SPANISH ROMANESQUE.
So far as the Spanish peninsula was not subject to the influence of the Moors—either to their direct rule, or, after their overthrow, to their architectonic traditions—it was subject to the spirit of the French. In some cases French architects supervised Spanish works. Thus the walls of Avila (to9o–to99) were built by a French architect, and the Cathedral of Tarragona is said to have been erected by another.
Vaititing.—In the Spanish buildings from the close of the eleventh century we therefore find the barrel-vault as the covering of the nave, while the side-aisles had half-vaults of the same kind, forming an abut ment to the central one. Entire barrel-vaults on all three aisles are also met with, and, exceptionally, galleries over the side-aisles. The transepts project considerably. The choir has side-aisles, and three apses, two of which open into the transept, form the principal choir. The roofs are flat. Groined vaulting first began to replace the barrel-vault in the nave about the close of the twelfth century.
One of the oldest Romanesque churches in Spain is the eleventh century Church of S. Pedro at Huesca. S. Pablo del Campo at Bar celona, a Benedictine church, was built between 1117 and 1127; a cupola rises at the intersection, and three apses form the east end. The Church of S. Pedro de las PueIlas at the same place is similar. S. Pedro de las Galligans at Gerona has a barrel-vault buttressed by two half-barrel vaults over the aisles.
Shrine of S. Jago. —The famous shrine of S. Jago de Compostella in Galicia is throughout a French work both in plan and in execution; it essentially a repetition of St. Sernin at Toulouse. A three-aisled nave borne by shafted pillars, groined vaulting in the side-aisles with galleries over, a middle aisle with barrel-vaulting, the transverse ribs or arches of which rest on half-columns which, forming part of the piers, reach front the pavement to the vaulting, are the chief points of its construction. The transept also has side-aisles with galleries over. A lantern rises at the intersection, and each wing of the transept has two apses on the east side. The choir has side-aisles which run around the great apse. Five small apsidal chapels open into the aisle. It was begun in 1078 or 1oS2, but it was not until the beginning of the twelfth century that much progress had been made. The transept bears the date of 1154; from the year 1168.
Master Matthews worked upon it, and in iiSS he erected the rich portal.
S. Isidoro at Leon was dedicated in 1149, and has a three-aisled nave with barrel-vaulting in both the centre aisle and the widely-projecting transepts, while the side-aisles have groined vaulting. Stilted and cusped arches in the transept recall the Moorish spirit. S. Milian at Segovia, a church of the twelfth century, also has barrel-vaults; it has three apses toward the east, with an octangular cupola over the inter section; S. Esteban and S. Martin in the same city are similar in their arrangement. In these three churches there is an exact correspondence in the open arcades which extend around on the exterior of the side aisles.
First Appearance of the Gothic in pointed arch makes its appearance in the second half of the twelfth century, as in the barrel-vault of S. Nicolas at Gerona, a church without side-aisles; in the church at Elne, now belonging to France; and in the Cathedral of Lugo, some parts of which are round-arched, while others are pointed. The structure was executed in II29-1 77. Among the late Romanesque edifices is the Cathe dral of Salamanca, commenced about I17S; it is constructed entirely with pointed' arches and domicil vaulting. Similar to it is the Cathedral of Zamora, for the completion of which the date 1174 is indeed given, but cannot refer to the entire structure.
The intimate relationship of the Spanish architecture to the French need not surprise us: it is based upon circumstances. As Christianity in Spain lived in constant war with the Moors, it would naturally seek a definite outward expression which should bear witness to this opposition. This expression it could find only by the strictest conformity to the circle of ideas and forms of its Christian neighbors. So long as the war with the Moors claimed all the intellectual power of the country, France, as the nearest neighbor, exercised a predominant influence. It must have preponderated so much the more since France was in the twelfth cen tury the land of chivalry which inspired the pious to do battle with the unbelievers.