View source for Spanish Baroque ephemeral architecture

[[File:Puerta_sol_madrid_carlos_III_lorenzo_quiros.jpg|thumb|300x300px|''The king Charles III entry in Madrid'' (1759), oil painting by [[Lorenzo Quirós]].]]
'''[[Ephemeral architecture]]''' had a special relevance in the '''[[Spanish Baroque architecture|Spanish Baroque]]''', as it fulfilled diverse aesthetic, political, religious and social functions. On the one hand, it was an indispensable component of support for architectural achievements, carried out in a perishable and transitory way, which allowed a cheapening of materials and a way to capture new designs and more daring and original solutions of the new [[Baroque]] style, which could not be done in conventional constructions. On the other hand, its volubility made possible the creation of a wide range of productions designed according to their diverse functionality: [[triumphal arch]]es for the reception of kings and aristocratic personages, [[catafalque]]s for religious ceremonies, [[Tumulus|burial mounds]] for funerary ceremonies and diverse scenarios for social or religious events, such as the feast of [[Feast of Corpus Christi|Corpus Christi]] or [[Holy Week]].

These works were usually profusely decorated and developed an iconographic program that emphasized the power of the ruling classes of the time, both political and religious: in the political sphere it exalted the omnipotent power of the [[Absolutism (European history)|absolutist monarchy]], while in the religious sphere it praised the spiritual dominion of the [[Counter-Reformation|Counter-Reformation Church]]. They used to have a high propagandistic component, as vehicles of ostentation of these ruling classes, so they were mainly addressed to the people—that were the recipients of these grand ceremonies and spectacles.

Although there are no material remains of this type of performance, they are known thanks to drawings and engravings, as well as literary accounts of the time, which described them in great detail. Many writers and chroniclers devoted themselves to this type of descriptions, even giving rise to a new literary genre, the "[[Chronicle]]."

== The Baroque: a culture of image ==
[[File:Entrada_Felipe_V_Sevilla.jpg|thumb|250x250px|''Entry of King Philip V of Spain into Seville'' (1729), engraving by [[Pedro Tortolero]].]]
Architecture is the art and technique of constructing buildings, of designing spaces and volumes with a utilitarian purpose, mainly housing, but also various constructions of a social, civil or religious nature. Space, when modified by human beings, is transmuted, acquires a new meaning, a new perception, thus acquiring a cultural dimension, while taking on an [[aesthetic]] significance, as it is perceived in an intellectualized and artistic way, as an expression of socio-cultural values inherent to each people and culture. This aesthetic character can give the space an ephemeral component, as it is used in public acts and celebrations, rituals, festivals, markets, shows, religious ceremonies, official acts, political events, etc.<ref>{{harvtxt|Fernández Arenas|1988|pp=17–19}}</ref>

In the [[Baroque]], the arts converged to create a [[total work of art]], with a theatrical aesthetic, [[scenography]], a ''[[mise-en-scène]]'' that highlighted the splendor of the dominant power (Church or State). The interaction of all the arts expressed the use of visual language as a means of mass communication, embodied in a dynamic conception of nature and surrounding space, in a culture of the image.<ref>{{harvtxt|Martínez Ripoll|1989|pp=5–6}}</ref>
[[File:Ardemans-parnaso.jpg|left|thumb|235x235px|''Monte Parnassus'', ephemeral decoration project on the occasion of the entry of Philip V in Madrid (1701), by [[Teodoro Ardemans]].]]
One of the main characteristics of Baroque art is its illusory and contrived character: "ingenuity and design are the magic art through which one manages to deceive the eye to the point of astonishment".<ref>[[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]].</ref> The visual and ephemeral were especially valued, so the theater and the various genres of performing arts and shows were booming: dance, [[pantomime]], musical drama ([[oratorio]] and [[melodrama]]), [[puppet]] shows, [[acrobatics]], [[circus]]es, etc. There was a feeling that the world is a theater (''theatrum mundi'') and life a theatrical performance: "all the world is a stage, and all men and women mere actors" (''[[As You Like It]]'', [[William Shakespeare]], 1599).<ref>{{cite web |last=Shakespeare |first=William |title=Como gustéis |url=http://es.wikiquote.org/wiki/Como_gust%C3%A9is |language=spanish}}</ref> Similarly there was a tendency to theatricalize the other arts, especially architecture. It was an art based on the inversion of reality: on "simulation", on turning the false into the true, and on "dissimulation", passing off the true as false. Things are not shown as they are, but as one would like them to be, especially in the Catholic world, where the [[Counter-Reformation]] had a meager success, since half of Europe turned to [[Protestantism]]. In literature, it manifested itself by giving free rein to rhetorical artifice, as a means of propagandistic expression in which the sumptuousness of language sought to reflect reality in a sweetened form, resorting to rhetorical figures such as [[metaphor]], [[paradox]], [[hyperbole]], [[antithesis]], [[hyperbaton]], [[Ellipsis (linguistics)|ellipsis]], etc. This transposition of reality, which is distorted and magnified, altered in its proportions and subjected to the subjective criterion of fiction, was also applied to painting, where [[foreshortening]] and illusionist perspective are abused for the sake of greater, striking and surprising effects.<ref>{{harvtxt|Martínez Ripoll|1989|pp=16–17}}</ref>

