Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/266

250 250 SPANISH ARCHITECTURE. Part II. fell into the hands of the Christians in 1085, and from that time the Christians had nothing to fear from the Moors, but, on the contrary, had the prospect of recovering the whole of their country from their grasp. It was consequently a period of great and legitimate exulta- tion, greater than that which followed the fall of the last stronghold of the Infidels before the conquering arms of Ferdinand and Isabella (a.d. 1492) — an event ttiat ended the drama of the Middle Ages in S]iain, which the con quest of Toledo had commenced. It is be- tween these two events that the history of Gothic art in Spain was practically included. For present pur- poses it may suffice to rlivide this history into three great chapters. 1. Early Spanish Gothic, commencing about 1060, and lasting for two centuries. A plain and simple, but bold and eft'ectiA'c style, first borrowed from the French, but latterly assuming a local char- acter. Round-arched when first introduced, but adopting the pointed form in its later development, thouojli still retaining the rounded form in many of its details till a very late period of the style. 2. Middle or perfect pointed Gothic, introduced from France about the year 1220, when Amiens and Salislmry were founded ; and used in the plans of Toledo, Burgos, and Leon. It consequently overlaps the other to some extent, though its actual development as we now see it (except in plans) must probably date from the latter part of the 13th century. It may be said to have lasted for more than 200 years, though it is extremely difficult to draw a line between it and the 3d period, or late Gothic style, the duration of which was prob- ably hardly more than one century. The cathedral at Salamanca 692. Plan of Santiago di Compostella. (Reduced from Street.) Scale 100 ft. to 1 in.