a single List where
sites of nature and culture rank side by side. The Great Canyon
of the Colorado or the Galapagos Islands form part of the same
List together with the Monastery of El Escorial and the Taj Mahal.
At the suggestion of the member countries, the Convention is responsible
for drawing up this World Heritage List which grows every year
as new sites of nature and culture considered exceptional are
added. Upon application, it also shares out the technical and
financial aid required for the protection of these sites of universal
value.
Although late in joining -May 4th, 1982- Spain is today one of
the countries with the greatest number of sites included in the
World Heritage List. By January 1996, 2 natural and 19 cultural
sites belonging to different Autonomous Communities had reached
the List. In 1984, La Alhambra and El Generalife (later with Albayzin), the Cathedral
of Burgos, the Monastery of El Escorial, the mosque of Cordoba (later with other monuments in historic center)
as well as the Güell Park and Palace together with Gaudi's
Mila House in Barcelona were included. In 1985, the Altamira Caves,
the old city of Avila with its curtain walls, the aqueduct and
old city of Segovia, the Pre-Romanesque sites in Asturias as well
as Santiago de Compostela also joined the list. In 1986, not only
the old city of Toledo was put on it, but also the old part of
Caceres, the Mudejar towers in Teruel and the first Spanish nature
site on the List, Garajonay National Park on the Canary Island
of La Gomera. In 1987, the building complex consisting of the Cathedral,
the Alcazar (ie, Moorish fortress) and La Lonja (Auction Hall)
of Seville. In 1988, the city of Salamanca. In 1991, Poblet Monastery. In 1993, archaeological ensemble of Mérida, Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe and the Route of Santiago de Compostela. Finally, in 1994, Doñana National Park is put on the List.
In the shelter of the highest peaks in the Iberian Peninsula,
the Mulhacen (3,481m) and the Veleta (3,392m), lies the beautiful
Andalusian city of Granada with its Parador called "San Francisco".
The city witnessed the end of Arab rule in Spain when Boabdil,
the last Nasrid king, surrendered and handed the keys of the city
to the Catholic Monarch on January 2nd, 1492. Legend has it that
the Arab king could not help bursting into tears when for the
last time he turned to look back at the city of Granada. his mother
reproached him with a sentence that has become famous: "Weep
like a woman since you couldn't defend yourself like a man".
La Alhambra is the most important civil building preserved of
Muslim civil architecture. All the refinement, wealth and delicacy
of Islamic art and architecture reached its last climax in the
West in this unique building which is a fortress, residence and
royal city all in one and finds an extension in the gardens of
El Generalife.
Alhambra means "red castle", a name derived from the
colour of its walls made from the clay that was extracted from
the very hill on which it stands. This military enclosure, flanked
by massive towers, is entered by five well-protected gates. Separate
from the rest of the enclosure, the "Alcazaba" or Moorish
fortress had its own entrance, which is closed today because of
later fortifications.
In 1238, Muhammad I, Ibn al-Ahmar, the Nasrid King of Granada,
repaired "La Acequia Real" (an irrigation channel) which
brought water the River Darro to the top of the Red Hill and began
the construction of today's Alcazaba. Muhammad II (1273-1302),
his son, continued the works, but the most important driving forces
behind this Arab palace-cum-fortress were Yusuf I (1333-1354)
and Muhammad V (1354-1391).
After dethroning Boabdil, the Catholic Monarchs refurbished the
palace, but retained the Muslim style. In the times of Emperor
Carlos V, part of the Arab palaces was destroyed making way for
the palace bearing his name, which was built by Pedro Machuca.
"La Casa Real Vieja", ie, the Old Royal House, consists
of a series of rooms called "Cuartos a Palacio", a peculiar
name given to a number of rooms that make up La Alhambra and were
built one after another as the need for them arose. There are
four main patios or inner courts: the one at the entrance, Machuca,
Comares and the one of Los Leones (ie, the Lions). Only the last
two have survived intact to our days. Between the Machuca and
Comares Patios lies El Mexuar, a large hall of justice, and El
Patio del Cuarto Dorado (ie, of the Golden Room). The buildings
surrounding each of the patios are accurately and symmetrically
distributed, but each complex by itself is organised more freely.
The towers of the curtain wall have richly decorated rooms and
some of them are small, sumptuous palaces. Outstanding are the
Tower of Las Infantas, the Tower of La Cautiva (ie, the Captive
One) and the Tower of Las Damas.
The decoration of La Alhambra is of great importance. Among the
most significant decorative elements are the skirtings of glazed
tiles, the walls, friezes and series of arches covered with "atauriques"
(ie, plaster or stucco decorative plant motifs characteristic
of Caliphal art) and the ceilings decorated with bows, stalactites
or "mocarae" (ie, designs of several prisms on a concave
base) which in combination give the halls of these palaces an
appearance of dazzling sumptuousness.
El Generalife, the summer palace of the Nasrid kings of Granada,
stands on top of the hill of El Sol (ie, the Sun), which is twin
to the one of La Alhambra and also towers over the River Darro.
unlike the great palace, its construction date is known with accuracy
(1318) as is its master builder: Aben Walid Ismail.
Today, all that remains of El Generalife are two buildings, one
at each end of El Patio de la Acequia through the centre of which
a channel runs with pipes along both sides and a stone bowl at
each end. There are countless little channels, fountains and water
jets everywhere in the lovely gardens.
La Alhambra and the gardens of El Generalife, which were included
in the World Heritage List in 1984, are masterpieces of Nasrid
architecture and belong to the last period of Arab art in the
Iberian Peninsula. They embody the strength of rich and sumptuous
Muslim tradition based on lavish decoration, which is one of the
most outstanding elements of these unique buildings.
Though tiring for the legs with its steep, cobbled streets the Albayzín district is well worth a visit. Mosques converted into churches, Arab water cisterns still in use, Moorish palaces and tranquil villas hidden behind lush greenery give a sensation of harmony and suspended reality where the spirit can savour total peace of a few hours.
The city of Cordoba lies on the right-hand bank of the Guadalquivir.
It is the former capital of El Andalus, of the emirate and caliphate
of the same name and has preserved many architectural sights of
its past, especially its Mosque which became a part of the World
Heritage List in 1984. The beautiful Parador of La Arruzafa overlooks
the second most important city in the Guadalquivir Valley.
Where the Mosque stands today, there used to be a basilica consecrated
to San Vicente in Visigothic times. When the Arabs conquered Cordoba
in 711, the building was shared and divided into two equal parts
for Muslims and Christians. This odd arrangement lasted until
784 when Abd al-Rahman I decided to build a new mosque at the
site, a mosque which was finished by his son Hisham I in 790.
The building was progressively enlarged, and it was Almanzor,
Hisham II's favourite, who carried out the last extension by adding
eight aisles to the eastern part of the building and who finished
El Patio de los Naranjos (ie, of the Orange Trees), where four
large ritual fountains were installed. After the reconquest of
Cordoba in 1236, the mosque was consecrated to Christian worship
and remained unchanged until 1384, when the chancel was enlarged
by destroying arches and columns and replacing them with Gothic
architecture. In 1523, part of the prayer hall was remodelled
along Renaissance lines.
The Mosque forms an almost perfect rectangle which measure 180m
from north to south and 130m from east to west. It is surrounded
by a massive enclosure which is reinforced by thick square towers
with many temple door between. The main entrance, which is called
"El Perdon", is 14th century Mudejar and faces north.
This religious building borders on the Guadalquivir in the south,
while the "Sahn" or Patio de los Naranjos lies in the
north, surrounded by a high crenellated wall. The Patio is decorated
with porticoes on three sides and has a tower inside, which has
absorbed the original minaret, as well as fountains.