[[Baroque Art]] sought to create an alternative reality through fiction and illusion. This tendency had its maximum expression in festivity and playful celebration. Buildings such as churches or palaces, or a neighborhood or an entire city, became theaters of life, stages where reality and illusion were mixed, where the senses were subjected to deception and artifice. In this aspect, the Counter-Reformation Church played a special role, seeking to show its superiority over the Protestant churches through pomp and pageantry, with events such as solemn [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]], [[canonization]]s, [[Jubilee]]s, [[procession]]s or papal investitures. But just as lavish were the celebrations of the monarchy and the aristocracy, with events such as coronations, royal weddings and births, funerals, military victories, ambassadorial visits or any event that allowed the monarch to display his power to the admiration of the people. Baroque festivities involved a conjugation of all the arts, from architecture and plastic arts to poetry, music, dance, theater, [[pyrotechnics]], floral arrangements, water games, etc. Architects such as [[Bernini]] or [[Pietro da Cortona]], or [[Alonso Cano]] and [[Sebastián Herrera Barnuevo]] in Spain, contributed their talent to such events, designing structures, [[Choreography|choreographies]], lighting and other elements, which often served as a testing ground for future, more serious endeavors.<ref>{{harvtxt|Martínez Ripoll|1989|pp=17–18}}</ref>

During the Baroque, the ornamental, contrived and ornate character of the art of this time conveyed a transitory sense of life, related to the ''[[memento mori]]'', the ephemeral value of riches in the face of the inevitability of death, in parallel to the pictorial genre of the ''[[vanitas]]''. This sentiment led to a vitalist appreciation of the fleetingness of the instant, to enjoy the light moments of relaxation that life offers, or the celebrations and solemn acts. Thus, births, weddings, deaths, religious ceremonies, royal coronations and other recreational or ceremonial events, were invested with a pomp and artifice of a scenographic nature, where large assemblies were developed that brought together architecture and decorations to provide an eloquent magnificence to any celebration, which became a show almost [[Catharsis|catartic]], where the illusory element, the attenuation of the border between reality and fantasy, was especially relevant.<ref>{{harvtxt|Giorgi|2007|p=82}}</ref>

== Spanish Baroque architecture ==
{{Main|Spanish Baroque architecture}}
[[File:Coello_Puerta_del_Sol_María_Luisa_Orleans_1680.jpg|thumb|299x299px|Triumphal Arch for the arrival of [[Marie Louise d'Orléans]] to Madrid (1680), work of [[Matías de Torres]].]]
In Spain, the architecture of the first half of the 17th century showed the [[Herrerian|herrerian architecture]] heritage, with an austerity and geometric simplicity influenced by [[San Lorenzo de El Escorial|escurialense]] style. The Baroque was gradually introduced, especially in the ornate interior decoration of churches and palaces, where the [[retable]]s evolved towards ever higher levels of magnificence. In this period it was [[Juan Gómez de Mora]] the most outstanding figure,<ref>{{harvtxt|Azcárate Ristori|Pérez Sánchez|Ramírez Domínguez|1983|p=543}}</ref> with achievements such as [[La Clerecía, Salamanca|La Clerecía of Salamanca]] (1617), the [[Casa de la Villa (Madrid)|Casa de la Villa]] (1644–1702) and the [[Plaza Mayor de Madrid|Plaza Mayor]] (1617–1619). Other architects of the period were Alonso Carbonel, author of the [[Buen Retiro Palace]] (1630–1640), or Pedro Sánchez and Francisco Bautista, authors of the [[Collegiate church of San Isidro, Madrid|Collegiate church of San Isidro]] (1620–1664).<ref>{{harvtxt|Toman|2007|pp=86–90}}</ref>

Towards the middle of the century, richer forms and freer and more dynamic volumes were gaining ground, with naturalistic decorations (garlands, vegetal cartouches) or abstract forms (moldings and trimmed baquetons, generally of mixtilinear form). The names of Pedro de la Torre, José de Villarreal, José del Olmo, [[Sebastián Herrera Barnuevo]] and, especially, [[Alonso Cano]], author of the façade of the [[Cathedral of Granada]] (1667) should be mentioned.<ref>{{harvtxt|Azcárate Ristori|Pérez Sánchez|Ramírez Domínguez|1983|pp=545–546}}</ref>

