Gothic Architecture in Italy, Spain, Portugal

Italian Gothic Architecture

Italian Gothic Architecture

Also known as Romanesque Gothic, featured thick supporting walls, few small windows, and thick towers, deviating from the typical Gothic elements like external buttresses, narrow naves, high towers, large windows, and gargoyles.

Milan Cathedral

Second largest Gothic cathedral globally, showcasing a blend of Gothic and Romanesque styles with over 50 architects contributing to its construction over five centuries.

Doge's Palace

Located in Venice, has a unique mix of Islamic and Gothic architecture, featuring columns, pointed arches, capitals, and open tracery typical of Venetian Gothic.

Ca D’Oro

A Venetian Gothic palace in Venice, Italy, known for its ornate facade decorated with gold leaf, with similar Venitian tracery with Palace of Doge. Designed by by Giovanni and Bartolomeo Buon.

Florence Cathedral

A Gothic cathedral with a Renaissance dome, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, featuring polychrome marble and competed dome design by Brunelleschi and Ghiberti.

Siena Cathedral

Characterized by Siena red and Prato green marbles, showcasing polychrome details and zebra-marble stripes on piers and walls.

Orvieto Cathedral

Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, features striped marble, basalt, travertine, and alabaster-filled windows, along with glittering mosaics on the facade by Cesare Nebbia.

S. Croce

The largest Franciscan church globally, housing chapels decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and monuments of renowned Italians like Michelangelo and Galileo.

Messina Cathedral

An example of Sicilian Norman architecture with colorful Arab motifs and a unique bell tower with an astronomical clock.

Palermo Cathedral

Reflects various styles due to historical additions and restorations, featuring a carved portal executed by Antonio Gambara and wooden leaves by Francesco Miranda.

Spanish Gothic Architecture

Characterized by horseshoe arches, stone tracery, rich surface decoration, and excessive ornamentation.

Horseshoe arch

An architectural element shaped like a horseshoe, commonly found in Islamic and Mudejar architecture.

Stone tracery

Decorative stone work in windows, screens, and panels, often seen in Gothic architecture.

Rich & intricate surface decoration

Elaborate and detailed ornamentation on the surface of buildings, typical of Gothic architecture.

Excessive ornamentation

Decorative elements that are overly elaborate or ornate, sometimes considered too much.

Cimborio or lantern

A dome or tower-like structure that crowns a building, often providing light or ventilation.

Retablo or Reredos

An ornamental screen or decoration behind an altar in a church, often depicting religious scenes.

Manueline Style

Portuguese Late-Gothic style honoring King Manuel I, known for rich maritime and Christian-themed ornamentation, including armillary spheres and ropes/cables.

Salamanca New Cathedral

A late Gothic church with stellar vaulting, stone reliefs, and modern elements due to a renovation in 1992.

Barcelona Cathedral

Cathedral dedicated to Santa Eulàlia, who is the co-patron saint of Barcelona; her body is entombed inside the cathedral’s crypt

Avila Cathedral

A fortress-like cathedral adjoining the famous medieval walls of Avila

Burgos Cathedral

Known as the most poetic of Spanish Cathedral, features intricate open-work spires.

Seville Cathedral

Originally a mosque, converted to Christianity in 1248. Largest Medieval Cathedral in Europe after St. Peter's, Rome, and houses Columbus' tomb.

Retablo Mayor

World's largest altarpiece carved by Pierre Dancart over 44 years.

Toledo Cathedral

One of Europe's greatest Gothic structures with a spectacular Capilla Mayor.

La Lonja De La Seda

Founded in 1469 as a market for oil, later became a center for silk trading, showcasing Valencian Gothic architecture.

Armillary Spheres

Spherical objects representing celestial longitude and latitude lines, commonly used as decorative elements in Manueline architecture.

Cross of the Order of Christ

A symbol often incorporated into Manueline architecture, representing the military order that played a significant role in Portugal's maritime exploration.

Shells

Ornate architectural motifs inspired by the sea, commonly found in Portuguese buildings from the late 15th to early 16th century.

Cable

Ornate twisted rope motif in Portuguese architecture during the Age of Discovery, symbolizing the country's maritime prowess.

Convent of Christ Tomar

A Portuguese architectural masterpiece combining Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, and Renaissance styles, featuring fortress-like walls and maritime exploration themes.

Jeronimos Monastery

A prominent example of Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style located in Lisbon, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Monastery of Batalha

A Late Gothic Manueline style monastery in Portugal, serving as the burial church for Portuguese royalty and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Torre de Belem

A limestone-built fortress in Lisbon, showcasing Manueline architectural style and significant for its role in Portuguese maritime explorations, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.