Herrerian
Encyclopedia
The Herrerian was developed in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
during the last third of the 16th century under the reign of Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
(1556-1598), and continued in force in the 17th century, but transformed by the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
current of the time. It corresponds to the third and final stage of the Spanish Renaissance
Spanish Renaissance
The Spanish Renaissance refers to a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries...
architecture, which evolved into a progressive purification ornamental, from the initial plateresque
Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" , was an artistic movement, especially architectural, traditionally held to be exclusive to Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance in the late 15th century, and spread over the next two centuries...
to classical purism
Purism (architecture)
Purism is a historiographical term that refers to an initial phase of Renaissance architecture in Spain, which took place between 1530 and 1560, after to Isabelline Gothic and prior to the Herrerian architecture in the last third of 16th century...
of the second third of the 16th century and total nudity decorative that introduced the Herrerian style.
It originated with the construction of the Monastery of El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
(San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Community of Madrid) and, more specifically, with the reorganization of the project made by Cantabrian architect Juan de Herrera
Juan de Herrera
Juan de Herrera was a Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician.One of the most outstanding Spanish architects in the 16th century, Herrera represents the peak of the Renaissance in Spain. His sober style was fully developed in buildings like the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial...
(1530-1597), after the death of Juan Bautista de Toledo
Juan Bautista de Toledo
Juan Bautista de Toledo. Spanish architect educated in Italy, in the Italian High Renaissance. As many Italian renaissance architects, he had experience in both architecture and military and civil public works. Born, either in Toledo or in Madrid around 1515. Died May 19, 1567 in Madrid...
(1515-1567), author of the first design.
Its main representatives are the mentioned Herrera, whose the style owes its name, and Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora was a Spanish Renaissance architect. He was uncle to the architect Juan Gómez de Mora and to the humanist Baltasar Porreño...
(1553-1610), disciple of the anterior and architect of the Ducal Palace of Lerma
Lerma Ducal Palace
The Lerma Ducal Palace is the palace of the dukes of Lerma in Lerma in Spain, occupying the whole of one side of the city's Plaza. Originally it had immmense gardens below it, on the banks of the river, with fountains, stately homes and seven chapels, of which one remains. All documents relating...
(Lerma
Lerma
Lerma is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km south of Alessandria....
, Province of Burgos), other of the key works of Herrerian architecture.
Features
The Herrerian architecture, or Herrerian style is characterized by its geometricGeometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
rigor, the mathematical relation between the various architectural features, the clean volumes, the dominance of the wall over the span and the almost total absence of decoration, which is why in time was called desornamentaded style. Is also known as escorial style, referring to the building that serves as best example for the architectural style.
The Herrerian buildings are noted for its severe horizontality, achieved through the balance of forms, preferably cubic, which are arranged symmetrically in the structure. Usually have wooden roofs covered with slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
in the exterior and side towers, tipped with pointed toes pyramidal spire, which introduce an element of verticality, while helping to reinforce the sense of symmetry.
At other cases, not looking both the horizontal and the bulkiness, which is reached through the geometrical design of the various architectural elements. This is the case of the model used in the construction of parish churches, with great facades, quadrangular towers and heavy buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es.
It is, in most cases, works of great size, imposing in its environment and impress with its austere and monumental air.
In regard to decorative applications, these reduce the use of basic geometric shapes such as sphere
Sphere
A sphere is a perfectly round geometrical object in three-dimensional space, such as the shape of a round ball. Like a circle in two dimensions, a perfect sphere is completely symmetrical around its center, with all points on the surface lying the same distance r from the center point...
s and pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
s. From a sociological
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
standpoint, this sobriety is a response to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, in line with the guidelines set by the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
(1545-1563).
Historical development
The Herrerian style was the official architecture of the HabsburgHabsburg Spain
Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries , when Spain was ruled by the major branch of the Habsburg dynasty...
s, from the reign of Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
. The sociopolitical impact meant the construction of the Monastery of El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
(1563-1584) facilitated its expansion. To this contributed also the fact that Juan de Herrera
Juan de Herrera
Juan de Herrera was a Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician.One of the most outstanding Spanish architects in the 16th century, Herrera represents the peak of the Renaissance in Spain. His sober style was fully developed in buildings like the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial...
was appointed in 1579 Inspector of Monuments of the Crown.
The style spread through first in the Madridan comarcas of the Sierra de Guadarrama
Sierra de Guadarrama
The Sierra de Guadarrama is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges at the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located between the Sierra de Gredos in the province of Ávila, and Sierra de Ayllón in the province of Guadalajara...
, located within the catchment area of the Monastery of El Escorial, through two ways: works directly funded by the Royal Family and those promoted by the Guadarraman municipalities.
The first category covers infrastructure such as the Puente Nuevo, in Galapagar
Galapagar
Galapagar is a town northwest of Madrid, Spain, situated in the administrative region of the Community of Madrid. Of all the towns in the area, it was experiencing the most growth, mostly because of immigration and the conversion of old livestock fields into terrain for construction.Galapagar is...
