Recuerdos de Andalusia Expression, Appropriation, and Association in the Layered Architectural History of Medieval Spain

Abstract

The architectural heritage of Medieval Spain, specifically around the period of Islamic rule known as Al-Andalus (711-1492CE) and the following centuries of rule under the Catholic Monarchy, provides an important picture of developments in both stylistic and cultural identity. Many structures and spaces originating from this period of history survive today, and bear the architectural foundations of both Islam and Christianity. The strong artistic, religious, and socio-political identity cultivated by the people of Al-Andalus evolved along stylistic traditions that persisted even after the end of the Reconquista in 1492 CE. The adaptation, appropriation, and destruction of Al-Andalus’ architectural heritage under the rule of Catholic Spain highlights a unique history in which cultural identity, in conjunction with the physical expression of design, overlapped that of preceding and succeeding rulers. Today, these spaces are exemplars of historical layering, and the conflicts between Islam and Christianity in modernity can draw some proactive discourse from a shared history in the region of Andalusia, Spain.