This site requires Javascript to be turned on. Please enable Javascript and reload the page.

Iberian Cultures: The Mediterranean and Transatlantic Blueprint

Roman Spain Manifested in Art and Architecture

The Roman Empire's era of rule over the Iberian peninsula left an undeniable mark on Spanish legacy and history, beginning a period of "Romanization" that encompassed several aspects of life, including the art and architecture of this region. Much of the artistic styling and architectural features of Roman rule are still visible in contemporary times, demonstrating the tremendous and lasting impact that the empire had on Spain.

The era following the Roman empire’s conquest of the Iberian peninsula witnessed a subsequent period of what some scholars call “Romanization”, in which the region experienced a transformation of its political practices, religion, and overall culture. One area in which this assimilation of Roman culture and way of life was most prevalent, and continues to be very visible in modern-day Spain, was the art and architecture of the Iberian peninsula. Spain even experienced a revitalization of Roman culture during the 10th through 13th centuries, demonstrating its enduring impact and the area’s nostalgic desire to "call back" to this era. The preservation of Roman architecture and pieces of art, combined with the allusions back to Roman style during the Romanesque period, reveal the significance that the empire had on its cultural history.

The Aqueduct of Segovia is one such Roman architectural feature that despite the passing of time, has remained as an important landmark and emblem of Roman influence in Spain. Following the conquest of the city of Segovia by the Romans in around 90 BCE, the aqueduct was constructed in 50 A.D in order to bring water from the Rio Frio to the growing city of Segovia. The contiguous arches present on the aqueduct, also known as "arcades", were a key architectural feature of the Roman style of architecture. Beyond the impressive height and width of the two-tiered structure, the structure consists of granite stone held together with nearly no mortar. A possible reasoning for this design choice was to make the structure more resistant to long-term erosion from water flow. The aqueduct was operational in Spain until 1973; its longevity as a functional piece of infrastructure is a testament to the architectural prowess of the Romans.

Other semi-preserved pieces of Roman architecture include the Ruins in Itálica and the Mérida theater in Spain. Elementum integer enim neque volutpat ac. Aliquet risus feugiat in ante metus dictum. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc. Ut placerat orci nulla pellentesque. In egestas erat imperdiet sed euismod nisi porta. Enim eu turpis egestas pretium aenean pharetra magna ac placerat. Tortor at auctor urna nunc id cursus. Purus sit amet luctus venenatis. At imperdiet dui accumsan sit amet. Arcu dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut tristique et. Urna porttitor rhoncus dolor purus. Id aliquet risus feugiat in ante. Tincidunt augue interdum velit euismod in. Suscipit tellus mauris a diam maecenas sed enim. Tincidunt id aliquet risus feugiat in ante metus dictum. Porta lorem mollis aliquam ut porttitor leo a. Ac tincidunt vitae semper quis lectus. Tincidunt dui ut ornare lectus sit. Fermentum et sollicitudin ac orci phasellus.

Enim ut sem viverra aliquet eget sit amet tellus cras. Eget arcu dictum varius duis. Malesuada bibendum arcu vitae elementum curabitur. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti. Eleifend mi in nulla posuere sollicitudin aliquam ultrices sagittis. Aliquam nulla facilisi cras fermentum odio eu feugiat pretium. Hendrerit gravida rutrum quisque non tellus orci. Eros in cursus turpis massa tincidunt dui ut ornare. Nunc id cursus metus aliquam eleifend mi in nulla posuere. Odio morbi quis commodo odio aenean. Pulvinar elementum integer enim neque volutpat ac.

Id neque aliquam vestibulum morbi blandit cursus risus at. Ornare massa eget egestas purus viverra accumsan in nisl nisi. Pretium quam vulputate dignissim suspendisse in est ante in. Enim ut tellus elementum sagittis. Mi proin sed libero enim. Imperdiet massa tincidunt nunc pulvinar. Amet dictum sit amet justo donec enim diam vulputate. Sed felis eget velit aliquet. Id diam vel quam elementum pulvinar etiam non. Rhoncus mattis rhoncus urna neque viverra justo nec ultrices dui. Eros donec ac odio tempor. Ullamcorper eget nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis. At ultrices mi tempus imperdiet. Massa eget egestas purus viverra accumsan in nisl nisi scelerisque. Nec nam aliquam sem et. Tempor nec feugiat nisl pretium. Nisl tincidunt eget nullam non nisi est sit amet. Lectus urna duis convallis convallis tellus id interdum. Tellus mauris a diam maecenas sed enim. Eget nunc scelerisque viverra mauris in aliquam sem.

Vitae tempus quam pellentesque nec nam aliquam sem et. Fermentum iaculis eu non diam phasellus vestibulum lorem. Eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel orci. Dolor purus non enim praesent elementum facilisis leo vel. Et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculus mus. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio facilisis. Enim facilisis gravida neque convallis a cras semper auctor neque. Egestas egestas fringilla phasellus faucibus scelerisque eleifend donec pretium. Sit amet justo donec enim diam vulputate ut pharetra sit. Ac turpis egestas sed tempus urna et pharetra pharetra massa. Nunc sed augue lacus viverra vitae congue eu consequat ac.

This page has paths:

Contents of this path:
1. Sample Page
2. Islamic Architecture Influence in Art around the world
3. Coinage in Spain: Money Talks (About Spain's History)
4. Muslim's influence on Alchemy and Chemistry Spain is the land of great cultural richness, once known as the Iberian peninsula at some point in history. It has been greatly influenced by muslims and left a mark, not only in its language but in other areas as well such as alchemy that later modernized chemistry. Alchemy is an area where philosophy, science, occultism, and theology comen together. With the newfound knowledge, scientists were able to develop this information and implement it to what we know today, chemistry.
6. Modern Spain 1492 to 1567: The Debate Over Moriscos and The Expulsion
7. Moorish Influences in Art, Architecture and Language in Modern-Day Spain and the Modern World Muslim reign over the Iberian Peninsula lasted for almost 800 years. It was over the course of these 800 years that Muslims incorporated parts of their Arab Muslim culture into that of the Peninsula and its inhabitants, especially in Southern Spain where the Muslim rulers centered their power. Muslim culture in Spain was not limited to Arab influences, on the contrary, from the point of their establishment in Spain, Muslims sought to differentiate their culture from that of Arab and African Muslims. From there, Spain became the birthplace for many elements of Muslim culture that would continue to persist in Spain and even spread throughout other parts of the world. The Spanish Muslims became known as los moros and their unique cultural elements were seen through art, architecture, language, music, as well as the sciences and math, the first three of which will be the focus of this page.
9. Moorish Presence in the Iberian Peninsula's Architecture
10. Roman Spain Manifested in Art and Architecture The Roman Empire's era of rule over the Iberian peninsula left an undeniable mark on Spanish legacy and history, beginning a period of "Romanization" that encompassed several aspects of life, including the art and architecture of this region. Much of the artistic styling and architectural features of Roman rule are still visible in contemporary times, demonstrating the tremendous and lasting impact that the empire had on Spain.
11. Reconquista- Vision of the Christian Kingdoms

This page has paths:

This page references: