[gothic-l] Visigothic castle

[Friþunanþs Ximeneiks]

Kaoru666 at hotmail.com wrote:


> Take a look at this beautiful visigothic castle and tell me what
> you think.
> Also; if you can tell me something more about it I would be very
> grateful. I have very little information about it.
> Here's the adress: http://dogaru.com/places/visigo~1.jpg
> I hope you like the castle and that it provides you with more
> knowledge.
> Awiliudón,
> Alberto

Hello Alberto,

Though there could be Visigothic ruins over which the structure in
question was built (doubtful) the structure pictured
in your link and which you assume to be "visigothic" is actually a
convent commissioned by Fernando and Isabel in
1476 as a gracious religious gesture in commemoration of victory in war.
It is called San Juan de los Reyes. Its
architect was Juán Güas and though it was built in Toledo and is in the
so called high Gothic style it has nothing
whatsoever to do with the Goths or Visigoths who nonetheless reigned
there for some time.

By the way, according to reliable sources- The term Gothic or 'Gothique'
in French, (as it pertains to architecture)
became a pejorative term to describe the style in question after that
style fell into disfavor and became associated with
everything barbaric, thus the association with the barbarous people who
at the time were thought to have ravaged
most of Europe, - the Goths.

As concerns 'true' Visigothic architecture, Spain has quite a few
monuments. They are completely preserved and
listed as world heritage sites. The latter are well documented in period
documents like the Chronicle of Albelda, the
Chronicle of Alphonse II and the Liber Testamentorum housed in the
Cathedral of Oviedo. Oviedo by the by was
the seat of the second Regnum Visigothorum after the invasion of 711.
The Chronicle of Albelda under Alphonse II
reinstated the Visigothic kingdom in Oviedo with the following words;
Omnem Gotorum ordinem sicut Toleto fuerat,
(the whole organization of the Goths just as it was at Toledo). Thus
when the second Visigothic reign was instituted,
it preserved many of the institutions, customs and (and as stated)-
architecture of the Visigoths until the present day.

Interestingly, Visigothic architecture has a unique style. Most chapels
are in the basic cruciform plan but are short and
wide. Interior spaces are compartmentalized differently than other
architectural spaces of the period. The ceremonial
spaces in churches and chapels are separated from the congregation by
carved stone lattice-work and/or carved tiles.
Arian Christians believed in keeping a separation between the priesthood
and the laity and a fully secret rite. The
architectural elements used to separate the latter were usually
decorated with interlaced, vegetal and zoomorphic motifs,
discs, and abstract designs. - Interestingly, the Visigothic chapels in
Asturias were the first buildings in Europe to evidence
exterior reinforcements to offset the outward forces of interior
vaulting and thus are the first to exhibit the precursors to
flying buttresses.

I will try to list the major Visigothic monuments in Spain sometime in
the future but at the moment I have a pile of papers to grade.

Cheers,
F. X.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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