Chai- TI. SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE.

IGl
order has two stories of nicnos in its intcrcoliimniatioiis. in tlie upper central one wlicreof
is placed tlie statue of San Lorenzo. 'I'lie two minor doors in tliis fa<;adc are also made
features in tlie design. The facade towards the east has the projecting handle of the grid-
iron to which we have alluded, in which part is contained the palace
; and westward of it
tlie great chapel or church, with its cupola rising above the mass, to complete the com-
position, lowards the south the length is .580 ft., similar to the length on the north. On
entering from the central gate of the western facade, the monastery is divided from the col-
lege by a large vestibule, from which three large arched openings lead into the king's court
:
this is 2.'iO ft. long, and l,'5f) ft. wide, surrounded by liuildings of five stories, and orna-
itiented with pilasters. At the eastern end of this court is the entrance to the church, over
whose vestil)ide or ])ronaos are the libraries. To it a flight of seven stejjs crosses the whole
width of the court; and from the landing ri.ses a Doric arcaded porch of five openings, three
whereof belong to the central compartment and lead to the church, the other two leading
to the monastery and the college. IJehind the porch the fa<^ade of the church rises, and is
Hanked by two towers, which res])ectively belong to the monastery and college, and are
ornamented above the general height of the building*; of the court with two orders of
pilasters, being terminated by small cu])oIas. The interior of the church is Doric, and is in
plan a Greek cross. The nave is 5:5 ft. and the aisles are .'50 ft. wide. Its whole lengtii
is 3G4 ft., its width 230, and height 170. From the intersection of the nave and transe])ts
tlie cupola rises, 6G ft. in diameter, and ?,S0 ft. in height from the pavement to the cross.
Its exterior is composed with a square iundxmr or drum, if it may be so called, from which
the order rises. The choir is only .SO ft. high, and its length but 60 ft. In point of taste
and dimensions, the church is inferior to several in other ])arts of Europe. The pres-
bytery, we should have stated, is raised, so as to form almost another church, and seemingly
without relation to the ])rinci])al one. The staircase which leads to the Pantheon, and
which possesses considerable magnificence, is placed between the church and the ante-
sacristy : we are not aware why this name has been given to the .sepulchre of the kings of
Spain. It is nearly under the high altar. The chamber ajjjjropriatcd to the reception of
the kings is .SG ft. diameter, and .S8 ft. in height, richly encrusted with various marbles and
metals, and ornamented with sixteen doid)le Corinthian pilasters on pedestals, arranged
octagonally
; and between them are recesses, with the sarcophagi, amounting to twenty-six,
that is, four in each of six sides, and two over the entrance which faces the altar of the Ke-
burrection. This is a fair specimen of the style which prevailed in Spain imder the reigns
of Philip IV. and Charles II. The college, the seminary, and the royal palace occupy the
rest of the building. In 1773, many additions were made to the buildings about the Es-
cnrial for the Infants Don Antonio and Don Giibriele, by Villaneuva, an Italian architect,
and by them the palace was much imjiroved. Juan de He-rera, who died in 15^7, besides
his employment at the building just described, contributed greatly to the advancement of
the art by the execution of the many commissions with which he wasentrusted. Thebridge
of Segovia, at Madrid, is by him
; as is the royal pleasure-house at Aranjuez, begun under
Philip II. and finished l)y Charles III.,a work which, though far from pure, exhibits
great arciiitectural ability. His successor at the Esfurial was Francesco de Alora, by
whom, at Madrid, is the Pal ice de los Consejos, the most splendid edifice which that
ca))ital can boast Inste:<d of a central doorway, it has two at its flanks, of the Doric
order, with appropriate decorations. In the be'iiiining of the seventeentli Centurv, the
great square of Madrid was erected after the designs of Juan Gomez de Mora, and is ad-
mirable for is grandeur and symmetry. This architect built at Alcala the church and
college of the Jesuits, which, Milizia says, is a magnificent and well-proportioired edifice.
It is of two order^;, and the material emphiyed in th fii^ade is granite. The rojal convent
of the .\iigustii:s, at Madrid, is also attr-buied to him.
37"2. Early in the eigh.einth century Felipe Ivara, or Juvara, a native of Messina,
had very great eirnploy, we mi.iht almost >ay tlirou.;hout Europe. He became the pupil
of Fontana. and attirwards, on his \isiting Spain, seems to have established a school there.
He built the facade of the royal palace oi S. Ildefi>nso, looking towards the gaidens.
I
Ivara died in 173.5, at Madrid, whither he hnd l)een invited by Philip V. to rel)uild the
palace, which had been consumed by fire. The work was afterwards entrusted to Sacchetti,
ja pupil of Ivara. It is on a very large scale, and was most solidly constructed.
373. We have thought it necessary to give the above succinct accouirt of the architecture
lof Spain, which did not, however, produce, after tlie revival of the arts in Europe, any
jworks, except in respect of dimensions, omparable with those of Italy. The abuses in
Ihem are almost universally carried to an extent scarcely credible; it is, therefore, useless
to refer the reader or student to them as models. It almost seems as if from Italy pure
iirchitecmie had not had time to spread itself before' it became tinctured with the corrup-
tions of Borromini
;
which, not only in Sjiainand Portugil.but throughout Germany, and
l?en P'rance, were diffused with incredible rapidity. Llaguno and Cean-Bermudez,
^^oticiiis de los Arquitectos, Sfc , de Espana, 4 vols. 4to., Madrid, 1829. G. E. Street, Suiiie
Account
of
Gothic Architecture in Span, 8\o.. 1865.
M