Modelled on the one in Damascus, the Cordoba Mosque represents
considerable architectural progress compared with its model. The
most admirable feature is the way in which the builders solved
the problem of the arches on which the ceiling rests. They used
two superimposed arches which was an unprecedented novelty in
Arab architecture. Most of the columns take advantage of earlier
Roman, Early Christian and Visigothic constructions. The horse-shoe
arches have wither stone or brick voussoirs and the ceilings were
originally flat with wooden caissons.
Inside the Mosque, the Villaviciosa Chapel is outstanding. For
the first time, it has Caliphal vaults which were of great importance
in later Spanish architecture. The decoration of this hall is
the most sumptuous in Caliphal art, including the closely-knit
tracery of the intersecting round trefoil arches, the many-coloured
wall mosaics and the unique decoration of the cupola. The Mihrab
or decorated niche is found in the centre area of the chapel.
The great Cordoba Mosque, irreplaceable proof of the civilisation
of the Caliphate of Cordoba (929-1031), harbours one of the most
beautiful architectural designs ever carried out, with the 19
aisles of its hall containing a forest of columns, the curious
overlapping arches and the beautiful ribbed cupola.
The centre of Cordoba partly preserves the boundaries and the layout of the Muslim city. The narrow white-washed streets which surround the Mosque lead to the only surviving synagogue, to Gothic churches with Mudéjar towers, houses with Plateresque façades, Renaissance palaces in which courtyards follow in rapid succession. Gothic convents with Baroque treasures, unassuming houses with courtyards covered with flowers, palaces and hospital converted into magnificent museums and unsuspected squares: the Potro and Crist de los Faroles Squares or the Corredera colonnade. The Roman Calahorra bridge and the Alcázar (Palace) of the Christian Kings, enlarged with splendid gardens, are preserved in a highly restores state.
The three monuments in the heart of Seville are complementary
to each other and are witnesses of the most important periods
in this Andalusian city on the banks of the Guadalquivir. All
three of them are directly connected with the discovery of the
new World by Christopher Columbus. The Cathedral holds the tomb
of the Mariner, the Hall of the Admirals in the Alcazar saw the
preparation of many exploratory expeditions, including Magellan's
and El Cano's, and La Lonja houses the most important collection
of documents about the New World: the so-called Archives of the
Indies.
The Cathedral -a nave and four aisles- is the largest Gothic building
in Europe. The original cathedral was destroyed in the course
of the conquest by the Arabs in 712, and on its ruins the Almohads
built a Great Mosque. Especially outstanding is La Giralda, once
a minaret built between 1172 and 1198 by order of Almanzor. In
size and elegance, it rivals the Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakesh
and the Hassan Tower in Rabat.
When Seville was reconquered in 1248, the minaret escaped destruction
and -in the 17C- was crowned with a bronze statue to Faith, El
Giraldillo, which stands at 97.52m. Another legacy of the great
Mosque is the famous Patio de Los Naranjos (ie, orange trees)
to the north of the church. The cathedral has been visited by
the most important Spanish, Flemish and German architects and
sculptors, and after the discovery of the New World it was embellished
with stained glass windows, retables, paintings, etc. Outstanding
is the elliptic space of the chapter designed by Hernan Ruiz,
which is one of the most beautiful architectural creations of
the Renaissance.
The Alcazar is a palace-cum-fortress built by the Almohads to
control the Guadalquivir. Remains of this period include the crenellated
walls and several enclosures inside, such as the Patio de Las
Muñecas (ie, dolls) and the Patio del Yeso (ie, plaster).
As from 1248, it was used as a royal residence. During the reign
of Pedro el Cruel, a palace was built inside the Alcazar - between
1364 and 1366 - , which is a perfect illustration of syncretism
in Mudejar art. In the following centuries, new changes were made,
but its gardens and its character as an Andalusian palace were
always kept intact. Among its enclosures, especially noteworthy
is the Patio de Las Doncellas (ie, maidens) with its stuccos,
coffered ceilings, glazed ceramic tiles and its fountain in the
centre.
Finally, the Auction Hall or Lonja lies between the Cathedral
and the Alcazar. In order to check the commerce with the colonists
in America, Felipe II put Juan de Herrera in charge of planning
the new "Casa de Contratacion" (ie, Chamber of Commerce).
The architect of El Escorial built it along the same severe lines
that are his trademark. However, when it had been finished it
did not become the "Casa de Contraction", but -in 1784-
was turned into a kind of record office called "Archivo General
de las Indias" which since 1970 has housed a unique collection
of documents that have not yet been completely studies.
With La Giralda towering over the, the Cathedral, the Alcazar
and La Lonja are exceptional evidence of the Almohad civilisation
and of the great adventure which was the conquest of America.
DOÑANA NATIONAL PARK
The largest and most famous Spanish National Park lies in the mouth of the old Guadalquivir in the Province of Huelva. The most eye-catching feature of the Doñana surface area of 50,720 ha is the variety of its scenery which is full of contrasts. We can distinguish a humid Doñana which consists of the salt marches and lagoons, and a dry Doñana with a series of environments the last of which are the dunes bordering on the Atlantic.
The most outstanding feature of the salt marshes is their incredible flatness. They are dry in the summer and full of water the rest of the year, but the scenery there is constantly changing. The depressions flooded with water are called caños, the salt marsh lagoons are known as lucios, while the low elevations of the land are paciles and vetas. Thousands of birds come to winter there, especially huge flocks of geese from northern Europe and groups of flamingoes. Come springtime, dozens of species nest in the marshes and turn the swamps into a real beehive buzzing with life.
A complementary part of humid Doñana are the lagoons found all over the Park, some along the coast and others further inland. They are regularly visited by Fallow and Red deer as well as Wild boar apart from countless birds.
In the dry area of Doñana, especially noteworthy is a series of cork oaks which divide the marshes from the brushland of Doñana. They are the famous "Doñana aviaries" which give shelter and nesting space to many bird colonies. Grey herons, egrets, squacco herons, spoonbills and storks participate in a colourful concert.
The Doñana brush country is of the Mediterranean type and consists mainly of Halimium atriplicifolium of the rockrose family. But there are other plants, too, among them Narrow-leaved Phillyrea, Heath, Rosemary, French Lavender and Thyme, with a scattering of Cork Oak everywhere. This is the only place in Europe where the Iberian Lynx and Egyptian Mongoose are found, species which constitute the greatest wildlife treasure of the area. The skies are the realm of the Imperial Eagle, which is not found anywhere else in Europe and which is gravely at risk.in the brushland of Doñana, rabbit is very common and pursued by Lynx, Mongoose and Imperial Eagle. It is also the shelter and feeding ground of Red and Fallow deer, Wild boar, Western polecat, Badger and Weasel.
Scattered around the brush country of Doñana, a number of Stone Pine stands can be observed. The pine forests grow the further south one travels and the brushwood grows taller. In these trees, we find Wood pigeon, Turtle dove, the eye-catching Azure-winged magpie, blackbirds and thrushes. Year after year in the spring Hobby and Short-toes eagle return to nest. And under the trees, Red deer and Wild boar are regular visitors.
Finally, one of the most spectacular features of the Doñana scenery are the dunes, which consist of extremely fine, white silica. The winds blowing from the sea cause them to move inland and constantly change their profile. When they reach a stand of pine trees, they surround it and form the so-called corrales, ie, pine trees encircles by dunes. Little by little, they strangle the trees and finally bury them.
The town of Teruel, which lies on a flat rocky stretch above the
River Turia, was conquered by the Arabs in the 8th century and
reconquered by Alfonso II, El Casto, king of Aragon, in 1171.
>From that moment the town became a bridgehead for the reconquest
of the eastern peninsula. Following their usual politics, the
Christian kings left the Muslims social and religious structure
untouched. The last private mosque disappeared in 1502, and the
Jewish community stayed until their expulsion in 1486.
