Page 25 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain
P. 25
A por tr A it of nor thern sp A in 23
Renaissance (16th Century) &
Baroque (17th–18th Centuries)
The Renaissance, with its predilec tion
for Classical proportions and harmony,
was raised to the extremely decorative
style known as Plateresque, said to
replicate the effects of silverware
(plata) in stone, with heraldic motifs,
arches with complicated curves, and
stone openwork ornamentation. The Universidad de Sancti Spiritus
Baroque style brought with it grand in the Basque town of Oñati has a
ornamentation, dramatic religiosity Detail of the cathedral at Plateresque façade adorned with
and splendour. Santiago de Compostela figures of saints (see p141).
Medallions Classical Sculpted Rounded arch
columns parapet
The Hostal de San Marcos in León (see p119), in the Plateresque style, with a long palatial façade
The Modern Era
The sheer variety of forms and
harmonious integration with the
environment typify modern archi
tecture in Northern Spain, where
increasing numbers of foreign
architects are working, from
Canadianborn Frank Gehry to
Portuguese Alvaro Siza. Inno vative Rare materials, such as titanium,
forms are evi dent in practical archi were used in the construction of the
tecture, such as in Bilbao’s metro Modernist 1950s church in futuristic Guggenheim Museum in
(by Norman Foster) and airport. Arantzazu (see p141) Bilbao (see pp128–9) by Frank Gehry.
Regional Architecture Hórreos, or granaries
Because so much of the North is common in Galicia, are
mountainous, many regions are dotted built on stone pillars to
with big farmhouses where livestock prevent rodents from
were kept on the ground floor, and eating the grain.
the family lived above. On the Galician
coast fishermen’s equipment was
kept downstairs, and the family lived
above. Galicia also has many hórreos
(granaries), while teitos (shepherds’
huts) are a symbol of Asturias.
Teitos are tradi
tional stone huts
with thatched
roofs, used
by shepherds
in Asturias.
Stone houses in Cantabria usually have wooden
balconies, a broad entrance and projecting eaves
to protect the walls from rain.
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