Mudéjar Architecture of
Aragón
(1986, 2001)
Spain
The development in the 12th century of Mudéjar art in Aragon resulted from the particular political, social and cultural conditions that prevailed in Spain after the Reconquista. This art, influenced by Islamic tradition, also reflects various contemporary European styles, particularly the Gothic.
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Present until the early 17th century, it is characterized by an extremely refined and inventive use of brick and glazed tiles in architecture, especially in the belfries. In 2001 the "Mudéjar Architecture of Aragón" was extended to cover also the Teruel area.
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Aragón is an autonomous region and former kingdom in northeastern Spain, bordering on the Pyrenees Mountains. The region is now composed of the provinces of Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel; its capital is the city of Zaragoza.
After the Romans defeated the Carthaginians during the Punic Wars, Aragón became part of the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis. The Visigoths conquered the region late in the 5th century, the Moors in the 8th century. Subsequently the region was incorporated with the kingdom of Navarre.
In 1035 Ramiro I, a son of the Navarrese ruler Sancho III, established Aragón as an independent kingdom. Navarre was annexed in 1076, and during the next 100 years additional territory was added by successful wars against the Moors. In 1137 Aragón was united with Catalonia and Barcelona, and Aragón grew into a leading Mediterranean naval power around the port of Barcelona. The kings of Aragón gained possession of the Balearic Islands, Sicily, Sardinia, and Naples during the next two centuries. In 1238 the important city of Valencia was captured by Aragón from the Moors.
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Formal merger of the two kingdoms took place on the accession of Charles I in 1516, but Aragón retained its own administration and representative institutions until the end of the 17th century.
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In 2004 the Spanish post office issued a very nice set of eight stamps, featuring "The Romantic Art of Aragón". The stamps are contained in a booklet of 8 self-adhesive stamps.
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The Mudéjar Architecture is described on the below souvenir sheet, issued in honour of the World Heritage designation of this style, that in many respects comes very close to the Manueline style used in the same era in Portugal.
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| One famous present-day Aragonite is Dona Fabiola de Mora y
Aragón (*1930), who through her marriage in 1960 to King Baudouin of
Belgium became Queen of Belgium until the king's death in 1993. .
Much to their regret the couple remained childless, and at King Baudouin's death in 1993 the Belgian Throne was assumed by his younger brother Albert, who was now King Albert II of Belgium. Through his mother, Queen Astrid, King Baudouin was a member of the Glücksburg Dynasty that originated in Denmark and through marriage spread continent-wide in Europe.
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Sources and links:
Other World Heritage Sites in Spain (on this site). Please refer to the UNESCO-listing, Spain-section, for further information on the individual properties.
Revised 19 jul 2007 |
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