The Diversity in Architecture in Spain ~ Photography Imaging

Here are a collection of photos showing different types of architecture in Spain. The first picture is one of the courtyards and towers in El Escorial, a monastery and royal palace outside Madrid. Many of the Spanish Kings and Queens are interred in the pantheon area of this impressive complex. We took these photos a decade ago, before modern digital photography, so they are not up to our normal standards.

We were in Grenada on Christmas Day and most places were closed, including the Alhambra, so we took a drive down to the coast. We cam across this village, Salobrena, on the Costa del Sol. It was a charming little place and we found a nice inn for a Christmas Day lunch.

This is the main courtyard of the Alcazar in Seville. It is a large palace complex used by the Spanish royalty when they are in Seville. It has many influences from the days of Moorish rule of Spain. It was in a room on the right side of this courtyard that Christopher Columbus obtained the approval and financing for his voyage to the New World from Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.

This is a portion of the inside of the Mezquita Cathedral in Cordova. Yes, this is a Roman Catholic cathedral. The building used to be one of the largest mosques in the world until the Moors were defeated about 700 years ago. In the center of the forest of Moorish arches, the Spaniards removed the roof and erected a Gothic cathedral. They left the Moorish architecture in most of the rest of the cathedral. This is one of our favorite buildings anywhere. It is unique.

This tile work decorated the front of a restaurant near the hotel that we stayed at in Madrid. It is at a square that has lots of restaurants and was a favorite place for matadors to spend their free time.

This is the tile decor inside the restaurant. I don't know about you, but this might cause me to change my mind about having another glass of