Mudéjar – an example of Spanish architecture combining Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance styles
In Spain, visitors study its history not by poring over boring textbooks, but simply by walking the streets. The fact is that over millennia, one ruler replaced another, and the appearance of cities changed just as much, each era bringing its own features to architecture. It turned out that wars of conquest and changes of leaders benefited this country: today, only Italy surpasses Spain in the number of relics.
A Journey into the Past
Spanish architecture is a unique "bouquet" in which the traditions of ancient Roman and Moorish cultures, Gothic and Renaissance are intertwined, and there is also room for original Spanish features and new elements.
Grandeur and monumentality – the imperial pretensions of the ancient Romans. If you want to see classic Roman-style buildings, head to Tarragona, where a circus where gladiator fights took place is still preserved.
The charm of an oriental fairy tale was left in buildings by the Moors. Arches and domes, oriental ornaments and patterns, parks and gardens, luxury and refinement – you will find these elements of Arab architecture in the Seville minarets and the Alcázar Palace in Toledo.
The Gothic style is easy to recognize while walking the streets of Barcelona: elongated structures, pointed windows, spire domes, smooth walls and chapels.
Mudéjar – a distinctly Spanish architectural style that combines Arab features, Gothic and Renaissance. Characteristic elements are horseshoe arches, brick walls, exquisite decoration, vaulted ceilings. Take a look at the fortress of Ávila – and you will understand what Mudéjar is.
Bright Spanish Modernity
They say that a diversity of bloodlines gives beauty to a face. In the case of Spain, this is true: modern architecture is a combination of styles that have given buildings their own "face."
The symbol of the 21st century is the 39-story skyscraper Torre Agbar in Barcelona, built in 2005. Among the futuristic glass-and-metal appearance in the Hi-Tech style, oriental features emerge.
But along with minimalism and high-tech, characteristic Spanish elements are discernible in residential buildings. Vaulted arches, smooth outlines, mosaics and vibrant multicolored tiles – Spain makes you fall in love with precisely this architecture. A one- or two-story house surrounded by bright greenery and flowers, a cozy courtyard bathed in sun – a living embodiment of the dream of a peaceful and happy life!
The interior is no less attractive than the exterior: to the white plaster are added vibrant green, yellow, blue and red tones – painted tiles on the fireplace, stairs, walls. A floor paved with ceramic tiles with an ethnic-style rug makes the home atmosphere cozier and warmer.
Today, Spanish architecture is inseparable from the past, and this is the charm and originality of Spanish houses.