The

Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...

entered

Hispania Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...

(modern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

) in 415 and they rose to be the dominant people there until the

Umayyad conquest of Hispania The Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula (; 711–720s), also known as the Arab conquest of Spain, was the Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom, Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania in the early 8th century. The conquest re ...

of 711 brought their kingdom to an end. This period in Iberian art is dominated by their style. Visigothic art is generally considered in the English-speaking world to be a strain of Migration art, while the Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking worlds generally classify it as Pre-Romanesque. Branches of Visigothic art include their architecture, crafts (especially jewellery), and their script.

Visigothic architecture

Visigothic architecture reflects the roots of late antiquity and early Christian architecture. The Visigoths gradually occupied Gaul and the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

from the 5th to the 6th century. During the 6th century, they created a stable state entity, which reached its peak in the second half of the 7th century. The brief Byzantine occupation between 554 and 626 of the southeastern region (Provincia ''Spaniae'') of the Iberian Peninsula strengthened relations with the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

, the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

, and

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. From the conversion of the Visigothic king Reccared I to the Orthodox (Catholic) faith in 589 until the Arab invasion in 711, written and archaeological finds attest to the existence of up to 60 or more churches in the Iberian Peninsula. Visigothic churches were built of very finely worked stone. An example are the rural churches in the areas north of the

Douro The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...

that have survived to the present day. Other important churches probably existed in large centres in the south of the peninsula, such as

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

or Toledo. Archaeological finds, especially of the basilica type, confirm their difference from rural architecture. The architecture of urban temples was more closely related to Merovingian or Byzantine architecture. Temples from different workshops differed in construction techniques and decoration. The sculptural decoration reflects an interest in complex ornamentation and plants, which must have reflected, to some extent, Visigothic traditions. The Visigoths were gradually driven out of the southern regions of Gaul by the Frankish rulers. They held the capital

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

until 508, when the Frankish king Ludwig I defeated them and pushed them back over the Pyrenees. Except for the region of Septimania, which remained part of the Visigothic Kingdom. Although almost nothing from the Visigothic period survives in Toulouse, a 1727 engraving shows the Church of Notre-Dame-de-la Daurade, probably built during the Visigothic period. It was demolished in 1761. It was an octagonal brick building with a vaulted cloister covered with mosaic decoration, which gave the church its name. The function of the church is unclear. It was probably a palatial chapel, as similar buildings were built at the Roman imperial courts. Regardless of its original function, type and decoration, the building can be dated to the end of the 5th century. The temple was very reminiscent of the San Vitale in

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

. Several other structures were modified or built in

Aquitaine Aquitaine (, ; ; ; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne (), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former Regions of France, administrative region. Since 1 January 2016 it has been part of the administ ...

, such as the

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, 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 o ...

of Saint-Christol of Nissan-lez-Enserune or the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Miséricorde near Béziers. Horseshoe arch of the portal of the Church of San Juan de Baños, 661, Venta de Baños,

In the Iberian Peninsula, the shops of the

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

type were built with a

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Jesus, Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a crucifix and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

plan, closed by barrel vaults in the

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

s. The space of the church was divided into a common area for the faithful with two opposite pastophoria and 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 ' ...

separated by exceptions (''cancelli'') or walls. The architectural solution separates the laity from the

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

. It was also common to use slender and high arcades in the central

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 ...

