The widespead and numerous Romanesque churches in the northern half
of Spain rival those of France for their distinctiveness and
originality and for their remarkable sculpture. They were mainly
built between about 1000 and 1200 and mirror the progressive
rolling back of Islamic power in the long reconquista, first of all
along the north coast and in Catalonia, which was only occupied by
the Muslims for about a hundred years, and then in Leon and
Castile. Their architectural styles vary greatly from region to
region, and some of them contain fine frescoes as well. Romanesque
style introduced the first revival of the art of sculpture since
Roman times, and in Spain there good examples of decorative carving
as far back as the seventh century. It was the age of pilgrimages
and many of the churches were founded along the pilgrim routes from
the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, which are
popular destinations for travellers in Spain today. Romanesque
Churches of Spain, which covers a hundred and twenty churches in
Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre and the Basque Country, Cantabria,
Castile, Leon, Asturias and Galicia, and includes no less than
twenty pre-Romanesque churches in the Visigothic, Asturian and
Mozarabic styles of 600-1000, many with exotic features such as the
horseshoe arch, is the first comprehensive book to be published on
the subject. It is a perfect companion for travellers, with its ten
maps and its regional arrangement, and will be a stimulus for the
exploration of wild and remote areas that are unfamiliar to many
people, especially across the Pyrenees and in the mountainous areas
of Aragon, Cantabria and Asturias. It will also be invaluable as a
reference book, with its 262 illustrations, for all those with a
general interest in the history of Spanish architecture and
sculpture, many of the churches possessing outstanding examples
such as Santiago de Compostela, Jaca, Soria, Agramunt, Ripoll,
Armentia, Estibaliz, Sanguesa, Santo Domingo de Silos and San Pedro
de la Nave. Peter Strafford is a distinguished journalist who
worked on the Times for more than three decades, including in Paris
and Brussels, and was, among other things, the Times correspondent
in New York for five years. His acclaimed Romanesque Churches of
France has recently been reprinted.
General
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