Any architectural works done in Spain, and those done by Spanish architects in other parts of the world can be referred to as Spanish architecture. This term also comprises of buildings that exist within the Spanish borders. Spanish architecture has a huge historical and cultural heritage because of the diversity present in the country. For instance, Iberian designs were created at the same time the Mediterranean and Northern European architecture took place. Although Spanish art existed for a long time before the Romans, their arrival was the real period when Spanish art could be felt countrywide and even internationally. Indeed, the Romans are attributed with several monuments that existed with Spanish boundaries when they finally left. However, this development began to deteriorate at the time the Visigoths arrived in Spain (Broto, 2009). This reduction in building reflected the reduction in the whole of Europe. This decline did not last for long as the Moorish invasion led to a revolution in Spanish architecture with several designs cropping up during the time (Cerver & Hyman, 2005).

The huge advances in the cultural sector brought about by the integration of different communities improved the architectural sector through several diverse ideas. Several changed were noticed in the empire that included change in how built their houses. For instance, Cordoba was commissioned as the cultural headquarters during the time the Muslim Umayyad dynasty was in power. At the same time, the Christians were developing their styles, which were very different from other European influences. The Christian designs later embraced European designs and later assimilated into Gothic and Romanesque designs, which reached amazing heights as several Christian designs were found in every corner of the country. The subsequent style that came into being was the Mudejar style, characterized by the combination of cultural European and Arabic manipulations (Broto, 2009).

This shows how Spanish architecture has evolved into various designs and styles including Renaissance architecture, which was made majorly by local architects. All these designs were unique and distinguished through its high-spirited Churrigueresque and Herrerian styles and decorations. Most of these designs had modern international designs. Spanish architecture is seen in terms of its artistic value and hence most Spanish architectural sites have been chosen as World Heritage spots. The country has the second-most heritage sites in the world after Italy. This fact showed how famous and loved Spanish art and architecture in the country and around the world mainly because it represents culture rather than being pieces providing services to people (Kleihues & Cervantes, 2011).

Spanish Literature over the Years

Prehistoric Architecture

There are several pieces of architecture that can be attributed to the people who inhabited the land that is now Spain. These people inhabited the land in around 4000BC. The stone graves, some of which can be seen in Spain in recent years are attributed to these inhabitants. These inhabitants are known to have created burial sites out of stone. These creations can be found in Antequerra some kilometers from Malaga. Some of these architectural designs were very big. For instance, ‘Cueva de Menga’ is known to run twenty-five meters deep into the stone, five meters wide and four meters in height. This design is can be dated back to approximately 3000BC.

Another type of prehistoric architectural design is attributed to the Celts, who started building walled villages known as Castros in Galicia. These walled designs were built on mountains to ease the building process. Architectural designs such as Castro of Santa Tecla and Las Cogota can be found in several parts of Spain. However, most of these designs are located in Avila and Pontevedra all located in Galicia (Kleihues & Cervantes, 2011).

Roman Architecture

(Cerver & Hyman, 2005).

Another aspect of Roman designs is the Ludic architecture depicted by constructions such as circuses found in Sagunto and Merida, theatres such as those in Tiermes, and amphitheaters such as the ones in Tarragona and Segobriga. Religious designs also started to crop up in Spain because of the religious aspect of most Romans. For instance, several temples were built across the peninsula such as those in Merida and Cordoba (A Key, 1941). Some of the funeral sites found on the peninsula at the time includes the distyle in Badajoz and the Escipiones tower in Tarragona. In essence, the Romans had an all-around impact on the architectural style in the peninsula and Spain as a whole during its conquest (Broto, 2009).

Pre-Romanesque Architecture

This refers to Christian designs created following the Classical Age but before the Romanesque designs came to the fore. The most famous piece of architecture in this period is the Asturian art, which was famous with Christianity. The Pre-Romanesque period was characterized inventions in structural and design aspects of architecture. Indeed, elements such as arches and lattices became a common sight in most buildings in the country. After a while, there was a slight change as heavy Mozarabic influence affected the designs of Asturias. This was the period when the horseshoe-shaped arches were used in many constructions (Kleihues & Cervantes, 2011).

Apart from Asturian art, this period was also characterized by repopulation architecture where several churches were built in the Northern part of the country. The Mozarabic influence was attributed to this type of art. According to studies, this piece of art was a combination of the Muslim, Asturian and Visigoth themes. All these constructions exhibited great technique and mastery, and that is the reason some constructions are still present in the current Spain (Broto, 2009).

