Plaza Mayor Salamanca

PLAZA MAYOR SALAMANCA

 

INTRODUCTION

Nature:Salamanca's Plaza Mayor is not perfectly square,it is quadrangular trapezoidal.Elevational you can see three floors with balconies and rectangular openings, semicircular arches on pillars.

Author:Alberto Churriguera Ocaña.

Style: Spanish Baroque.

Timeline:1729-1756

The European economy is in development period. There are greater prosperity in agriculture and industry. Monarchical absolutism across Europe reaches its greatest strength and splendor and  the bourgeoisie oppsoses  the absolute monarchy. Also appeared a political system the European balance. There is also a very artistic evolution.

Alberto Churriguera Ocaña was a Spanish Baroque architect, member of the Churriguera family. He was master builder of the New Cathedral of Salamanca and began work on the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca in 1728 and made two paintings of the Plaza, as well as other important works in Madrid and Valladolid.

ANALYSIS

It is an urban space, is the center of social life of the city.The floor of the square is not perfectly square, it is quadrangular trapezoidal.

The iconographic program of the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca consists of a set of icons, also called medallions, are located in the spandrels of the eighty-eight arches. There are also coats of arms in the arcades of the biggest arches, on balconies and other architectural elements.The square adopts a uniform, broken only by the presence on two sides of the Town Hall and the facade known as Royal Pavilion. The set is closed at the top by a stone balustrade at intervals is decorated with pyramid-shaped pinnacles rematos with a fleur de lis. In total 96 pinnacles that surround the perimeter of the square.The walls of the facades open the center by 247 balconies. The entrance to the square is done through nine gates and two passages .The name entries are: Arco de San Martin, the Corrillo, Arco del Toro.Its materials are marble on the facade of Town Hall to till the shields of the royal arms and the city,all outer parameters are of squared stone, either granite or Villamayor.With the rough stone foundations and the first four rows of the pillars of the porticos they were made. These courses were changed to granite,pretty slate was used in the work.The lime was used as an indispensable element to make the mortar that connected the stones, fine plaster used on the interior walls and wood was also used.

Its function is a public space.

The characteristics of the Plaza Mayor correspond to the Baroque style, it was designed by different architects but the main one was Alberto Churriguera.

CONCLUSION

The Baroque is a period of pessimism and disappointment but left very important works and the main square of Salamanca is one of them and a symbol of Salamanca.It was designed mainly by Alberto Churriguera but also had other architects.