by Olivia Wallace
A quote from our lovely tour guide Isabelle "America may be organized, but Europe has architecture and great food." I couldn't agree more with her, not that America doesn't have great architecture, but Europe is the place to go to see the evidence of history standing strong and firm hundreds and thousands of years later; this is one of the reasons I chose architecture as my topic. I also chose to observe the architecture because I have been studying the different periods and styles of architecture since I've been in high school. Just like one can follow art, music and fashion throughout history, one can do the same with architecture. I knew the styles of cathedrals that we would encounter, and could spot different styles of buildings before my trip. I did specific research on the different periods of architecture Spain went through and was excited to see first hand the differences in periods. While there, visiting our first Cathedral in Toledo, I was moved to tears. I knew what to expect before entering, I identified the detailed ceilings, the Gothic towers, window structures, and so on. I wasn't expecting to be as moved as I was when I entered however. The overwhelming detail, size and beauty of the cathedral was truly amazing for lack of a better word. I can see why so much detail and time was put into building these cathedrals, I'm sure they don't fail to astonish the people who go to the cathedrals to worship, a great building for a great God; the concept really makes sense! The more cathedrals we visited the more I felt the power of these structures. Seeing the star vaulted ceilings and rose windows in person was really touching for me who's been studying these details. Getting to see these characteristics that make these buildings unique in person for the first time, is really an unforgettable experience. Aside from the many beautiful cathedrals we saw, the architecture we were surrounded by daily really made Spain feel historic and unique for me. Just as an example, while our tour guide was explaining the history of the plaza we were staying in during our final day in Madrid, he pointed out that the city had only a few main roads. All the rest were simply ally ways, and small for a reason. And the main "roads" he pointed out weren't even that big to begin with! The fact that these roads and ally-ways haven't altered in size, is one of the mostly unnoticed details that gave the square a unique and historical feel. I also truly enjoyed seeing the differences of buildings from all the different cities we visited. Spain kept their structures historically accurate and preserved their beauty. Preserving these historic details is so important for their country's history; it also makes the country a very beautiful place to visit. For example, when touring Toledo our tour guide pointed out that if a home owner wanted to make a renovation to his or her house, they must ask first in order to keep the historic them present and relevant. The buildings have been slightly modified to live in there, but since they are such historic places, one must ask before doing any kind of repair or alteration, for every building could have something hidden or broken behind a recently made wall! Small details like this really make me intrigued and make me appreciate the effort that goes in to keeping the buildings true to Spain's history.
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