Spanish Gothic architecture is the style of architecture prevalent in Spain in the Late Medieval period. The

Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

started in Spain as a result of Central European influence in the twelfth century when late Romanesque alternated with few expressions of pure Gothic architecture. The High Gothic arrives with all its strength via the pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James, in the thirteenth century. Some of the most pure Gothic cathedrals in Spain, closest related to the German and French Gothic, were built at this time. In some cases the Gothic style was built and decorated with Mudéjar elements by

Mudéjar Mudéjar were Muslims who remained in Iberia in the late medieval period following the Christian reconquest. It is also a term for Mudéjar art, which was greatly influenced by Islamic art, but produced typically by Christian craftsmen for C ...

craftsmen and Christian craftsmen influenced by them, creating a highly distinctive Gothic style unique to Spain and Portugal. Some noteworthy post−thirteenth-century Gothic styles in Spain are the Levantine Gothic, characterized by its structural achievements and the unification of space, and the

Isabelline Gothic The Isabelline style, also called the Isabelline Gothic (), or Castilian late Gothic, was the dominant architectural style of the Crown of Castile during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of A ...

, under the

Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...

, that predicated a slow transition to

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

. Gothic construction ended in Spain in the sixteenth century. In 1172, French architect Giral Fruchel designed the first ever Gothic cathedral in Spain. Ávila Cathedral, a cathedral located in Central Spain, represents a blend of the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Alfonso VIII Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at Alarc ...

, former King of the Castile Kingdom, was inspired by the Basilica St. Denis in France and wanted Ávila's plan to incorporate double ambulatory and radiating chapels. A double ambulatory consists of an

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

that is surrounded by two walkways. Radiating chapels, are small, semicircular

chapels A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are o ...

that appear along the apse of a church. Alfonso's wish was granted, as Ávila Cathedral embodies these characteristics. In 1227, Archbishop Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada initiated the rebuilding of the

Toledo Cathedral The Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo. Since 1088, it holds the honorific title of Primatial, granted by ...

in the Gothic style as well. Prior to this reconstruction, Toledo was under Muslim control and possessed Islamic architectural elements. Toledo's ground plan, for instance, resembled the ground plan of a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

. The fusion of Islamic and French Gothic influences gave rise to a distinctive and uniquely Spanish Gothic architectural style, and Toledo Cathedral was among the first to exhibit this. Other physical attributes that Toledo Cathedral possesses are great bronze doors that make up the central portal of the building, plain vaults, double staggered aisles, and elaborate stonemasonry with colored marbles. Toledo is a monumental Gothic cathedral and represents architectural experimentation, as this was built during the upsurge of Gothic architecture in Spain. Similar to Toledo, Burgos Cathedral was constructed in the early thirteenth century, in 1221. Both Toledo and Burgos Cathedrals have been altered many times since their initial construction. However, Burgos Cathedral is still deemed a favorable example of High Gothic Spanish architectural style. This cathedral incorporates

flying buttresses The flying buttress (''arc-boutant'', arch buttress) is a specific form of buttress composed of a ramping arch that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, to convey to the ground the lateral forces that push a wall out ...

, clerestory windows, pier arches, and a

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' wa ...

. In addition to this, the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

in Burgos Cathedral is located in the center of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

. This was unique because most gothic cathedrals positioned the choir in between the nave and the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

. Burgos Cathedral also contains vaults that are slightly domical and diagonal ribs. These key attributes suggest that the architects of this structure were influenced by French Gothic architecture. In the fourteenth century, Spain started to introduce ornate features in their Gothic structures. Catalonian architecture, architecture belonging to the Catalonian region in northeastern Spain, was seen as superior during this time due to their frequent use of design elements. The Chapel of Santa Ágata in the Royal Palace of Barcelona, constructed from 1303 to 1310, exhibits double windows, polished contours, and refined proportions. Similar to other Gothic cathedrals, the Chapel of Agueda displays

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows as well as religious

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

. These features highlight the artistry of Spanish Gothic architecture that can still be seen in architectural design today. The

Ace Hotel Ace Hotel is a chain of hotels headquartered in Los Angeles and New York City. Founded in 1999 in Seattle, it operates hotels Internationally in 4 continents, with locations in; Brooklyn, New York City; Palm Springs, California; Seattle, Washing ...

in Los Angeles is an example of Spanish Gothic influence in contemporary time.

Key Spanish Gothic Architectural Elements

Fig 109 -Flying Buttress and Clerestory of Burgos Cathedral

* aisles ** double ambulatory *

** double flying buttresses *

Arches An arch is a curved vertical structure span (engineering), spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th mill ...

: ** pointed arch ** pier arches * Vaults: ** diamond vaults ** cross-ribbed vaulting * Windows: ** clerestory windows **

spare grey walls * central lantern * altar placed at western entrance * radiating chapels * tympanum * gargoyles * ornate attributes such as elegant molding

Sequence of Gothic styles in Spain

The designations of styles in Spanish Gothic architecture are as follows. Dates are approximate. * Early Gothic (12th century) * High Gothic (13th century) *

Gothic (from the 13th to the 15th centuries) * Levantino Gothic (14th century) * Valencian Gothic (14th and 15th century) * Catalan Gothic * Flamboyant/Late Gothic (15th century) *

(15th century) * Plateresque Gothic (15th century)

Examples

Early Gothic

* Cathedral of Ávila * Cathedral of Cuenca * Cathedral of Sigüenza *

Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas The Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas is a monastery of Cistercian nuns located approximately 1.5 km west of the city of Burgos in Spain. The word , which usually refers to "labour strikes" in modern Spanish, refers in this case ...

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populous municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of th ...