, and buildings for private use by Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, as the Casa Veleta, also in the same town, and the Real Aposento de Torrelodones, both disappeared. Were built for comfort the movements of the King from Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
to the Real Sitio de El Escorial.
In El Escorial Town
El Escorial, Madrid
El Escorial is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, located 45 km northwest of the Spanish capital Madrid. Its population in 2009 was 14,979.The territory of El Escorial is home to the park of La Granjilla de la Fresneda...
, the Crown encouraged the development of various urban planning and the construction of the Church of San Bernabé, by Francisco de Mora, one of the contributors to Herrera in the works of the Royal Monastery.
The Royal Family also approved the granting of benefits to those municipalities to proceed with the renovation of its main public and religious buildings. The result of this measure is the currently Herrerian aspect of the parish churches of Valdemorillo
Valdemorillo
Valdemorillo is a municipality in the province and autonomous community of Madrid, Spain. It had a population of 7,860 in 2005....
and Navalagamella
Navalagamella
Navalagamella is a municipality of the Community of Madrid, Spain....
, both of medieval origin.
The Herrerian style quickly spread throughout Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. Some representative works are the Cathedral of Valladolid
Cathedral of Valladolid
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Assumption , better known as Valladolid Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Valladolid, Spain...
and the Puente de Segovia (Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
), both designed by Juan de Herrera
Juan de Herrera
Juan de Herrera was a Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician.One of the most outstanding Spanish architects in the 16th century, Herrera represents the peak of the Renaissance in Spain. His sober style was fully developed in buildings like the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial...
; the church of the Monastery of Uclés (Uclés
Uclés
Uclés is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 287 inhabitants....
, Cuenca Province), by Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora was a Spanish Renaissance architect. He was uncle to the architect Juan Gómez de Mora and to the humanist Baltasar Porreño...
; the Church of San Sebastián (Villacastín
Villacastín
Villacastín is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 1,572 inhabitants.- People :...
, Segovia Province), attributed to Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón
Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón was a Spanish architect of the Renaissance.He was born at Rascafría. His workings include the Palace of Monterrey in Salamanca, the Palace of Guzmanes in León, and the facade of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso at the University of Alcalá de Henares...
; the Colegiata de San Luis (Villagarcía de Campos
Villagarcía de Campos
Villagarcía de Campos is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 418 inhabitants....
, Valladolid Province), by the same author; and the College of Our Lady of Antigua
College of Our Lady of Antigua
The College of Our Lady of Antigua is located in the town of Monforte de Lemos , in the Ribeira Sacra. Built in the Herreriano, the school of Our Lady of Antigua is often known as El Escorial of Galicia, being of the few manifestations of this style in this community.It s forever linked to the...
(Monforte de Lemos
Monforte de Lemos
Monforte de Lemos is a city and municipality in northwestern Spain, in the province of Lugo, Galicia. It covers an area of 200 km² and lies 62 km from Lugo. As of 2005 it had a population of 19,472. It is located in a valley between the shores of Sil River and Miño River, in the area...
, Lugo Province) by Simón de Monasterio.
Special mention deserves the Ducal Palace of Lerma
Lerma
Lerma is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km south of Alessandria....
(Burgos Province), by Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora was a Spanish Renaissance architect. He was uncle to the architect Juan Gómez de Mora and to the humanist Baltasar Porreño...
that began in 1601. Led to the adoption of the emerging Herrerian style by the emerging Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
trends of the time and the establishment of a palatial architecture model, which was repeated throughout the 17th century.
Most civic buildings erected in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
during the reign of Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
and Philip IV
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
continued the architectural guidelines of that palace. This is the case of the Palacio de los Concejos
Palace of the Councils, Madrid
The Palace of the Councils or Palace of the Duke of Uceda The Palace of the Councils or Palace of the Duke of Uceda The Palace of the Councils or Palace of the Duke of Uceda (in Spanish, Palacio de los Consejos or Palacio del duque de Uceda is a building from the 17th century located in central...
, the Palacio de Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Palace, Madrid
The Palacio de Santa Cruz or Palace of Holy Cross is a baroque building in central Madrid, Spain. It now houses the foreign ministry or Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de España. It was used as a jail until the reign of Philip IV of Spain, when it was converted into a palace.Construction was...
and the Casa de la Villa, all of baroque bill, but with notable Herrerian reminiscent.
The influence of Herrerian style is also visible in the expansion that, separately, had its distinctive spire pyramidal, with slate roofs. This item was adopted by many constructions previous to 16th century, mainly in the bell towers and dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
s of the churches.
The 18th and 19th century meant the decline of this architectural movement. In the 20th century came to pick up, during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The Plaza de la Moncloa, in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, chaired by Air Force
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
headquarters, symbolizes the resurgence of the Herrerian architecture.