Between the end of the century and the beginning of the 18th century, the [[churrigueresque]] style (by the Churriguera brothers) appeared, characterized by its exuberant decorativism and the use of Solomonic columns: [[José Benito Churriguera]] was the author of the High Altarpiece of [[Convento de San Esteban, Salamanca|Convento de San Esteban]] (1692) and the facade of the [[Goyeneche Palace, Nuevo Baztán|Goyeneche Palace]] (1709–1722); [[Alberto Churriguera]] designed the [[Plaza Mayor, Salamanca|Plaza Mayor of Salamanca]] (1728–1735); and [[José Joaquín de Churriguera|Joaquín Churriguera]] was the author of the [[Colegio de Calatrava, Salamanca|Colegio de Calatrava]] (1717) and the cloister of [[Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé, Salamanca|San Bartolomé]] (1715) in Salamanca, of [[plateresque]] influence. Other figures of the period were: [[Teodoro Ardemans]], author of the facade of the Madrid City Hall and the first project for the [[Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso]] (1718–1726); [[Pedro de Ribera]], author of the [[Bridge of Toledo (Madrid)|Bridge of Toledo]] (1718–1732), the [[Cuartel del Conde-Duque]] (1717) and the facade of the [[Our Lady of Montserrat Church, Madrid|Our Lady of Montserrat Church]] in Madrid (1720); [[Narciso Tomé]], author [[El Transparente]] (1721–1734); the German Konrad Rudolf, author of the façade of the [[Valencia Cathedral]] (1703); Jaime Bort, architect of the façade of the [[Murcia Cathedral]] (1736–1753); [[Vicente Acero]], who designed the [[Cádiz Cathedral]] (1722–1762); and [[Fernando de Casas Novoa]], author of the facade of the ''obradoiro'' of the [[Santiago de Compostela Cathedral]] (1739–1750).<ref>{{harvtxt|Azcárate Ristori|Pérez Sánchez|Ramírez Domínguez|1983|pp=546–550}}</ref>

== Ephemerality in the Spanish Baroque architecture ==
[[File:Catafalco_maria_luisa_orleans_encarnacion.jpg|thumb|270x270px|[[Catafalque]] for the funeral of [[Marie Louise d'Orléans]] in the church of the [[Real Monasterio de la Encarnación|Royal Monastery of La Encarnación]] (1689), work of [[José Benito de Churriguera]].]]
The splendor of ephemeral architecture was produced in the [[Early modern period]], in the [[Renaissance]] and—especially—the [[Baroque]], eras of consolidation of the [[Absolutism (European history)|absolute monarchy]], when European monarchs sought to elevate their figure above that of their subjects, resorting to all kinds of propagandistic and exalting acts of their power, in political and religious ceremonies or celebrations of playful character, which showed the magnificence of their government.<ref>{{harvtxt|Suárez Quevedo|1989|pp=135–141}}</ref>

Although this period was one of a certain political and economic decadence, in the cultural sphere it was one of great splendor—the so-called [[Spanish Golden Age]]—with a magnificent flowering of literature and the arts. On the other hand, although in the political field the monarchy was resolutely authoritarian, the way of governing showed a strong populist component; while in the religious field, strict faith was combined with a realistic and critical vision of the world.<ref>{{harvtxt|Antonio Sáenz|1989|p=5}}</ref> These elements contributed to the desire for an art close to the people, which would easily and directly show the moral and ideological aspects that the ruling classes wanted to transmit to their subjects. Thus, according to the historian [[José Antonio Maravall]], Baroque art and culture was "directed", since its objective was communication; "massive", since it was aimed at the people; and "conservative", since it sought to perpetuate traditional values.<ref>{{harvtxt|Antonio Sáenz|1989|pp=6–9}}</ref>

These distractions helped the populace to cope with their hardships: according to Jerónimo de Barrionuevo, "''bien son menester estos divertimentos para poder llevar tantas adversidades''." (English: "these diversions are necessary to be able to bear so many adversities.")<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=10–12}}</ref> This evasion of reality leads [[Antonio Bonet Correa]] to describe this period as "utopian space and time", since it is only a temporary relief from the harsh reality of the majority of the population, submerged in misery.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=12}}</ref>