Within its historic context, the Arab artists and craftsmen practised
their skills in Christian territory by using the aesthetic Hispano-Muslim
traditions, but enriching them with contributions from western
traditions. The result of the combination produced a peculiar
style which has been called Mudejar. The Arab population in the
town of Teruel is responsible for the proliferation of brick buildings
between the 12th and 15th C.
In 1986, the World Heritage List was extended to include the Mudejar
towers of San Pedro, of the cathedral, of San Salvador and San
Martin as well as the coffered ceiling in the nave of the cathedral.
The Teruel towers are a coherent and very characteristic stage
in the evolution of Mudejar architecture. The Christian churches
are a copy of the structure and decoration of Almohad minarets
adapted to their new functions.
The Gothic-Mudejar cathedral with its nave and two aisles has
a polygonal chancel and a rectangular ambulatory. Its magnificent
square brick tower was built in 1257 and is lavishly decorated.
The beautiful coffered ceiling of the nave dates from the 14th
C and rates as an exceptional exponent of Teruel Mudejar art.
Muslim tradition pervades the technical details of the ceiling,
but the figurative elements, figures and monsters painted in vivid
colours on the panels or carved out of wood are based on Gothic
models of the time.
Today the Mudejar towers are the landmark of Teruel which also
has a Parador. The tower of San Pedro Church dates from before
1258, and in an annex to it there are the sepulchres of the "Teruel
lovers", sculpted by Juan de Avalos. The lateral San Salvador
tower, built towards 1277, again shows the functional features
of such buildings. Finally, there is San martin tower, lavishly
decorated with glazed tiles and built at the beginning of the
14th C. It rises above the centre of the nave, in the west of
the church, and has a vaulted passageway pointing from north to
east. The beautiful varied decoration of these towers is a rich
example of decorative forms copied from Islamic art.
In the Aragonese region, the Mudejar technique of brick architecture
continued its development until the 18th C. Saragossa, Daroca,
Calatayud and Tarazona, among, preserve important examples of
this architecture, but it is the town of Teruel with its unique
complex of towers which has the most important collection of Mudejar
architecture in a relatively small area.
With the 9th C, the kingdom of Asturias turns into a kind of advance
guard of Christianity. In this region of northern Spain, cradle
of the reconquest, a clearly defined architecture develops based
on stone and vaulted buildings. Its beginnings date from the times
of Alfonso II (789-842), but its greatest splendour is reached
during the reign of Ramiro I (842-859), his son, whose name is
given to this art and architecture, which include Santa Maria
del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo and Santa Cristina de Lena, all
of them churches on the World Heritage List since 1985.
The Pre-Romanesque architecture of Asturias is the first attempt
at creating a common style in Europe since the fall of the Roman
Empire. This architecture incorporates an exceptional element
for its time: the systematic use of the barrel or wagon vault.
All three churches have the ground plan of a basilica, are completely
vaulted and have columns instead of pillars. Apart from Arab traces,
their decoration is reminiscent of Visigothic elements and their
shapes to a certain extent resemble those of the famous sanctuaries
in Asia Minor.
Santa Maria del Naranco has a very long rectangular plan and lies
on the slopes of Mount Naranco in the vicinity of the city of
Oviedo. It is a former royal residence consisting of two storeys
connected by an exterior staircase. The ground floor has no windows,
and in one of its rooms a tub was found, which may be an indication
that it was a bath. The upper floor has triple stilted arches
which allow the light to reach the main hall. This palace was
turned into a church between 905 and 1065. Its original features
as a civil building were restored in 1930.
San Miguel de Lillo, which also lies on Mount Naranco in the vicinity
of Santa Maria, was designed and used as a church from the beginning.
It has a nave which is wider and higher than the two aisles and
used to be completed by a triple apse, which no longer exists.
The jambs are decorated with reliefs depicting circus games. The
decoration of architectural elements, friezes and capitals is
based on geometrical patterns in Germanic style. The church was
consecrated to San Miguel (St. Michael) who as the warrior angel
protected the "lignum crucis" which was kept there.
Santa Cristina de Lena, which was built a little later than Santa
Maria and San Miguel, lies 37km to the south of Oviedo. It is
more modest and smaller than San Miguel, but incorporates the
architectural innovations of Ramiro's times. It has a porch and
a single vaulted nave. The presbytery, which is reached by some
steps, is separated from the nave by a triple arch and by an iconostasis
lavishly decorated with geometric reliefs hewn out of stone. This
small church is the last stage (850-866) of this period of incomparable,
original architecture of Asturias.
Santa Maria, San Miguel and Santa Cristina with their original
architectural contributions are behind the proliferation of Romanesque
in Spain, although they are a style by themselves, a style which
has lost nothing of its universal value, despite the limited area
- Asturias - where it is found.
Garajonay National Park, on the World Heritage List since 1986,
is the only Spanish area of nature to have received this distinction
so far. It lies in the centre, ie, the highest part, of La Gomera
Island in the Canaries and was created in order to protects its
large bay-tree forests. The Parador "Conde de La Gomera"
is in San Sebastian, capital of the island.
The main purpose of creating this National Park was the protection
of its exceptional vegetation, especially its bay-tree forests.
Hardly any of these forests remain in the world and they are a
veritable relic of the past. The Park has a protected area of
almost 4,000ha, ie, over 10% of the total surface area of the
island, and includes the central plateau and the top ends of several
ravines. Forests dominate the undulating scenery of Garajonay
and cover almost 70% of its surface area. The lush vegetation
survives thanks to the high humidity which comes from the mists
enveloping the park most of the year. The trade winds produce
a sea of clouds which come to rest on the central plateau creating
unique ecological conditions which turn this protected area into
an outstanding water reservoir.
The uniform scenery is only interrupted by rock outcrops called
"pitones or "roques" in various parts of the Park.
These curious geological formations belong to former volcanic
necks through which the thick, now solidified lava flowed. Along
the south-east boundary of the protected area, four of these impressive
volcanic cones lie close together: Ojila, Zacita, La Mula and
Ogando.
Apart from the bay-tree forests, the large extensions of unspoilt
heather deserve special mention. The twisted trunks and branches
of these tree-sized heather plants look phantasmagoric when the
frequent mists envelop the forest. Moss and lichen grow on them
as well as epiphyte fern. The ground on which the heather grows
is carpeted with soft layers of moss and phanerogams in the company
of plenty of ferns.
In Garajonay National Park, 450 different plant species have been
catalogued so far: 34 of them are exclusive to La Gomera, while
8 out of these 34 are only found in the protected area. In comparison
with the vegetable kingdom, vertebrates are much scarcer. Birds
are represented best and among them especially two mountain doves
which are only found in the Canary Islands. One of them, Columba
trocaz bollei, nests in the highest trees, while Columba junoniae,
less common than the first, prefers rocky places for nest building.
As opposed to the scarcity of vertebrated fauna, the invertebrates
are numerous and include rare specimens. A complete study of these
animals as only just begun, but it may be said that around 50%
of the invertebrates in the Park are only found locally. La Gomera
Island, the last land on which Christopher Columbus stood before
he left on his voyage leading to the discovery of America, has
become a veritable sanctuary of the past thanks to Garajonay National
Park which enshrines and protects the best and most spectacular
bay-tree vegetation of the Tertiary.
Near Santillana del Mar, the beautiful Cantabrian town with one
of the most outstanding urban complexes in Spain, where the evolution
of civil Spanish architecture can be followed from the 13th to
the 18th C, there are the Altamira Caves, part of the Heritage
of Mankind since 1985. In Santillana del Mar, there is the Parador
"Gil Blas" which occupies one of the many palatial buildings.
