Spanish Baroque & the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

     The western facade of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in western Spain is one of the best examples of the Churrigueresque style of decoration in the world. The style was popularized by the Churriguere family, a Spanish family known for the construction of altars. It is a popular variation of the Spanish Baroque style which is primarily seen in Spain and Spanish colonies in the New World.

     Many buildings which were not constructed in the Baroque style were changed during the 17th and 18th centuries to have Baroque and Churrigueresque aspects. Many of the buildings in Cuzco, for instance, were given Churrigueresque ornamentation during this period, making it perhaps the best example of the style applied on a large scale. Santiago de Compostela is another building so converted; originally built in a Gothic style, the western facade was rebuilt in the Churrigueresque style.

     Spanish Baroque is a more emotional architectural style than its northern European counterparts. Baroque architecture in other parts of Europe is intended to provoke an intellectual response by intentionally violating the "rules" of architecture which had been rediscovered in neo-Classical and Gothic architecture. Spanish Baroque and the Churrigueresque style in particular focus instead on provoking an emotional response, in particular focusing on extremely ostentatious decoration. This decoration, including numerous finely detailed bas-reliefs and such ornamentation as miniature spires, can be seen in the images on this page. Santiago de Compostela is particularly rich, but Churrigueresque influences can be seen on the clocktowers of the Cathedral of Quito.