Italian and Spanish Renaissance Architecture
Cinquecento Architecture in Italy
Cinquecento:
In the 16th century, the fundamental center of Italian architecture was Rome. Key concepts included:
- Use of perspective as a method to organize vision and create visual hierarchies.
- Proportion: Establishing mathematical proportions to form a cohesive whole.
- Symmetry: Centralized plans that enclose the space within itself.
- Sobriety and clarity.
Bramante’s Architectural Innovations
Bramante
Born near Urbino in 1444, Bramante originated a new trend that emphasized beauty through grandeur of architectural proportions and the correct use of classical elements. He worked in Urbino and then Milan before moving to Rome. His work is centralized and supports the use of plant layouts for their grandeur and perfection. His early works show a relation to Brunelleschi. In Rome in 1503, he built the Temple of San Pietro In Montorio. His main work is the project for the construction of the great Basilica of St. Peter’s in the Vatican. He designed a Greek cross plan with a large dome in the center, marked by four squares at the corners of the Greek cross. This plan remains, despite later reforms.
Andrea Palladio and Mannerism
Andrea Palladio:
Palladio represents the transition to Mannerism. He utilized columns in two different scales to engage the largest and smallest arches. He promoted the “Palladian rhythmic section,” where the association alternates between arch and lintel, with columns of two sizes to cause alternating tension between void and solid. His architecture served as the basis for the neoclassical reaction of the 18th and 19th centuries. A notable work is Villa Rotonda.
Renaissance Architecture in Spain
Renaissance architecture in Spain:
In Spain, Renaissance forms were greeted with some reluctance, as they broke with the medieval Gothic style. The attainment of political and religious unity favored the persistence of medieval forms until the last third of the 16th century, when Renaissance art became more prevalent. Around 1500, the Spanish economy was limited to the rulings of the court, the church, and the nobility. There was no unified criteria due to the diversity of the nobility. The nobility held economic power, with the bourgeoisie only prominent in Catalonia and Valencia. Slowly, original forms emerged from 1530. The spread of printing allowed for the dissemination of classical architectural treatises. Clients were primarily the aristocracy, nobility, and foundations of Castile and Seville.
Three Phases of Spanish Renaissance Architecture
3 phases:
1. Plateresque (1519-1530)
1. The plateresque
This phase covers the Plateresque style, characterized by Flamboyant decoration, balustraded columns, medallions, heraldic shields, and grotesques. The central university of Salamanca was a critical site for this style.
2. Purist Plateresque (1530-1549)
2 º. plateresque 1530-purist
Characteristics include simple decorative doors and string course windows. Structures were developed with attention to proportions. Buildings exhibited severity, monumentality, and equilibrium. The center of this style was located in Granada. There was a shown interest in the study of proportions according to classical tradition. The Granada Cathedral is a prime example.
3. Herrera Style (Escurialense)
3 º. Herrera style.
This is the last phase of Renaissance architecture in Spain. It is characterized by monumentality and good construction, where pure architectural elements are the foundation of beauty. The Monastery of San Lorenzo in El Escorial belongs to this style. Initiated in 1563, the same year that the Council of Trent closed, it intended to emphasize the importance and durability of the Catholic faith.
The Renaissance in Navarre
Innovations were introduced on existing Gothic structures or in building new ones. Later, churches rose with a single nave, polygonal choir, and transepts and side chapels. Santo Domingo in Pamplona is an example.
Sculpture: Located in temples, such as the altarpiece of Saint Mary of the Arcos. The altarpiece of Santa Maria de Sangüesa, by Jorge de Flandes, is noteworthy.
Metalwork: There were three main workshops in Pamplona, Sangüesa, and Estella, where monstrances and eucharistic shrines were forged, including the one in the Cathedral of Pamplona.
Painting: Notable artists include Aponte and Juan Pedro de Bustamante.