The Altamira Cave was discovered by chance in 1869 by Marcelino
de Santuola. Exploration began in 1875, but it was not until 1879
that the first paintings were discovered. Their surprising quality
and exceptionally well-preserved state caused their specialists
to doubt whether they were genuine. Their discoverer died before
his lucky find had been officially accepted as authentic. Finally,
the truth won and at the beginning of the century the scientific
community submitted to the evidence. The discovery was exceptional
evidence of the Magdalenian culture in southern Europe.
The cave, limestone erosion's in a plateau, consists of a series
of rooms and passages shaped like an "s" with an approximate
length of 270m. It habitation dates from the Aurignacian period,
to which the first figure-like symbols etched in the walls belong,
but it was used more intensely in the Solutrean and Magdalenian
periods, proof of which it the abundant stone material collected
as well as the carbon-14 method used to date the organic remains
found inside.
The main hall, which measures about 18 X 9 metres and lies about
30m from the entrance, was decorated at the beginning of the Magdalenian
period. On its ceiling, splendid, many-coloured paintings were
done. They are unique of their kind and depict bisons, horses,
red deer and boar. The animal figures are large-scale, eg, the
red deer is 2.2 m long and is surprising not only because it is
so lifelike, but also because the artists very painstakingly depicted
its specific and sexual features. Basically, the pictures are
dynamic and the movement of the animals comes to life through
the thoughtful use of the reliefs and uneven surface of the walls,
thus creating a breathtaking effect. Another outstanding aspect
is the variety in the texture of the furs and manes of the different
species painted on the rock surface. It is created with a minimum
of facilities and with the restrictions imposed by the use of
only three shades of colour: ochre, red and black.
In the complex of painting in the cave, bisons in different positions
are most common and carried out most expertly, but there are also
drawings described as "anthropomorphous" depicting humans
with animal heads as well as different signs, such as hands or
comb- and step-like symbols difficult to explain.
Access to the cave is restricted today since the carbon anhydride
breathed out by visitors damages these old paintings. This has
made it necessary to limit the number of visitors to see these
unique masterpieces of human prehistory. Its importance is so
great that it is called the Sistine Chapel of Palaeolithic art.
>From the Parador "Conde de Orgaz", there is a perfect
view of the city of Toledo which is over eighteen centuries old
and stands on top of a granite hill surrounded on three sides
by the gorge of the River Tagus. Successively, this ancient city
was a Roman town, the capital of the Visigothic kingdom, a stronghold
during the emirate of Cordoba and an imperial city in the times
of Carlos V. In 1986, it was included in the World Heritage List.
The traces of Roman civilisation are the remains of the circus,
of the aqueduct and of the sewage system. The walled enclosure
the design of which is attributed to King Wamba (7th C) is breached
at seven points: Alcantara Bridge, rebuilt in 1287 by order of
Alfonso X; Gothic San Martin Bridge flanked by two beautiful towers:
El Sol Gate, an example of 14th C Mudejar military architecture;
the old Bisagra Gate; the new Bisagra Gate, rebuilt in 1550; El
Cambron Gate, also rebuilt in 1576, and Valmardon Gate. This defensive
complex is completed with San Servando Castle.
The civilisation of the emirate of Cordoba has also left behind
important constructions: the old Bisagra Gate, the "hammams"
or Arab baths in El Angel street, Las Tonerias Mosque with a square
ground street plan. After the conquest of this small kingdom ("Taifa")
by Alfonso VI in 1085, important Jewish monuments are built in
the city, among them the outstanding Synagogue of Santa Maria
la Blanca (1180) and El Transito Synagogue (1366), which are both
decorated with very beautiful plaster work. The Mudejar style
develops very strongly in this city where Christians and Muslims
live close together. Two examples are the 13th C Santiago del
Arrabal and the 14th C El Sol Gate. Santo Tome Church with its
Mudejar tower is famous, especially because it houses El Greco's
most famous painting: "The burial of Count Orgaz".
In the centre of the city rises the majestic Gothic cathedral
with a nave and four aisles, a triforium with round trefoil arches
and an ambulatory with many chapels. Beautiful stained-glass windows
filter the light entering the church. There are many works of
art inside and special attention is drawn to the double tier of
choir stalls, the 12th C Gothic image of La Virgen de la Blanca
and above all El Transparente behind the main altar, a work of
art carried out by Narciso Tome in 1732 and considered one of
the masterpieces of Spanish Baroque.
Other important monuments of this Castilian city are the Church
of San Juan de los Reyes (1490-1495), which is typically Isabelline;
La Santa Cruz Hospital (1504-1514), which is a significant example
of early Spanish Reniassance; the City Hall (1674-1614) in the
Herrera style; the rebuilt Alcazar... But Toledo must be visited
on foot, crossing Zocodover Square and losing oneself in the numerous
medieval streets and alleys to breathe in the spirit of this unique
city. It is a singular expression of art with an unending series
of architectural achievements of great value ranging from Visigothic
churches to Baroque complexes of the 18th C.
The Parador of Segovia stands on an elevation and overlooks the
town, the old part of which together with its aqueduct became
part of the Heritage of Mankind in 1985. The city has military
origins since it occupied a strategic position which was defended
by the Iberians in charge of controlling the access to the Duero
Valley.
The aqueduct, a thousands-of-years old Roman construction, was
built to channel water from the River Frio to Segovia, about 18km
away. For this reason, the Roman engineers built a channel with
an average gradient of 1%. The only obstacle of nature in their
way was the crossing of the River Clamores. In order to bridge
the gap and reach the rocky outcrop where the city stands, they
had to carry out massive brick work in four sections with an overall
length of 813m.
The aqueduct in Segovia consists of two rows of superimposed arcades
resting on 128 pillars and reaches a maximum height of 28.5m.
It was constructed with granite ashlars without mortar and is
a masterpiece of Roman engineering. At the top runs the channel
which still carries water and originally measured 30 X 30 cm.
This huge construction has not been dated, although its building
techniques allow a comparison with the "Aqua Claudia"
in Rome, which was built between 38 and 52 AD. recent excavations
at the base of the pillars seem to confirm that the aqueduct of
Segovia was built around the year 50 AD.
At the behest of the Catholic Monarchs, it was restored at the
end of the 15th C and has been maintained and in use ever since.
In 1929-1930, it suffered most when the stone channel, which had
replaces the original wooden one, was in turn substituted by a
cement channel.
In the walled enclosure, Segovia still has many other buildings
which are almost completely preserved. As part of the curtain
wall, the Alcazar, ie, fortress, stands on a high rock dominating
the confluence of the Rivers Eresma and Clamores. Since the 11th
C, the site has been occupied by a fortress which was enlarged
by Alfonso X and later enriched by successive Spanish kings.
Noteworthy are the Romanesque churches in the city with their
typical porticoed atria attached to one or two of their sides,
dating from the 12th and 13th C. These atria used to be the meeting
point of guilds and brotherhoods. San Juan de los Caballeros,
San Sebastian, San Nicolas, San Esteban and San Martin, to mention
but a few, are some of these Romanesque Segovia churches. The
cathedral in Late Gothic was begun in 1525 and consecrated in
1768. The great height of the nave and two aisles and the curious
designs formed by the ribs are outstanding.
Among the civil buildings, there are over twenty outstanding Romanesque
ones in Las Canongias area near the Alcazar, as well as a series
of palaces of the 14th and 15th C, such as that of the Lozoya
and the one of the Davila family, and the curious 16th C house
of the Picos family with its facade of granite ashlars hewn in
a diamond pattern.
On the banks of the Eresma with the Guadarrama Sierra towering
over it, the well-preserved curtain walls of the historical city
of Segovia encircle an extraordinary collection of civil and religious
buildings and constructions among which the splendid Roman aqueduct
stands out because of its beauty and uniqueness which have made
it into landmark of the city.
