Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Spain: Churrigueresque

Yesterday you learned about the Mudejar style of architecture in Spain. Beginning in 1667, a new style took over. Like Mudejar it was very decorative, but it wasn’t so serious. The style was called Churrigueresque.

Churrigueresque buildings are very decorative with carvings and twisting columns. You may remember that Mudejar buildings are also often covered in carvings. Compare the pictures shown below. Notice the difference between the patterns carved on the Mudejar building (shown first) and the pictures carved on the Churrigueresque building (shown second).


Churrigueresque combined architecture with sculpture. The carvings are so detailed and stand out so much that they are almost little sculptures. Can you imagine how much work that must have taken?

The Churrigueresque style can still be seen in Spain. It spread to all the Spanish territories, too, so you can find this style in Central America and South America.

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2 comments:

  1. Do you know if these marvellous decorations were originally also painted, as e.g. the (earlier) gothic church portals?

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  2. Details were sometimes painted but it was much more common for the interior to be decorated with gold leaf and paint.

    Thanks for the great question. I should have said that in the main post!

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