The Cathedrals of Northern Spain: Their History and Their Architecture; Together with Much of Interest Concerning the Bishops, Rulers and Other Personages Identified with ThemRudy, Charles
History
The Cathedrals of Northern Spain: Their History and Their Architecture; Together with Much of Interest Concerning the Bishops, Rulers and Other Personages Identified with Them
Rudy, Charles
Cathedrals -- Spain
Unluckily, but little attention has been paid out of Spain to
_Mudejar_ art, and it is but little known. Even Spanish critics do not
agree as to the national significance of this art, and it is a great
pity, as unfortunately the country can point to no other art phenomena
and claim them to be Spanish. How can it, when the nation had not as yet
been born, and, once born, was to die almost simultaneously, like a moth
that flies blindly and headlong into an intense flame?
IV
CONCLUSION
Spain geographically can be roughly divided into two parts, a northern
and southern, separated by a mountain chain, composed of the Sierras de
Guaderrama, Gredos, and Gata to the north of Madrid.
Such a division does not, however, explain the historical development of
the Christian kingdoms from the eighth to the fifteenth centuries, nor
is it advisable to adopt it for an architectural study.
During the great period of church-building, the nine kingdoms of Spain
formed four distinct groups: Galicia, Asturias, Leon, and Castile;
Navarra and Aragon; Barcelona and Valencia; Andalusia.
The first group gradually evolved until Castile absorbed the remaining
three kingdoms, and later Andalusia as well; the second and third groups
succumbed to the royal house of Aragon.
From an architectural point of view, there are three groups, or even
four: Castile, Aragon, the Mediterranean coast-line, and Andalusia. In
the last three the Oriental influence is far more pronounced than in the
first named.
Further, Spain is divided into nine archbishoprics: four corresponding
to Castile (Santiago, Burgos, Valladolid, and Toledo); one to Aragon
(Zaragoza); two to the Mediterranean coast (Tarragon and Valencia); and
two to Andalusia (Sevilla and Granada).
It was the author's object to preserve as far as possible in the
following chapters and in the general subdivision of his work, not only
the geographical, but the historical, architectural, and ecclesiastical
divisions as well. Better still, he sacrificed the first when
incompatible with the latter three.
But--and here the difficulty arose--what title should be chosen for each
of the two volumes which were to be dedicated to Spain? Because two
volumes were necessary, considering the eighty odd cathedrals to be
described.
"Cathedrals of Northern Spain" as opposed to "Cathedrals of Southern
Spain"--was one of the titles. "Gothic cathedrals of Spain"--as opposed
to "Moorish Cathedrals of Spain"--was another; the latter had to be
discarded, as only one Moorish mezquita converted into a Christian
temple exists to-day, namely, that of Cordoba.
There remained, therefore, the first title.
The first volume, discarding Navarra and Aragon (in the north), is
dedicated to Castile, as well as its four archbishoprics.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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