The city of Avila de los Caballeros (ie, of the Knights) dates
from Celtic Iberian times and lies on a rocky outcrop which towers
over the Adaja river valley in the north-east. It was King Alfonso
VI who put Raimundo de Borgoña (after whom the Parador
in Avila is named today) in charge of repopulating the city in
order to consolidate the kingdom of Castile. Since then, it has
become one of the great Castilian cities.
Avila preserves the oldest, most complete walled enclosure of
the Spanish Middle Ages. The construction of the curtain walls
began in 1090, but most of the work was carried out in the course
of the 12th C. They form a regular square with a perimeter of
2,516m and an average width of 3m. They are reinforced by 82 large
towers which have a semi-circular plan and are on average 12m
high. The most powerful of the towers is called Cimorro, lies
in the eastern section and is in fact the sturdy apse of the cathedral.
There are nine gates which were built in different periods and
which give access to the walled enclosure. The oldest are San
Vicente and El Alcazar, which are flanked by two 20m towers and
linked by a semicircular arch.
The cathedral is the oldest in Spain and is of the transition
from Romanesque to Gothic. Its construction was begun in the second
half of the 12th C, and it was practically finished in the 14th
C. It has the plan of a basilica, a nave and two aisles, separated
from each other by unadorned supports with plain capitals. Inside,
the Plateresque altars and sepulchres are especially noteworthy.
The curious aspect of the cathedral is due to the fact that it
is part of the walls and of the defensive system of the city.
In the old part, the most eye-catching features are the soberly
elegant Renaissance palaces, such as the ones of the Velada, Aguilar
y Torre Arias, Verdugo and Bracamonte families, or the mansions,
among them the ones of Oñate, of the Deanes family and
of the Marquis of Las Navas. In the company of these civil buildings,
there are numerous convents inside the city, many of them, such
as La Encarnacion or San Jose, connected with St Teresa, the great
Spanish mystic and writer, who was born and spent many years in
Avila, the old city of Castile, where she left and indelible mark.
The monumental aspect of this old Castilian city is not limited
to its curtain walls or to the old district encircled by them.
It extends to the Romanesque churches outside the walls which
are witness to a historical situation peculiar to Castile. Among
them, special mention must be made of the 12th C Church of San
Vicente, which has a magnificent group of sculptures of the time;
of the beautiful, hidden San Pedro Church, which is exceptional
because of its balanced proportions and the general impression
it leaves of a classical medieval picture of splendid, sober purity;
and the small Churches of San Andres and San Segundo, the latter
with the saint's sepulchre, made by Juan de Juni in the 16th C.
The city of Avila de los Caballeros with its surprisingly well-preserved,
magnificent curtain wall, with its cathedral as part of the defensive
structure of the city and with its lovely Romanesque churches
outside well deserved to become part of the Heritage of Mankind
in 1985.
The old Castilian city of Burgos on the slope of a hill was the
point where several medieval roads converged, roads frequented
by thousands of pilgrims on their way to Santiago. The most remarkable
monument of this medieval city is the cathedral which rises majestically
from the centre of the city near the banks of the River Arlanzon.
It became part of the World Heritage List in 1984.
Its construction began in 1221, almost at the same time as the
great French Gothic cathedrals. The works continued in the following
years, mainly in the 14th and 15th C. Between the 15th and 19th
C, new modifications took place, but of minor importance.
Burgos Cathedral stands out mainly because of its design. The
two rows of six tall pillars in the nave, which is over 84m long,
surround two plain, lower aisles.
The transept or crossing is eye-catching because of its length,
if one bears in mind that it has no lateral gallery on the side
of the apse or on the side of the nave. The unusual aspect of
the design is the choir, which occupies a place in front of the
transept crossing. This apse has a great depth and consists of
three small elongated vaults, flanked by tow plain, lower aisles,
the same as the nave.
Outside, the main façade stands out. It is flanked by two
large towers decorated with big windows, enhanced with numerous
sculptures and topped by curious tracery steeples, which were
built by Juan de Colonia (John of Cologne) in the middle of the
15th C. The north façade called La Coroneria and the entrance
known as El Sarmental are both 13th C Gothic. Of a later period
is the entrance called La Pellejeria, which is of the 16th C.
Inside, the Chapel of El Condestable outshines everything else.
It is one of the most representative examples of Late Castilian
Gothic, projecting beyond the ground plan of the cathedral as
if it were a monument in its own right. Its spectacular lantern
is one of the external features by which the cathedral complex
becomes unique. Inside, it is square at the lower end and octagonal
at the top. It is covered by a cupola in the shape of a star with
eight points. Felipe Biguerny and Diego de Siloe contributed to
the main reredos. In the centre of the chapel stands the double
sepulchre of the Condestables de Castilla (hist.: Governors of
Castile) Pedro Hernandez de Velasco and his wife Mencia Mendoza.
Its author is unknown.
The sober cathedral of Burgos houses many other works of art.
In the crossing, the lantern on Gothic lines is decorated with
abundant Renaissance ornamentation and has a star-shaped vault
with harmonious traceries. In the choir, the stalls are the work
of Felipe Biguerny and date from the beginning of the 16th C.
In its centre, there is a 13th C golden, enamelled, sepulchral
copper statue of Bishop Don Mauricio. In the north transept of
the crossing, there is the "Golden staircase", a work
by Diego de Siloe carried out in the first half of the 16th C.
Burgos Cathedral contains everything Gothic in its splendid architecture,
such as towers, steeples, lanterns, buttresses and flying buttresses,
which reach towards the uncompromising Castilian sky, while inside,
among other features, it shelters choir stalls, stained glass
windows, reredoses and tombs, all of which represent a unique
collection of masterpieces.
THE OLD CITY OF SALAMANCA
Salamanca is one of the few cities that conserved its Cathedral when the construction of a new Cathedral was undertaken: thus the old Romanesque Cathedral ("Catedral Vieja"), imbedded within the new Gothic Cathedral ("Catedral Nueva"), has striking impact on those who contemplate it.
The Old Cathedral, begun in the 12th century, still has its Torre del Gallo pointing skywards - it is one of the rare Romanesque- Byzantine domes (the one in Zamora was mentioned earlier) in Spain; from the smaller patio one has the best view of the peculiar double-arched lantern under an ovoli dome, with an outer decoration of scales. The main altarpiece, by Nicolás Florentino - who is also the author of the Final Judgement fresco-, the Romanesque Virgen de la Vega, Patroness of Salamanca, and several chapels all enrich the interior. Through the cloister, with its beautiful Romanesque capitals, one can enter the diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano).
The New Cathedral was begun in 1513 and was worked on by Gil de Hontañón, Juan de Ribero and the Churriguera brothers. The western façade shows laces stone with three semicircular arches profusely decorated with Churrigueresque archivolts; the precious relieves on the main façade -the Nativity and Epiphany- are by a disciple of Gregorio Fernández (Juan façade) and are completed by a Calvary and the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. On the northern façade there is another relief by Rodríguez: the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem.
Inside one can see the following: an Assumption by Gregorio Fernández (17th century) in the main chapel; eight scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, sculpted by Joaquín Churriguera on the tambour of the lantern; the choir and retrochoir, by both the Churriguera brothers; the statues of St. Anne and At. John the Baptist in the retrochoir, by Juan de Juni; two organs and the 18th century choir stalls enhance the magnificence of the architecture.
The University: One of the elements that best defines the rich personality of Salamanca is its University. In the 11th and 12th centuries it already had "Colleges", but it was in the 13th century when it was founded by Alfonso IX and granted the category of General Studies, along with Bologna, Paris and Oxford, by Pope Alexander IV. It was in the 16th century, however, when it reached its maximum splendour, both for its illustrious teachers -Francisco de Vitoria, Antonio de Nebrija, Fray Luis de León- and its students - San Juan de la Cruz, Calderón de la Barca, Luis de Góngora, Francisco Suárez-.
