An Architect's Note-Book in Spain: principally illustrating the domestic architecture of that country.Wyatt, M. Digby (Matthew Digby), Sir
History
An Architect's Note-Book in Spain: principally illustrating the domestic architecture of that country.
Wyatt, M. Digby (Matthew Digby), Sir
Architecture -- Spain
It is principally in those cities in which classical and oriental
tradition is still strongest, such as Segovia, Toledo, Granada, and
Seville, that the use of the Patio, as the Romans and Moors used their
open air Cortiles, is chiefly affected. Our sketch was taken in Seville,
but hundreds of similar sketches might readily be taken there, or
elsewhere. There is nevertheless a special charm about these Seville
houses, in spite of their remorseless whitewash, which makes life in
them most pleasant. This has no doubt justified the old proverb, quoted
in German, Latin and Italian by Berckenmeyern[32] "Wen Gott lieb hat,
dem giebt er ein Haus in Sevilia." (To whom God loves he gives a house
in Seville).
[Illustration: PLATE 61
CADIZ CATHEDRAL
MDW 1869]
PLATE LXI.
_CADIZ._
INTERNAL VIEW OF THE CATHEDRAL.
SWINBURNE,[33] who visited Cadiz in January, 1775, and who certainly
possesses the merit (so far as I can find out) of being the first
Englishman who made any drawings from the remains of ancient
architecture in Spain, found the Cathedral of that city, "la nueva,"
(intended to supersede the mean "la vieja," built in 1597,) in course of
construction, and the following is his description of what he then saw.
"On the shore stands the Cathedral, a work of great expense, but carried
on with so little vigour, that it is difficult to guess at the term of
years it will require to bring it to perfection; I think fifty have
already elapsed since the first stone was laid, and the roof is not yet
half finished. The vaults are executed with great solidity. The arches
that spring from the clustered pilasters to support the roof of the
church are very bold; the minute sculpture bestowed upon them seems
superfluous, as all the effect will be lost from their great height, and
from the shade that will be thrown upon them by the filling up of the
interstices. From the sea, the present top of the church resembles the
carcase of some huge monster cast upon its side, rearing its gigantic
blanched ribs high above the buildings of the city. The outward casings
are to be of white marble, the bars of the windows of bronze; but I fear
the work will be coarsely done, if one may draw inference from the
sample of a small chapel, where the squares are so loosely jointed and
ill fitted, that in a few years the facing will be quite spoilt. It is
unfair to prejudge a piece of architecture in such an imperfect state,
but I apprehend the style of this will be crowded and heavy."
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