|
The influence of
Islamic Styles (such as Arabic script on buildings),
Materials (such as coloured tiles) and Architecture is evident all over Spain and
Portugal (as it is to a lesser extent in
Puglia and
Sicily).
Mozarabs were Christians
in Islamic Spain who lived as Christians - which they were
permitted to do under Islamic Law provided they paid the
appropriate (heavy) taxes. Over time many fled
north into the Christian held areas, and brought with them a
distinctive church architecture now called Mozarabic.
With the beautiful exceptions of
San
Miguel de Escalada and
Suso Monastery,
little of this survives.
Mudéjar was the
name given later on by Castilians to the surrendered Moor and Saracen
communities who had been overrun as the Reconquista advanced
southwards. Although Spain had been effectively
rechristianized (with the exception of Granada) by 1232, a
few of these communities survived as functioning Islamic
groups right down to the forced conversion of everything
Spanish to Christianity in 1522. Mudéjar architecture,
which was a brickwork (and tiles) based Islamo-Christian
hybrid, flourished in the 1300s and 1400s. Examples of
the style include the church of
San Roman, Toledo, the cloister of
Rábida Convent, the church of
San Tirso in Sahagún, and the
campanile of the
Cistercian Abbey of Rueda.
Zaragoza and Teruel are said to have some of the finest
Mudéjar buildings (no pics yet - we didn't make it this time
round!)
|