The decadence that ensued was ended by the presence of Unamuno, whose influence has been felt on the whole off 20th century culture, and to whom the city has dedicated a museum. Following the street of Libreros one reaches the Patio de Escuelas, made up of Plateresque buildings and overlooked by a statue of Fray Luis de León (his classroom is conserved the way it was when he taught there); looking at the statue it seems that he is convinced that the University's Plateresque façade is unsurpassable. The 16th century sculptor who worked on the golden sandstone from Villamayor in the genuinely Spanish Plateresque style is unknown; Renaissance elements give structure to Elizabethan forms, which in turn mix Flamboyant Gothic and Mudéjar elements. If one wishes to take the time, in the Medallion of the Catholic Kings, amidst figures and coats of arms, can be seen the famous frog that is said to give students a passing mark in exams. The University has a valuable library and other rooms with artistic objects.
The façade that best represents the Plateresque style of Salamanca is that of the Convent of San Esteban, where one can appreciate a relief by Ceroni from 1610. It was built by Juan de Álava and its main altarpiece, by José de Churriguera, with a canvas by Claudio Coello, is also exceptional/ The prior of this convent took in Columbus, while a commission at the University studied his project. The cloister of the Convent of las Dueñas, the Escuelas Menores, the battlements of the Renaissance Palace of Monterrey, the Palace of Fonseca and many other buildings are illustrative of the Plateresque style in Salamanca.
The most beautiful Main Square ("Plaza Mayor") in Spain. The Plaza Mayor, begun by the Churrigueras in 1729, because of its Royal Pavilion is considered the most beautiful Main Square in Spain. It is of course a prodigious baroque work, in which both the decoration made up of medallions- especially the northern side of the Town Hall ("Ayuntamiento")- and the golden colour of Villamayor contribute to enhance the harmonious effect of the whole setting. But the best thing about the Plaza Mayor is its animation: it is the town's "sitting room", in the word of Carmen Martín Gaite, who made an excellent depiction of the custom that young men and women had of going around it in opposite directions… until finding their date. That is long forgotten, but it is still a gathering point, a place to chat, to make deals or swaps, a place for "finding a boyfriend or girlfriend going your way", for shopping or simply for watching the shoe of life on its pleasant terraces.
Antonio Gaudi y Cornet (1852-1926), the Catalan genius of architecture,
was the most significant figure in Catalonia of the art movement
known as Modernism. His original work can be found in various
parts of Spain, as, eg, the House of the Botines family in Leon
or El Capricho in Comillas or the Episcopal Palace in Astorga,
but most of his work is concentrated in the city of Barcelona.
Of all the works Gaudi left to the Catalan capital, the Güell
Park and Palace and Mila House reached the World Heritage List
in 1984. The unfinished Church of La Sagrada Familia, which is
perhaps his most significant creation, was not included in the
World Heritage List.
Güell Park was conceived as a residential area with 60 plots
on which individual houses were to be built with a splendid view
of Barcelona and the sea in the background. Gaudi conceived the
plan of the paths and walls of the park as well as of the service
installations for this isolated residential complex. He developed
a project with five main elements: an avenue, a boulevard, a large
square, tow roads for vehicles and several footpaths. Work started
in 1900 and finished after Gaudi's death. What remains outstanding
in the park is the perfect, original and mutually complementary
combination the artist achieved with architecture and sculpture,
nature and space, colour and light.
Güell Palace, which took four years to build, was finished
in 1890. It was commissioned by the Catalan philanthropist Eusebio
Güell, Gaudi's main patron. In it, he uses parabolic arches
with a constructive and ornamental function, mushroom-shaped and
hyperbolic capitals, chimneys with abstract decoration... The
building was bought by the Barcelona Council in 1944 and houses
the Theatre Museum today.
Mila House, popularly called "La Pedrera" is the fourth
and last of Gaudi's buildings in the Paseo de Gracia of Barcelona.
It was finished in 1910 and contains flats and offices. As someone
remarked very appropriately it looks like a mass of undulating
stone where architecture turns into sculpture and where the original
roof and chimneys, abstract and anachronistic, are especially
eye-catching. Mila House was the last great civil building of
Gaudi's who from that moment onwards and until his fatal accident
concentrated his whole being on the construction of the Church
of La Sagrada Familia.
The famous builder was not only a great architect but also a magnificent
sculptor with a legacy of most daring, masterly forms of this
art. Gaudi is essentially the heir of the medieval craftsmen who
took their decisions at the last moment, in their workshops and
while they were actually at work. He was one of the last craftsmen
in history, proof of which are the original pieces of furniture
which he designed for his buildings, the mosaics with which he
decorated terraces and gardens and especially his extraordinary
wrought-iron objects, which were one of the great specialities
of the Catalan artist, such as the grilles of Güell Palace
of Mila House.
His work has reached the World Heritage List not only because
of his original craftsmanship, but because he signals he end of
19th century eclectic architecture and leads the way to contemporary
creations, unrestrained by the past.
POBLET MONASTERY
The monastery was founded in 1149 by Ramón Berenguer IV. Count of Barcelona, as a gesture of thanksgiving after recovering the Prades and Ciurana mountain ranges from the Moors. Poblet was, much like the nearby Monastery of Santes Creus a favourite retreat for Aragón's royalty. Although its political importance declined in the 16C. Poblet continued to thrive and remained a monastic community for almost 700 years. It was abandoned and sacked during the War of Independence and declined further following the expropriation of church property in 1835. After almost a hundred years of solitary desolation, restoration was begun in 1940.
An avenue beyond the first wall leads to the 15C Puerta Dorada (Golden Gate). From here you enter the monastery though the Puerta Real (Royal Gate), and example of 14C military architecture. Sobriety, purity of line and the large dimensions (40m x 35m) typical of Cistercian construction, characterize the magnificent cloister. The slow progression towards the Gothic style can be perceived in the sculpted stone work and the floral decorations of the capitals. The kitchen and the refectory date from the 12C while the library was completed in the 13c. The chapter hall is noted for its delicate columns and stylized capitals. The spacious Cistercian church, with its barrel-vaulted naves, was built by Alfonso II in the 12C.
The Panteón Real (Royal Pantheon), built by Peter IV in 1350 for the Crown of Aragón (the Aragonese monarchs were buried here from 1196 to 1497), is the most beautiful and ornamental element in the church. In 1835 the two enormous Gothic sarcophagi were restored by the sculptor Frederic Marés. The 16C Renaissance high altarpiece is a monumental work by the artist Damià Forment. Also noteworthy is the monastery's main dormitory, measuring an impressive 87m x 10m.
Caceres, a city of Estremadura, lies on a hill and is characterised
by its constant evolution in history from Roman times until the
present day. Two periods in it development have left their mark
on today's city: the Arab stronghold before it fell to the Christians
in 1229, and the feudal city between the 14th and 16th C, when
it was swamped with palaces and towers of aristocratic families.
This urban complex full of its own personality became part of
World Heritage in 1986.
There are few remains of the "Colonia Norbensis Caesarina",
founded in the year 29 BC, only a few sections of the Roman wall.
It was in the course of the wars in the 12th C when the Almohads,
who lost and recovered the city on various occasions, remodelled
the Roman wall and changed it completely. Baptising it "Qasri",
they turned it into a stronghold and added a series of towers
to the defensive system. Five rectangular towers still stand on
the western side of the curtain walls, among them the famous Bujaco
tower. In the south, there are two polygonal towers: Redonda and
Desmochada; and in the east, the Tower of Los Pozos rises 30m
above the ring road and is partly integrated in the battlements.
Inside the city, Muslim monuments are few. The most important
one is a water storage facility or "aljibe" divided
into five parts with Arab horseshoe arches. It was added to Las
Veletas house in the 16th C. Despite the fact that most of the
buildings of Arab times have disappeared, the layout of the streets
and twisting alleys leading into small squares is the most important
legacy of the Almohad period.
