Gothic-Mudejar Doorways in Seville. Observation Through Drawing

Abstract

In 1248 the Castilian-Leonese king Ferdinand III conquered the city of Seville from the Almohads. After the Christian establishment of the city, it was subdivided into twenty-five parishes. According to tradition, these churches were initially built in the city’s old mosques, which were only minimally converted for Christian use due to a lack of resources and personnel.

However, the earthquake of 1356, which violently shook the city, marked a turning point. It was necessary to carry out the renovation or complete reconstruction of several parishes. Castilian architecture, which was already going Gothic, was then imposed, although the shortage of craftsmen from the north of Castile meant that Andalusian (Mudejar) art was incorporated into these churches.

This is by no means a radical mutation, but rather the incorporation of a series of elements that reflect the union of two initially opposing styles. It is perhaps in the doorways of the churches that this mixture is most enriching.

By means of point cloud surveys and subsequent photogrammetric restitution, this work aims to analyse the doorways of several of the parishes, and the degree of affinity between them, in order to draw conclusions about their construction.