Looking for famous Spanish monuments? Want to know where you can find the most famous monuments in Spain? Our guides to Famous Spanish monuments gives you the facts & information you want to know.
The famous Spanish Monuments are more often than not, those that were erected by the Romans, the Visigoths and the Moors. The most ancient monuments date back to the megalithic age at around 3000 B.C. and can be seen in the Cave Paintings of Pinal, Pena de Candamo, El Pendal, Pasiega, Ribadesella and Altamira. But unquestionably, the most spectacular ones are those that the Moors constructed and left in Spain.
The first people to leave their presence of having been in Spain were the Romans with their magnificent constructions. A lot of their monuments can still be found in Spain but the most famous and impressive being the great Aqueduct of Segovia and the ruins of the Amphitheater of Mérida – a place for battles among Roman Gladiators that could accommodate 15,000 spectators at a time. Other impressive monuments such as an aqueduct and a circus can also be found here.
The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the surviving monuments of the Roman era and is a magnum opus of the engineering skills of the Romans. The beauty of the structure is that it is built using rough hewn granite blocks, joined together without mortar or clamps. A close look at the stones will show the holes drilled into them to lift them up to a staggering height of 115 feet, at places in two tiers.
The Visigoths came next and one of the famous structures that they constructed is the Basilica Vega del Mar at Marbella. The structure is not completely intact and only the ruins of the Basilica can now be seen. It is a Paleo-Christian construction with a Necropolis situated nearby.
Famous Spanish Muslim Monuments
The Moors, the Spanish Muslims, evolved a unique style of their own which differs significantly from the conventional Muslim architecture that you are likely to come across in Africa. One of the most famous monuments that have stood the vagaries of time, nature and man is undoubtedly the Great Mosque of Cordoba; started by Abd-ar-Rahman I in 787, restored and added to by successive Caliphs, it is the third biggest in the world and the most beautiful building in all of Spain.
Second to none and just as beautiful and impressive comes Granada’s Alhambra Palace; an architectural masterpiece, preserved in all its originality. A meticulous blend of color, light and pattern enhance the visual effect of the structure. A mesmerizing sight to see is the “honey combed dome” of the Hall of the Abencerages, the world’s most famous vault.
Famous Modern Spanish Monuments
Modernism has also played a part in contributing to some famous monuments to Spain, notable among them is the “Sagrada Familia” Cathedral in Barcelona conceived by Antoni Gaudi. The Cathedral maybe stated to be a representation of the Bible in stone.
The famous monuments of Spain are a lasting memorial to the imagination, the lofty ambition and the architectural and technical skills of those who built them, ever to be sketched in the annals of history.