and the horseshoe shape of the apses, some archivolts or vaults. A complete division can be seen in the small church of San Giao, near Nazareth, Portugal. There were narrow doors and openings in the wall that prevented lay people from seeing the ceremony in the apse. In the churches of San Peter de la Nave in Zamora, San Comba de Bande in Ourense, Santa Maria de Lara in Quintanilla de las Viñas, near Burgos, and San Frutuoso de Montélios in Portugal, the solution of a separate space prevails, in which the crossing is marked by a series of horseshoe-shaped arches. Although it is still not entirely clear whether this was an element of Hispano-Roman architecture or whether it arrived in the Iberian Peninsula with oriental influences, the horseshoe arch was probably adopted later by the Arabs from the Visigoths. To this day, many experts debate whether the horseshoe arch is an ancient element of local arts or a Visigothic innovation. This theory is contradicted by the fact that other Germanic peoples did not use it. The arch not only formed a decorative transition from the conventional semicircular arch, but also expanded the idea of a hierarchically separate space of the temple. The horseshoe arch was placed indoors, but also outdoors, such as the western portal and the arcade of San Juan de Baños. Its development occurred at a time when concerns about secrecy and division were expressed in the councils of the Hispano-Roman Church. The gradual separation of the temple space was probably an unconscious expression of the defensive posture of the Hispano-Roman Church against the oppression of the Arian Visigothic rulers. This system of dividing space also had the effect of improving the status of the clergy. The separation and covering of the sacramental parts increased the authority of the priest in his role as mediator between the laity and God. A number of 5th- and 6th-century churches, now mostly ruins or archaeological sites, were the source of Hispano-Visigothic architecture, such as the Basilica of Cabeza del Griego in Cuenca and the Basilica of Aljezares in Murcia. The first basilica is dated by the epitaph of bishops Hyginus and Sephronia to around 550. It was a three-naved basilica with a transept, side rooms (diaconium and prothesis) separated from the sanctuary, and a horseshoe-shaped apse, similar to North African basilicas. The Basilica of Aljezares in Murcia had a similar layout, except that the side nave was connected to an adjacent circular baptistery. Other churches are the Basilica of San Pedro de Alcántara in Murcia, the Basilica of Alcarecejos in Córdoba, the Basilica of Casa Herrera in Mérida, the Basilica of Villa Fortunatus in Fraga and the Basilica of Zorita de los Canes in Reccopolis. Worth mentioning is the small church of the monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès in Barcelona, from the 6th century. It is a single-nave church with a semicircular apse on the inside and a rectangular apse on the outside. The plan of the church follows the early Christian typology and is later repeated in Mozarabic art and Mozarabic architecture. Most of the preserved Visigothic churches date from the second half of the 7th century. Visigothic architecture also received external influences. Variants of the Greek or Latin cross plan are used in the churches of San Pedro de La Nave near Zamora, San Comba de Bande in Ourense, San Fructuosus of Montélios in Braga, and San Pedro de La Mata in Toledo. Some buildings, such as the Santa Comba de Bande in Ourense, reflect formal similarities with late antique buildings in

. According to art historians, the popularity of the cruciform plan stems from an interest in Eastern Roman (Byzantine) architecture, such as the exterior of the chapel (

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

) of San Fructuosus of Montélios in Braga. The building reflects Eastern influence and similarities with the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna. The chapel is in the shape of a Greek cross and is built of finely worked stonework and geometrical patterns that may refer to the now extinct Visigothic buildings in Toledo. The architecture of many of the buildings shows the influence of Byzantine art in the Justinian and Heraclius periods. Due to the close contact and frequent wars between the Visigoths and the Byzantines, direct inspiration from Byzantium is reflected, as Isidore of Seville points out in his work ''De laude Hispaniae''. The temple of San Juan de Baños, built by the Visigothic king Recceswinth in 661,The very name of the temple ''Baños'' suggests that there were Roman medicinal baths at this site. According to legend, the supposed woman was supposed to cure king Recceswinth with water from this site, who promised to build a temple dedicated to Saint John the Baptist on this site. is a three-nave basilica with a transept and a temple vestibule as wide as the main

. According to archaeological research, the basilica originally had two side rooms (''diakonikon'' and ''prothesis'') with barrel vaults separate from the sanctuary, similar to early Christian temples. The rich sculptural decoration of the temple, portal, triumphal arch, cornice and barrel vault of the sanctuary recalls the decoration of Coptic and Syrian temples. The lintel of the portal leading to the temple refers to the Syrian cathedrals of Turmanin and Kalb Luz.PIJOAN, José. 175. The Church of San Pedrp de la Nave, built during the reign of King Égica, is a well-preserved example of a basilica-type church from the late 7th century near Zamora. The plan is in the form of a Greek cross inscribed in a rectangle formed by the adjacent rooms. The church is built of stone blocks, with bricks and quarry stones occasionally used for vaults and upper parts of the walls. The interior tends to be dark, with massive walls and vaulted surfaces that limit direct lighting to a minimum. The supporting system is formed by square pillars, to which, in special and significant places such as the crossing or the triumphal arch, columns are attached with rich relief decoration capitals. The decoration is illustrated mainly with scenes from the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

. The decorative elements on the imposts are similar to those found on the external wall of the apse of the hermitage of Santa María de Lara in Quintanilla de las Viñas. Several churches in northern Spain dating from the 8th century can still be considered Visigothic. The most interesting is the hermitage of Santa María de Lara, near Burgos. Only the transept and the square sanctuary of the church have been preserved. The church is built of blue-grey stone blocks. The interior contains several reliefs representing Christ, the Virgin Mary, angels and the sun. The sculptural decoration of the church is illustrated mainly by early Christian motifs, such as the vine. The last group consists of buildings in Catalonia. These include in particular the churches of Terrassa (St. Peter, which was only a chapel), St. Michael and St. Mary) and the cathedral with the baptistery in Egara. The church of

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

was undoubtedly a three-nave basilica with a beamed ceiling. The church of St. Michael is a small building in the shape of a Greek cross inscribed in a

quadrilateral In Euclidean geometry, geometry a quadrilateral is a four-sided polygon, having four Edge (geometry), edges (sides) and four Vertex (geometry), corners (vertices). The word is derived from the Latin words ''quadri'', a variant of four, and ''l ...

with an apse to the east. The arms of the crossing are vaulted with a ribbed vault and, above the central part, there is a

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

on horns. The chapels at the corners are vaulted with

shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

s. In secular architecture, the Visigoths used existing Roman public buildings, which they extensively repaired or built new ones in imitation of the same style. King Leovigild famously built the fortified city of Recópole, north of Toledo, in 568. The city's fortifications, palace, temple and residential area were built according to the Roman checkerboard plan.''Mezi křížem a půlměsícem: 430 e 907'', p. 13 e 14. Later, in the

10th century The 10th century was the period from 901 (represented by the Roman numerals CMI) through 1000 (M) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the last century of the 1st millennium. In China, the Song dynasty was established, with most of C ...