With the 14th C, Caceresis invaded by noblemen, and in only a
few dozen years there are fortress-like houses and towers everywhere
in the city, which becomes feudal in nature and is at the mercy
of fighting rival factions. Of this period are the Palace of La
Generala, Las Cigueñas House and Tower, the house of the
Ovando-Oerero family, Espadero-Pizarro House or the House of El
Mono..
The Catholic Monarchs ordered many of these buildings to be destroyed,
bestowing the privilege of not being demolished on only a few,
such as the Palace of Los Golfines de Arriba or Las Cigueñas
Palace. During the 15th and 16th C, the palaces were replaced
by magnificent stone houses which differed from the palaces only
in size and fewer defensive means. This is the case of Aldana
House, El Sol, Ulloa and Carvajal House... In their company, churches
and convents were built, such as the Gothic Church of Santa Maria,
which has cathedral status, the one of Santiago, which has an
important reredos by Berruguete, the one of San Mateo, which was
built in the 14th C on the site of a mosque, the Gothic Convent
of San Francisco.
In the course of the centuries, the old city of Caceres has preserved
surprisingly well the distribution of space of an Arab city transformed
into a feudal one with the addition of towers, palaces and fortified
houses of rival families. Arab and Gothic influence, Italian Renaissance,
art from America.., all of them can be found in this unique city
of Extremadura.
ROYAL MONASTERY OF SANTA MARÍA DE GUADALUPE
The origin of the monastery date back to the 13C when the cowhand Gil Cordero found a Romanesque statue of the Virgin. The Virgin was named after the nearby Guadalupe river, and a little hermitage was built on the site of Cordero's discovery. After Alfonso XI's victory in the battle of Salado in 1340, things began to move fast. The monarch ordered a monastery built in thanksgiving for his triumph and entrusted his endowment to the Hironymite Order. With its royal patronage, Guadalupe's influence grew quickly, and with the discovery of America, the Virgin and the Monastery grew even more important: Columbus named one of the first Indians he discovered Guadalupe and he insisted that the first Indians to be converted to Christianity be baptized at the monastery. The Virgin was soon established as an inspirational figure for the entire Hispanic world.
The monastery was abandoned inn 1835 when church lands were disentailed. In 1908 the Franciscan Order restored it and became its new occupant. What you have today, apart from the shrine itself, is a museum of priceless historical and artistic treasures. The Franciscan monks, acting as informative guides, take visitors around.
The church is a notable Gothic structure, built in the late 14C and early 15C on the site of a previous Mudéjar church, vestiges of which remain in the apse. In the 18C, Baroque features were added. A magnificent grille, by Friar Francisco de Salamanca and Juan de Avila from the 16C, encloses the chancel. The 17C classicist altarpiece was sculpted by Giraldo de Merlo with the assistance of Jorge Manuel Teotocópuli, a son of El Greco. The paintings are attributed to Carducci and Eugenio Cajés. The revered 12 C Virgin of Guadalupe, richly carved in dark holm oak, stands in the central niche. Between the church and the square stands the 15C Chapel of Santa Ana, containing the tombs of the Velasco family, which were sculpted in 1467 by the Spanish-Flemish artist Anequín Egas. There is a bronze baptismal font, cast by Juan Francés in 1402 beneath the front tower. The façade of the Sanctuary is a prime example of Spanish Gothic-Mudéjar. The golden colour of the delicately-worked tracery contrasts with the rough features of the tower and walls. The embossed bronze door are from the 15C.
On the northern side of the church you will find a Mudéjar cloister from the late 14C and early 15C. The curious pavilion in the centre, built by Friar Juan de Sevilla inn 1405, and the alabaster tomb in one corner of the galley, sculpted by Egas Cueman around 1460 in memory of Friar Gonzalo de Illescas, are both exceptional pieces.
The cloister beyond was built in the early 16C in an elegant flamboyant Gothic style. The other adjacent buildings today provide hotel accommodation run by the Franciscans.
The 17C sacristy, classical in style with Baroque decoration, houses one of the world's finest collections of religious paintings by Zurbarán, and there are also other important works of art. The paintings of Luca Giordano, in their lush setting of jasper, marble, gilded stucco and precious woods, adorn the Niche of the Virgin. The niche, from the 18\c, is the ante-chamber to the Virgin's throne through which the pilgrims entered to pray in front of the image. One of the treasures in the Capilla de las Reliquias (Chapel of Relics) is the 15C enameled ark.
ARCHAEOLOGGICAL ENSEMBLE OF MÉRIDA
The best Roman remains in all Spain stand outside the city by a small hill in a complex known as the Parque Arqueológico. One imagines that the collection of buildings here represented a sort of Disneyland two millennia ago. This is where the Romans went to relax and be entertained.
The theatre, for example, which was donated to the city by the Emperor Agrippa in 24 BC, was a perfect place to see plays. The stage is beautifully decorated with marble and the acoustics are quite superb. Every one of the 6,000 spectators who fit into the semicircular theatre could hear everything that was going on and they still can, for productions continue to be staged there. Modern-day actors hardly have to alter the pitch of their delivery when they perform in this classical setting.
The amphitheatre nearby, built in 8 BC and with a capacity of 14,000, was the setting for prize fights between gladiators and wild animals. An intricate system of water channels could flood the amphiteatre if required so that naval battles could be staged. Just behind this building are the remains of Roman house where excellent mural paintings and mosaic pavements have been preserved. There were obviously several other such buildings around the theatres and stadiums, that served as taverns and guest houses for visitors to the games, for Mérida was certainly a top rate leisure and tourism resort.
The main landmark of the whole complex must have been the Trajan Triumphal Arch which was clearly huge. What remains is a 15m-high minor part of it. The most popular of its facilities was undoubtedly the circus which held as many as 30,000 chariot racing fans.
The Museo Nacional de Arte Romano is set in a very successfully designed modern building at the exit to the complex. The exhibits, as one might expect, are very impressive.
THE ROUTE OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Around the 10C the differences between Christian Spain and al-Andalus could not have been greater. The small kingdoms of the north would not even dream of a comparison that would have been anything but unflattering: Córdoba was the capital of a caliphate which to the rest of the Muslim would appeared to be one of their most outstanding regions. The commercial activity in the whole of the mediterranean had spread the word that the western part of Islam belonging to the Spanish Muslims was definitively consolidated. Only a few frontier skirmishes revealed the presence of an enemy who for the time being was not a threat serious enough to be taken into account.
But something began to take shape where it might have been least expected. The news of the discovery of St. James's tomb spread rapidly though the Cantabrian lands and across the Pyrenees. It strengthened the belief that it was essential to venture to far-off Galicia in order to protect its territories and make the passage to Compostela safe. The whole western world shared inn the responsibility for the cult of the spostle's remains and accepted the urgent need to keep the far-too-close infidels at bay. From then onwards, the advance towards the south of the Penninsula became a fact which could be clearly discerned though it would require a few hundred years to accomplish.
The pilgrimage was further accompanied by a new cultural atmosphere which was of the utmost importance in shaping the fascinating character of the Christian kingdoms. The pilgrim's Way to Santiago saw the development of Romanesque art, Provençe poetry the legends which told of the glorious deeds of warriors steeped to the Christian Middle Ages. IN the course of time, the decline of medieval culture would put an end to the custom of the pilgrimages which coincided with the period of the renaissance in which the previous society was arrogantly subjected to severe criticism. The Pilgrims' Way, the progressive conquest of the Peninsula and the development of medieval Christian civilization are inseparable from each other and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between cause and effect.
