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From Gallaecia to the Euro-Region
Obradoiro Square (Santiago de Compostela)
Baroque in Galicia
Baroque was strongly spread in Galicia during the 17th century, being
Santiago the main diffusing and creating centre. The image that is currently
transmitted from this city, this “sea of stone”, is the result of the importance that
Baroque architecture had in the city. In a first phase, between 1650 and 1750,
the privileged classes nobility, chivalry and clergy, began building big stone
buildings that contrasted the traditional popular architecture, mostly made of
pallabarro (“adobe”) and wood.
The introduction of Baroque in Santiago started in the monastery of
San Paio, which remodelled the façade that gave access to the Quintana
square, and finished with the construction of the façade of Obradoiro in the
cathedral, and the palace of Rajoy. Throughout this period, the city gathered
the most outstanding Galician architects, who left greatly valuable examples.
Among many other constructions, Domingo de Andrade was the author of the
cock tower of the cathedral, the Baroque façade of the convent of San Domingos
de Benaval, the house of the Parra and the Casa de la Conga.
The church of the Compañía de
Romay, also dated back from this
period, is an excellent example of
adaptation of the characteristics of
Baroque to the traditional architectural
austerity of the Jesuits. San Martiño
Pinario also underwent an important
remodelling in this period, by the hand
of Fray Gabriel de las Casas, the
best representative of the Classicism
of Compostela. Another architect
that had his own personality within
the general characteristics was Simón
Rodríguez, who opted for the so-called
Baroque of plaques, of which there
is an excellent example in the façade
of the convent of Santa Clara. But
it was especially Fernando de Casas
y Novoa the one who took this style
to its highest peak with the monumental
façade of the cathedral.
Given the diffusion that Baroque
had in Galicia, one of its main
characteristics was the adaptation to
the materials and characteristics of
the environment. This is the reason
why the council of O Barco de
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