Spanish Architecture

At the risk of being redundant in any way, I wanted to show some of the interesting parts of Spanish architecture I saw in my travels. Yesterday, my friend Ann and I shared pictures, so I will be sure to give credit to her for the pictures she took (I was looking on websites about Paris street styles yesterday and saw one blogger who was bereted for using another person's pictures on the blog - by the photographer who took them! Therefore, I will not take credit for another's eye!) Let's start with this one that she took:This is the basilica in Zaragoza. I was really excited to go here to see the wonderful domes. Though Christian, the yellow, blue, green, and white tiles on the domes have Islamic meanings - faith, hope, charity, and happiness (not in corresponding order). This is just one example of the Moorish influences that can be seen in Spain.

My favorite example of Islamic influence in Spanish architecture was at the oldest synagogue in Spain, located in Toledo. The Sinagoga de Santa Maria La Blanca was completed in the 13th c. but records show it was being used in the 12th. Muslims built it becuase they were the best architects at the time, and the only way they knew how to build religious buildings was to form them as they would a mosque. It faces Mecca (luckily, so does Jerusalem) and the interieor looks more like a mosque. When Isabel and Ferdinand expelled Jews and Muslims in the 15th c., the synagogue was converted into a Christian church. Today it is a museum, but government leaders have promised to give the synagogue back to Jews if they return to Toledo. As of now, this hasn't happened. When we went, there were no pictures allowed of the interior, which means I found lots on the internet. If you are interested, follow this link: pictures
This gothic church in Barcelona has the oldest gargoyles in the country. My favorites are the unicorn and the elephant.
The beautiful music hall in Barcelona (taken by Ann)
This is Spains Arc of Triumph. This was taken from a moving bus, and I am still mad that we didn't get to go back here and take REAL pictures of it. Cities all over the world have triumphal archs, but this one in Barcelona feels so Spanish with its red brick...I actually like this one better than Paris's becuase it was so unexpected and unique compared to others around the world!

Ok. Gaudi. I could write a whole blog entry dedicated to his concoctions, but I won't. Just know that his work is all over Barcelona. Homes, parks, cathedrals...and then there are the other architects who have copied him! I think his work looks like he was on drugs when he came up with his plans, but it does make for interesting sightseeing!

The first two are from La Sagrada Familia, a church that was started in 1886 and is not scheduled to be completed until around 2030. An areal image is really needed to do this one justice, so I would recommend clicking here to get the picture

Another work by Gaudi is the Park Guell. It was origially intended to be a residential community of about 15 wealthy families. Only a few homes were ever completed, and it eventually became a park. Here are just a few of many pictures:



This shot above is from the walled town at Tossa de Mar, on the Mediterranean coast. There is definitely a difference between Spanish medieval towns and French ones. The Spanish ones seem warmer and much more inviting.

These two buildings/photographs are among my favorites of the whole trip, both taken in Madrid. The last one I took from a moving bus, so I don't know how I managed it!

By the time we got to Barcelona (with Madrid to follow), I was paying a lot more attention to interesting people than buildings. But Spain does have a lot of architectural beauty, and while government buildings and monuments tend to follow the same rules as in Paris (and I would guess throughout Europe), there is something unique about Spain. It FEELS different. I think it's the people. It's got to be. And they'll be in a post coming soon, so I hope you're as excited to see them as I am to share them!