Although it is a fact that the French road makes up the Way to Santiago par excellence, there were other itineraries worthy of consideration since the beginning of the pilgrimages. The route along the coast, which in the Iberian Peninsula began at (Fuenterravía) went more or less along what is now Road 634, crossing the Basque Country, Cantabria , and Asturias, offered the unquestionable advantage of keeping at a distance from the Saracens who occupied the southern flank of the Cantabria Mountains. The subsequent southward shifting of the frontier with the Muslims allowed the opening of a route through the meseta(the central plateau of Spain). Determined royal protection and promotion by the monastic orders of Cluny and St. Augustine consolidated the inland route, which channeled the majority of pilgrims after the 12th century. However, a considerable amount of pilgrims continued taking the shorter road along the coast, while the number of pilgrims going by sea in boats also increased. In fact, the three routes were always closely linked between each other, as many pilgrims went forth taking more than one road in as many combinations as may be imagined.
People from the North occasionally disembarked at Basque harbours or those of the Four Towns on the Coast (Cuatro Villas de la Costa, former name of Cantabria), especially in Santander, from where they proceeded on foot along the coastal route or walked along the French route, through Los Tornos, Besaya, and Liébana, in stages featuring a good number of Romanesque churches. The varied affluence of pilgrims from all over Europe continued along the coastal route and in the inland route well into the 16th century, when the number of pilgrims dropped significantly as a result of religious wars and the extension of Protestantism. Notwithstanding, until the 19th century pilgrims continued crossing the irregular territories of the Basque Country, Cantabria, and Asturias in generous numbers, and a complex set of pilgrim-assistance services were kept operational, among which there were a great number of hospitals alongside the roads and plentiful churches dedicated to the apostle.
The origins of Santiago de Compostela, which lies between the
Galician Rivers Tambre and Ulla, are estimated to date from the
second decade of the 9th C, when, as legend has it, Bishop Theodomir
informed Alfonso II, King of Asturias, of the miraculous find
of a sepulchre with the remains of Santiago, ie, St James the
Apostle. The church built by Alfonso II was transformed into a
basilica by Alfonso III. From then, St James Galician tomb became
the symbol of resistance for the Spanish Christians fighting the
Arabs, to the point that the victory of Christian troops at Clavijo
in 844 was attributed to the miraculous intervention of the Saint.
After it had been destroyed and laid waste by Almanzor in 997,
the city was rebuilt again in the 11th C.
The cathedral has an admirable Romanesque structure, in which
the ground plan in the form of a Latin cross stands out as well
as the apse with the ambulatory and the radiating chapels. The
glorious finishing touch of the construction in 1188 was the famous
"Portico de la Gloria" of the main façade. It
is a work of Master Mateo and considered the best exponent of
Spanish Romanesque sculpture. The cathedral was consecrated in
1211, but the process of embellishing this great church continued
in the following centuries with the Gothic chapels of the apse
and the transept, the 15th C cupola, the 16th C cloister and the
Baroque frontispiece of El Obradoiro in front of "El Portico
de la Gloria" and completed between 1738 and 1750.
The four arms of the cathedral face two squares. The façade
of El Obradoiro faces onto the Plaza de España, one of
the most beautiful European urban pictures. Side by side, there
are the Romanesque forms of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria
and the 12th C Diego Gelmirez Episcopal Palace, one of the few
examples of civil Romanesque surviving in Spain, and the Renaissance
building of the Royal Hospital, today the "Hostal de los
Reyes Catolicos", together with the Neo-Classical Rajoy Palace.
On the opposite side lies Quintana Square with San Pelayo Monastery.
The Romanesque entrance of Las Platerias faces onto the square
of the same name, in the centre of which stands the Baroque fountain
of Los Caballos (ie, the Horses). The entrance called La Azabacheria,
finally, faces onto La Inmaculada Square with the Monastery of
San Martin.
Elements of civil and religious architecture of the Middle Ages
and of the Renaissance can also be found in the urban layout,
which is of great architectural value, especially the buildings
of the 17th and 18th C. Special mention should be made of the
15th C Collegiate Church of Santa Maria de Sar with its Romanesque
cloister and leaning walls, the Gothic Church of Santo Domingo,
the Colegio Mayor or Student's Hostel of Fonseca with its Plateresque
frontispiece and patio, the Baroque houses of El Dean and El Cabildo,
the Neo-Classical university..
The city of Santiago de Compostela, World Heritage since 1985,
is a prodigious monumental complex around the sepulchre of St
James the Apostle, the final destination of all the routes of
the most important Christian pilgrimage between the 11th and 18th
C. Apart from its irreplaceable Romanesque and Baroque masterpieces,
the city is an example of uninterrupted Christian pilgrimages,
which makes Santiago de Compostela a material and spiritual site
which is unique in the world and only comparable to Jerusalem
or the Vatican.
After his victory at the battle of St. Quentin over the French
armies on August 10th, 1557, St Lawrence's Day, King Felipe II,
on whose possessions the sun never set, wished to build a monastery
as a thanksgiving offering for the triumph.
The Spanish King who supervised the progress of the construction
personally put Juan Bautista de Toledo in charge of the project
and scale models of the monastery, naming him royal architect
in 1561. Work began in April 1563. Toledo died in 1567, and two
years later Juan de Herrera continued at the head of the project.
The ceremony of placing the last stone took place on September
13th, 1584. After that, other complementary works were carried
out, such as finishing the Royal Pantheon.
The Monastery lies on the southern side of the Guadarrama Sierra.
its ground plan is an enormous rectangle (207 x 162m) with a projection,
also rectangular, in the centre of its east façade, which
makes it look like a gridiron, the instrument on which St. Lawrence
was martyred. The main feature of the monastery is its perfect
symmetry. Is design and ground plan were used as a model for many
later Spanish and European monasteries.
The austere appearance and simple lines of this important building
come as a surprise. Four solid towers mark the four corners of
the monastery, a typical feature of Spanish civil and military
constructions. From the centre rise the towers of the basilica
with its great cupola, the whole complex being shaped like a pyramid.
The pointed slate roofs which characterise the building were the
first of their kind built in Spain and are the consequence of
an express wish of the Spanish monarch who had seen them on his
visit to Flanders.
The church and the splendid Patio de los Reyes in front of the
basilica occupy the east-west axis of the building. The church
has a square plan and a cupola which is 92m high. Many works of
art are kept inside, such as the cenotaphs of Carlos V and Felipe
II on either side of the presbytery. In a crypt below the chancel,
there is the Baroque Royal Pantheon where the mortal remains of
Spanish kings and queens have been laid to rest. The Pantheon
of the Infantes was built later, in the second half of the 19th
C. The large sacristy contains valuable paintings.
Among the rooms and halls of the monastery, the Library is especially
noteworthy. It was founded by King Felipe II himself. Its shelves
were designed by Herrera and its roofs painted by Tibaldi. It
has over 40,000 volumes and more then 4,700 manuscripts, some
of them unique in the world. The palace of the Austrians , characteristically
sober, includes the throne hall and the rooms of Felipe II and
those of Isabel Clara Eugenia. Through the Battle Hall, covered
with frescos of battle scenes, the Palace of the Bourbons is reached.
Its sumptuous furniture and decoration contrasts with that of
the Austrians. In the gallery of paintings in the Monastery, there
is an outstanding collection of paintings by Titian, Felipe II's
favourite painter. These paintings together with others by Ribera,
Velazquez, Tintoreto, Durer, Lucas Jordan, to mention but a few,
turn this museum into one of the most important in Spain.
The Monastery of El Escorial, which was the model of what came
to be called the "Herrera style" of great influence
inside and outside Spain, is a palace and at the same time a convent,
a church and a pantheon, which is what King Felipe II wanted.
On the one side, the complex illustrates the monarch's unshakeable
faith, and on the other, architect Herrera's austere aesthetic
principles. His work has defied the barriers of time and justly
deserved to be included in the List in 1984.
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