Front of the Obradorio of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

 

Historical and artistic context:

 

-Time: between 1728 and 1750.

-Style: Baroque art 18^th century-

-Artist: Fernando Casas y Novoa

-Material and technique: grey granite. Plaster cast technique.

-Location: Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (west facade).

Iconographic analysis:

-Name: Front of the Obradorio of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

-Type of building and function: To protect the Portico of the Glory of the ruin that was threatening it, Fernando Casas and Nova, constructed the front of the Obradorio with a pyramidal style and with columns of fluted shaft, put into it others structures for the wide glazed vain ones that were serving to illuminate the zone of the feet of the temple.

Formal analysis:

-Compostion, space, decoration: It is characterized for having plant of Latin cross and a lateral constant ship that makes a detour to the principal ship. It has platform, cruise, girola and chapels absidales. The central ship covers with a tunnel vault and wings with vault of edge. It had nine towers, two in every front and three in the cruise. Of medieval trace, it receives additions in Renaissance and Baroque times.

It consists of three round arches, the head office divided by mullion, where one finds the figure of the own God looking to inside of the temple. In the jambs, the Apostles and prophets support sacred conversations. In the eardrum, the Salvador surrounded by four Evangelists. Between his chapels, the major guard the sepulcher of the Apostle Santiago. To the side there is the famous "Botafumeiro", that was a great censer of the 19th century. 

 

Size of the the front:

-It dimensions are about 97 metres tall and the two towers has some metres more tall, about 107.