, the city was abandoned. Archaeological excavations have revealed the foundations of a

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

and an adjacent temple. The Visigothic kingdom was overthrown by the Arabs, who conquered the entire Iberian Peninsula soon after their invasion in 711. The Arab invasion did not completely destroy Visigothic architecture. The Christian (Mozarabic) population preserved the Visigothic legacy in Mozarabic architecture under Arab rule. In the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, however, in the small Kingdom of Asturias, a local school was established under the rule of

Pelagius Pelagius (; c. 354–418) was a British (Celtic Britons, Brittonic) theologian known for promoting a system of doctrines (termed Pelagianism by his opponents) which emphasized human choice in salvation and denied original sin. Pelagius was accus ...

. The legacy of Visigothic architecture continues in Asturian architecture, which continued to develop there between the 8th and 10th centuries. The only remaining examples of Visigothic architecture from the 6th century are the church of San Cugat del Vallés in

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 ...

, the hermitage and church of Santa Maria de Lara in Burgos, Saint Frutuoso Chapel in

Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...

, the church of São Gião in Nazaré and the few remnants of the church at Cabeza de Griego in Cuenca. However, their style developed over the next centuries, though the prime remaining examples of it are mostly rural and often run-down. Some of the characteristics of their architecture are: * Generally

n in layout, sometimes a

plan or, more rarely, a combination of the two. The spaces are highly compartmentalised. * Horseshoe

arch An arch is a curved vertical structure 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 millennium BC, but stru ...

es without keystones. * A rectangular, exterior

. * Use of

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

s and pillars with Corinthian capitals of unique design. * Barrel vaults with

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

s at the crosses. * Frequent use of marble as material. * Walls of

ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

blocks, occasionally alternating with Roman brickwork. * Decoration commonly of animal or plant motifs. Examples include: * Church of San Juan Bautista,

province of Palencia Palencia is a Provinces of Spain, province of northern Spain, in the northern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Castile and León in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered by the provi ...

, Spain. * Crypt of San Antolín in the cathedral of Palencia,

, Spain. * Church of Santa Comba in Bande, province of Ourense, Spain. * Chapel of San Xes (or San Ginés) de Francelos in Ribadavia, province of Ourense, Spain. * Church of San Pedro de la Mata (in ruins) in Sonseca,

province of Toledo Toledo () is a Province (Spain), province of central Spain, in the western part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Madrid Province, Madrid, Cuenca Province (Spai ...

, Spain. * Church of Santa María de Melque in San Martín de Montalbán,

, Spain. * Suso monastery at San Millán de la Cogolla,

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...

, Spain. * Basilica of Santa María de Batres in Carranque,

, Spain. * Hermitage of Santa María in Quintanilla de las Viñas,

province of Burgos The province of Burgos is a Provinces of Spain, province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia (p ...

, Spain. * Church of Santa Lucía del Trampal near Alcuéscar

province of Cáceres The province of Cáceres (; ; ; ) is a province of western Spain, and makes up the northern half of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Its capital is the city of Cáceres. Other cities in the province include Plasencia, Coria, Navalm ...

, Spain. * Crypt of the Monastery of San Salvador de Leyre,

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

, Spain. * Church of San Miguel de los Fresnos (in ruins) in Fregenal de la Sierra, province of Badajoz, Spain. * Interior of church of San Pedro de la Nave,

province of Zamora Zamora () is a Provinces of Spain, province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Province of Ourense, Ourense, Province of Le� ...

, Spain. * Saint Frutuoso Chapel in

. * Church of São Gião in Nazaré,

. * Church of San Pedro de la Nave in San Pedro de la Nave-Almendra.

References

Bibliography

"Visigothic art"
In ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

'' Online. * Diego Marin, La Civilizacion Espanola, pp. 34 -47, 1969, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York. *Bradley Smith, Spain: A History In Art, pp. 52-56, Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY, no publication date given, about 1971.

Notes

External links

*
Age of spirituality : late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century
' from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
El portal del Arte Románico; Visigothic, Mozarabic and Romanesque art in Spain.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Visigothic Art And Architecture Architectural history Early Germanic architecture

Visigothic architecture

See also

References

Bibliography

Notes

External links