High Gothic

Cathedral of Burgos The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos () is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in the historical center of the Spain, Spanish city of Burgos. Its official name is the Holy Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Church of St Mary of ...

* Cathedral of Burgo de Osma * Cathedral of León * Cathedral of Toledo * Palace of the Kings of Navarre in Olite * San Pablo Church,

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

Mudéjar Gothic

* Cathedral of San Salvador, in

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

Castillo de Coca The Castle of Coca is a castle located in the Coca, Segovia, Coca Municipalities of Spain, municipality, central Spain. The castle was constructed in the 15th century and has been considered to be one of the best examples of Spanish Mudéjar, Mud ...

Coca Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. Coca leaves contain cocaine which acts as a mild stimulant when chewed or ...

* St. Martín's Tower in

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel (province), Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its har ...

Valencian Gothic

Valencia Cathedral Valencia Cathedral, at greater length the Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia (, ), also known as St Mary's Cathedral, is a Catholic church in Valencia, Spain. The cathedral was consecrated in 1238 by ...

* Lonja de la Seda, in

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

* Torres de Serranos * Palace of the Borgias * Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, in Alfauir. * Monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna, in Simat de la Valldigna. * Basilica of Santa Maria, in

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

. * Orihuela Cathedral, in

Orihuela Orihuela (; ''Corpus Toponímic Valencià''. Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. 2009, València.) is a city and municipality located at the foot of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. The c ...

. * Castelló Cathedral and El Fadrí, in

Castellón de la Plana Castellón de la Plana (in ), or simply Castellón (), is the capital city of the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea. Th ...

* Segorbe Cathedral in

Segorbe Segorbe is a municipality in the mountainous coastal province of Castelló, Valencia (autonomous community), autonomous community of Valencia, Spain. The former Palace of the Dukes of Medinaceli now houses the city's mayor. Segorbe's bull-running ...

Balearic Gothic

* La Seu (cathedral) of

Palma de Mallorca Palma (, ; ), also known as Palma de Mallorca (officially between 1983 and 1988, 2006–2008, and 2012–2016), is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is ...

Catalan Gothic

* Santa Maria del Mar of

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

* Barcelona Royal Shipyard * Royal Palace in Barcelona * Cathedral of Girona

Flamboyant/Late Gothic

Cathedral of Oviedo The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Saviour or Cathedral of San Salvador (, ) is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in the centre of Oviedo, in the Asturias region of northern Spain. The Cathedral of San Salvador of Oviedo to ...

Cathedral of Sevilla The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc� ...

* Cathedral of Segovia * Chapel of the Condestable, Cathedral of Burgos * New Cathedral in Salamanca

Isabelline Gothic

* Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo *

Royal Chapel of Granada The Royal Chapel of Granada () is an Isabelline style building in Granada, Spain. Constructed between 1505 and 1517, it was originally integrated in the complex of the neighbouring Granada Cathedral. It is the burial place of the Spanish monarchs ...

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

Colegio de San Gregorio The Colegio de San Gregorio is an Isabelline style building located in the city of Valladolid, in Castile and León, Spain, it was formerly a college and now is housing the National Museum of Sculpture. This building is one of the best examples ...

* Palace of Infantado in Guadalajara * Palace of Jabalquinto in Baeza, Jaén * San Pablo Church in Valladolid

Modern Spanish Gothic

* Ace Hotel Los Angeles

Gallery

File:Cathedral of Avila, Gothic, 11th - 15th cents (21) (29304779331).jpg, Ávila Cathedral, Exterior File:Cathedral of Avila, Gothic, 11th - 15th cents (8) (28761044424).jpg, Ávila Cathedral, Interior File:Escaleras a la Catedral -- 2023 -- Burgos, Castilla y León, España.jpg, Burgos Cathedral File:Toledo Cathedral (52142175573).jpg,

, Exterior File:Cathedral of Toledo, Spain - interior 1.JPG,

, Interior File:Catedral del Salvador de Zaragoza (ATHA-BAR-NV-006-061).jpg, Cathedral of San Salvador, in Zaragoza File:Catedral de Valencia, Valencia, España, 2014-06-30, DD 160.JPG,

, Exterior File:Catedral de Valencia, Valencia, España, 2014-06-30, DD 157-159 HDR.JPG,

, Interior File:Orihuela 2022 - west facade.jpg, Orihuela Cathedral File:Palma Cathedral.jpg,

Palma Cathedral The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, more commonly referred to as La Seu (a title also used by many other churches), is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. It is the Cathedral of the diocese of Mallorca, and is ...

File:Cathedral of Girona (17).jpg,

Girona Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary, (Catalan language, Catalan: ''Catedral de Santa Maria''), is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic cathedral located in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Girona. The cathedral's in ...

File:Pinnacles Cathedral Seville Spain.jpg,

Seville Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc� ...

File:Bóveda del crucero de la Catedral de Sevilla.jpg, Crossing vault of

Juan Gil de Hontañón Juan Gil de Hontañón (1480 in Asón-Agüera, Rasines, Cantabria – 11 May 1531 in Salamanca) was a master builder and Trasmiera#Master masons of Trasmiera, Trasmeran mason of Spain during the 16th century. His first work was associated with Seg ...

File:WLM14ES - Catedral Nueva de Salamanca. - julianrdc edited.jpg,

New Cathedral of Salamanca The Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary), popularly known as New Cathedral () is, together with the Old Cathedral, Salamanca, Old Cathedral, one of the two cathedrals of Salamanca, Castile and Le ...

File:San Pablo Church, Valladolid (3).JPG, San Pablo Church, Valladoild

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spanish Gothic Architecture Architecture in Spain