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| Baelo Claudio, Romans Ruins |
Although Andalusia's architectural heritage is
primarily Muslim, there are influences from a range of different
architectural schools, dating back to such significant Roman
structures as the magnificent amphitheatre at Italica. There
are important Roman ruins at Baelo Claudia, Ronda la
Vieja,
as well as the
necropolis
at Carmona.
It was the Romans who introduced the inner patio
to the region, which was later adopted by the Muslims and remains
one of the most charming architectural features of contemporary
Andalusian building design. The Visigoths left little lasting
imprint,
as most of their churches have been built over. However since
ancient times the impact of such diverse civilisations and cultures
has had
a
definitive impact on both the buildings and urban design of Andalucia.
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| La Alhambra |
Muslim Architecture
Although relatively few major Muslim buildings survived the
Christian era intact, those that did include some of the world's
finest examples of Moorish architecture, including the Alhambra in
Granada, the Mezquita in Cordoba and the Giralda minaret in Seville.
Muslim architecture in Andalucia falls into two
broad periods. First was the caliphate style emanating from Cordoba
and brought by the Arabs from the Middle East (the Mezquita in
Cordoba is an example of this style), the second period was that
of the Maghreb style, developed by Muslims in Morocco and brought
to Spain in the 12th century. The Giralda is considered the finest
of all Maghreb minarets.
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| Casa de Pilatos |
Mudejar
This is a distinctive architectural style which is a derivative
of Muslim architecture developed respectively by Christians in Muslim
areas and Muslims in Christian areas.
Distinguishing features of Mudejar buildings include
extravagantly decorated timber ceilings and use of brick for
many churches and mansions.
Romanesque
The first major architectural style of Christian
Andalusia and there are few buildings remaining which exhibit
this distinctive style;
one of the few is the Iglesia de la Santa Cruz in Baeza with
its distinctive round arches and semicircular apse.
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| Sevilla Cathedral |
Gothic
Gothic architecture was introduced in
Spain from France in the 12th century and was carried to north and
west Andalucia
with the Reconquista in the 13th century.
This was the period of
some of the province's most magnificent cathedrals and churches,
including the cathedral in Seville. There are dozens of Gothic or
part Gothic churches in Andalusia, as well as many town mansions
and castles built in this elaborate style.
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| Palacio de Carlos V |
Renaissance
The Renaissance in architecture can
be described as an Italian originated return to disciplined ancient
Greek and
Roman ideals of harmony and proportion with columns and classical
shapes like the square, circle and triangle predominating.
One of
the most distinct features of many Renaissance buildings is an
elegant interior courtyards surrounded by two tiers of wide, rounded
arcades.
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| Palacio de San Telmo |
Baroque
Baroque dates back to the late 17th
century and reached a peak in the 18th century. Andalusia was one
of the places
where Baroque blossomed most brilliantly.
Baroque was fundamentally
classical but crammed a great deal of ornamentation onto the facades.
Seville has more baroque churches per square kilometre than
any other city in the world. Two of the most outstanding are the
Iglesia de
la Magdalena and the Capilla de San Jose.
Click here for more on
Baroque architecture.
Neoclassicism
Throughout Europe, in the mid-18th century, the cleaner, more restrained
lines of neoclassicism came into fashion, another return to Greek
and Roman ideals in keeping with the Enlightenment philosophy which
prevailed in learned circles.
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