Mudejar Style

The remainder of the Moors left when the Christians filled the country created these designs. As much as the Christian religion dominated the country, these people did not change their religion. These designs were created in the twelfth century, and it existed until the sixteenth century (A Key, 1941). This style underwent its revival in the twentieth century through the efforts of Lluís Montaner. This style is known for the utilization of brick as the main element for construction. Several constructions that used Mudejar style including Santa Maria synagogues exist in the country.

It is widely suggested that this style was initiated in Sahagun and extended to other parts of Spain. Since Christians dominated the country, some Mudejar designs were influenced by Christian designs. For instance, the Alcazar of Seville has a huge similarity with the Nasrid Alhambra than any other Mudejar constructions.

Romanesque Architecture

The tenth and eleventh Centuries is the time when Romanesque architecture in Spain started to develop. During the time, architecture was less-developed as most constructions were made of thick walls. Moreover, sculptures were rarely utilized during the development process. The First Romanesque art was characterized by few architectural designs. Cluny’s influence led to the birth of the real Romanesque architecture. The first piece of architecture attributed to this period is the Way of Saint James found in Spain. Another structure depicting this period is the Cathedral of Jaca. Christianity influenced this style as more and more Christians began moving southward. The style is characterized by plan and apse with striped decorations named Taqueado jaques. This style is also influenced by past designs such as the Asturian and the Mozarabic styles. There is also a huge Moorish impact on this architectural design particularly the vaults in the Mosque in Cordoba. The thirteenth century characterized (Broto, 2009).

Gothic Architecture

As much as the Gothic style arrived in the peninsula in the twelfth century, it was never realized until the thirteenth century because the Romanesque style still dominated the country. Some of the examples of Gothic architecture is the Cathedrals of Toledo, Burgos, and Leon. This style had a lot of influence from outside styles such as those from Italy and Germany. Other forms of Gothic architecture are the Levantino and Isabelline Gothic, which were developed after the thirteenth century. While Levantino focused on structural aspect and space amalgamation using masterpieces, Isabelline championed Renaissance styles, which discouraged Italian influences (Spanish Architecture, 2005).

Renaissance Architecture

Renaissance designs were first seen towards the end of the fifteenth century when several Gothic structures were remodeled to fit the status of Renaissance designs. One of the buildings constructed in Renaissance style is the Palace found in Granada. This structure was seen as the stylistic building at the time because of the new and unique style. These structures had a little Gothic influence, and it was until later in the century when these influences had ceased when true Spanish Renaissance structures came to the fore. Some of the true Renaissance structures include the El Escorial in San Lorenzo (Mathewson, 2004).

Baroque Architecture

This style was attributed to Italian influence because the style entered the country through the Italian-Spanish border. This form of art was established in the sixteenth century, and it involves vernacular forms such as the Plaza Mayor in the Capital city of Spain, Madrid. This style developed later in the century to become a style of its own. There are several Baroque buildings in Spain including the Facades in Cathedral of Santiago and the University of Valladolid (Cerver & Hyman, 2005).

Colonial Architecture

As explained earlier in the essay, the Spanish architecture includes those pieces of architecture in other countries apart from Spain that were attributed to Spanish architects. In this regard, several Spanish architectural designs and structures exist in other countries including Spanish colonies. For instance, past Spanish colonies in the American continent possess some Spanish pieces. However, these pieces are influenced by the native styles in that they are a combination of Moorish, indigenous Spanish and American styles. These countries have also created their unique Baroque designs. For instance, the monastery of San Francisco in Lima, Peru is a unique style created with two yellow towers made of stone and a smokescreen in the middle (Mathewson, 2004).

Contemporary Spanish Architecture

(Spanish Architecture, 2005).

The growth of the Catalan Modernism in the 20th and 21st centuries saw the architectural landscape change to the utilization of natural elements. Architects such as Gaudi and Montaner were among those who championed this style as they filled the City of Barcelona with their designs (Cerver & Hyman, 2005).

Conclusion

Spanish architecture has gone through many changes since its prehistoric period to the current state of architecture. In the past, the architecture could only be found within the country. Moreover, most of the designs used crude designs. Even so, the sector has evolved to become one of the best in the world. Currently, the sector is attributed to several stylistic structures din the country and in other parts of the world. Indeed, Spanish architecture spans the whole universe and is one of the greatest objects that man can behold.

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