Want to know what the most famous Spanish buildings in Spain are? Want to know where these famous buildings are & the history behind them? Our guide to famous Spanish buildings gives you the facts & information you want to know.
One of the nominations for the New Seven Wonders of the world was Spain’s own Alhambra Fortress in Granada. Though it did not make the final seven when they were announced on July 7th. 2007, it is still one of the famous Spanish buildings. What if all the seven wonders of the world were in Spain? What kind of buildings would they be?
Famous Spanish buildings follow an architecture that is an exotic example of the influences of the early Moors, Catholics and Modern Surrealism. Basilicas, Cathedrals, Plazas, Museums etc. constitute some of the famous Spanish buildings. An architectural tour of Spain will showcase a few of these persuasions.
Famous Muslim Spanish Buildings
Eight hundred years of Moorish Muslim rule of Spain should have definitely left an indelible mark on the architecture of at least some of the Famous Spanish buildings. The Alhambra Fortress, the home of a series of Moorish rulers and the last stand of the final Moorish leader of Al-Andalus, is one of these buildings that stands out predominantly against the skyline of Granada.
Famous Christian Spanish Buildings
The influence of the Catholic Church is sculpted in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in the northwestern region of Spain which is yet another famous Spanish building. It is one of the oldest cathedrals in Spain with many of its component structures dating back to a 1000 years. Legend has it that the bones of Saint James, an apostle of Jesus Christ are buried in its tombs.
La Sagrada Familia is the most famous sight in Barcelona bearing a markedly religious influence and surrealism – weird and wonderful. Designed by the Architect Antoni Gaudi and commissioned in 1883, the work on the Basilica is yet unfinished and is expected to be completed only in 2026; a hundred years after the death of the Architect who conceived it. The La Sagrada Familia’s façades look like a museum full of sculptures. So numerous and detailed are the images, rich in Christian tradition, that you could spend hours walking around it and still find more interesting statues – a pair of binoculars would be helpful. The structure can be said to be a representation of the Bible in stone.
Architecture does not have to be old to make its mark in some of Spain’s famous buildings. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is an example of the influence of modernism in buildings. A structure in steel, concrete, glass etc., the building is a combination of different geometrical shapes blending one into another to give not only an aesthetic appearance but also solidity. The flowing lines of the building with a spider like sculpture just in front makes it a sight worth seeing.
An integral part of Spanish communal life is the “Plaza”. Spain abounds in plazas of a variety of shapes and sizes. One remarkable plaza is the Plaza de España in Seville. The eye-catching sloping staircase entrance to the plaza, the intricate and beautiful floor pattern and the stately buildings with their majestic towers definitely puts it in the category of Famous Spanish Buildings.
The Famous Spanish buildings are distinct in their nature and a veritable feast for the eyes each one of them justifiably a Wonder of the New World.
