Catalan Gothic: Difference between revisions

The ,Catalan Gothic is an artistic style, with particular characteristics in the field of architecture, which occurred in the Crown of Aragon between the 13th and 15th, ie the end of Gothic Europe, which gets its name , and at the beginning of the Renaissance. The name "Catalan Gothic" is bounded especially to Barcelona and its area of influence (former Comarca of Barcelona), which hosts its own characteristics.

Despite its name, the Catalan Gothic differs of the Gotic Art|Gothics]] from other parts of Europe. In architecture, for example, does not seek excessive height, not highlights in its flying buttresses and yes for its very sober decoration.

Historical context

Side facade of the church of the monastery of Pedralbes.

The style began because of the wealth generated by the expansion of the Crown of Aragon, first to the Languedoc and then across the Mediterranean to Sicily, the Kingdom of Naplesand the Duchy of Athens. The society of the time demand a renewal of the old Romanesque buildings and new public buildings to new institutions and services. Reaches its climax in the 15th century, although the Catholic Monarchs has united the Crowns of Castile and Aragon to the detriment of the second, which was denied initially trade with America if it was through the port of Seville.

Artistic context

It speaks of "Gothic style" and "Gotham" in relation to the time frame. But not to be confused with the Gothic French, Spanish, German or another, as though it has similar traits in that at the time were the latest available technologies (arch, rose window, struts), are many the differences.

Thus the Catalan Gothic not looking for a great height, but tends to match the dimensions of width and height, use covered almost flat against the towering slopes so characteristic of central and northern Europe, so it does not have large gaps because the Mediterranean light is much stronger than the rest of Europe, or with vast buttresses for its naves are almost equal in height, no decorated its pillars with figurative motifs and not notable for the intricacy of its vaults.

The main features of Catalan Gothic, Gothic compared with the international, are:

Catalan gothic	International gothic
Unitary spaces	Compartmentalized spaces
Compact and smooth exterior forms	Exterior forms to varying depths
Large smooth surfaces where the bodies of the structure just are marked with moldings	Lack of smooth surfaces
Use of wooden decks on Diaphragm arches	Little use of this technique
Horizontality	Verticality
Finished towers in flat roofs	Pinnacles and needles
Independent bell tower, or to the crossing or to the apses	Pair of bell towers in the western façade
Great formal purity	Decorativism and structural upheaval
Almost elimination of transepts	Prominent transepts
Buttresses	Flying buttresses
Chapels between the buttresses	Exterior buttresses
Roofs	Rooftops
Predominantly full of gaps	Predominance of gaps filled
Little importance of stained glasses	Big importance of stained glasses
Equalization height of the three naves	Big difference in height between naves
Pleasure for the only naves	Little use of the only nave
Great separation between pillars	Little separation between pillars
Use of the arch over the orgive	Almost exclusive use of the orgive
Octagonal plan for a items (pillars, towers, domes, etc.)	Little use of the octagonal plan