Plateresco Style - Salamanca, Spain

Due to the voyages of exploration by Columbus and others, Spain began colonizing and exploiting the New World. Gold and silver were brought back in large quantities and the skills of the silversmith - or platero - became famous. The style of laborately ornamented metals was called as "Plateresco." It also influenced the work of wood carvers, resulting in heavily carved doors, furniture, and accessories.

By contrast, King Philip II of Spain (1527-1598) was a devout Catholic who favored austerity and simplicity. He hired the Italian-trained Juan Bautista de Toledo and his assistant, Juan de Herrera, as architects to design his palace, known as "El Escorial."

In true Renaissance style, the plan is a rectangle symmetrically divided into a grid. A large complex, it not only has a palace but includes a large church, monastery, infirmary, and mausoleum for the Spanish kings. Built of gray granite quarried from nearby mountains, it is a truly classical design. The style came to be known as "Desornamentado" which means "unornamented."

In true Renaissance style, the plan is a rectangle symmetrically divided into a grid. A large complex, it not only has a palace but includes a large church, monastery, infirmary, and mausoleum for the Spanish kings. Built of gray granite quarried from nearby mountains, it is a

truly classical design. The style came to be known as "Desornamentado" which means "unornamented."

El Escorial, Spanish Renaissance - "Desornamentado" Style