Ephemeral architecture was generally made with poor and perishable materials, such as wood, [[cardboard]], cloth, [[stucco]], [[Reed (plant)|cane]], paper, [[Cistus albidus|grey-leaved cistus]], [[Calcium oxide|lime]] or [[scagliola]], which were nevertheless enhanced by the monumentality of the works and by their original and fanciful designs, as well as by the sumptuousness of the ornamental decoration. These were works in which architecture, sculpture, painting and the [[decorative arts]] all took part, and where [[scenography]] was especially important. It could be performed both inside buildings—generally religious temples—and in the streets of towns and cities, through numerous constructive typologies, such as [[triumphal arch]]es, castles, [[portico]]s, [[wiktionary:tempietto|tempiettos]], [[catafalque]]s, [[Pavilion (architecture)|pavilions]], [[Gallery (room)|galleries]], [[colonnade]]s, [[loggia]]s, [[aedicula]]e, [[pyramid]]s, [[obelisk]]s, [[pedestal]]s, [[baldachin]]s, [[fly system]]s, [[altar]]s, [[dossal]]s, etc.<ref>{{harvtxt|Antonio Sáenz|1989|p=52}}</ref> Sculptures, tapestries, canvases and paintings were also relevant; the latter often represented feigned architectures or landscapes, being common the representation of "[[parnassus]]s", mountains with vegetation, rivers and fountains in which gods, muses and historical characters were depicted.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=21}}</ref> Other decorative elements were floral tapestries, garlands, [[cornucopia]]s, mirrors, candelabras, shields, and flags. In addition to all this, we must take into account mobile elements such as carriages or processions, retinues and retinues, masquerades, [[Mojiganga|''mojigangas'']], [[Juego de cañas|''juegos de cañas'']] and [[Auto de fe|''auto-da-fé'']], as well as other elements such as fireworks, bullfights, [[naumachia]]s, jousting and mock war, music, dance, theater and other genres of spectacle.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=10}}</ref>
[[File:Traite-Pyrenees.jpg|left|thumb|250x250px|Interview between [[Louis XIV]] and [[Philip IV of Spain|Philip IV]] at [[Isla de los Faisanes|Pheasant Island]] (1659), with ephemeral structures designed by [[Diego Velázquez]].]]
Perhaps the most emblematic element of Baroque ephemeral architecture was the funeral [[tumulus]], since it signified more than any other the conception of the transitory, the transience of life, which translates into the transience of the party, of the ephemeral celebration. The funeral pomps represent, as well as the ephemeral architecture, the chance, the emptiness, the fleeting of the existence, opposing the corporeal temporality to the immortality of the soul. For this reason, references to death are frequent in the decoration of burial mounds and catafalques, through skeletons, skulls, hourglasses, candles and other elements alluding to the end of human existence. The typological evolution of the burial mounds derived from the monument-type catafalques inherited from [[Mannerism|mannerist]] [[Renaissance]] to the pyre-type catafalques of the full Baroque, with a turriform plan and domed temple, deriving towards the end of the Baroque into baldachin-type catafalques; by the end of the 18th century they would evolve into the obelisk-type catafalque, of [[Neoclassicism|neoclassical]] style. Burial mounds were reserved for the royal family, until 1696 when [[Charles II of Spain|Charles II]] approved their opening to members of the aristocracy and the ecclesiastical hierarchy.<ref name="Bonet">{{cite journal |last=Bonet Correa |first=Antonio |title=La arquitectura efímera del Barroco en España |journal=Norba: Revista de Arte |date=1993 |issue=13 |pages=23–70 |url=http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=107477}}</ref>

Many architects used ephemeral architecture as a test bed for original and bolder formulas and solutions than in conventional architecture, which they then tested in stable constructions, with the result that this modality helped powerfully in the progress of Spanish architecture. Some of the most renowned architects carried out this type of work, such as [[Juan Gómez de Mora]], [[Pedro de la Torre]], [[José Benito Churriguera]], [[Alonso Cano]], [[José del Olmo]] and [[Sebastián Herrera Barnuevo]].<ref>{{harvtxt|Antonio Sáenz|1989|p=53}}</ref> Even renowned artists intervened in this type of work, such as [[El Greco]], in the design of the tomb of [[Margaret of Austria-Styria]] (1612);<ref>{{harvtxt|Hernández Díaz|Martín González|Pita Andrade|1999|pp=439–440}}</ref> [[Rubens]], in the entrance of the cardinal-infante [[Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria|Ferdinand of Austria]] at [[Antwerp]] in 1635;<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=18}}</ref> [[Velázquez]], in the decoration of the betrothal of [[Louis XIV]] and [[Maria Theresa of Spain]], at [[Pheasant Island]] (1660); or [[Bartolomé Esteban Murillo|Murillo]], in the celebration of the [[Immaculate Conception]] in [[Seville]] (1665).<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=19}}</ref>
[[File:Gurri_Boxadors.jpg|thumb|312x312px|Tumulus of Cardinal [[Juan Tomás de Boxadors]], convent of Santa Catalina (Barcelona, Spain), by [[Salvador Gurri i Corominas|Salvador Gurri]] (1781); engraving by Pere Pasqual Moles.]]
Any event was suitable for the ephemeral celebration: the monarchs celebrated in a lavish way every relevant event in their lives, such as births, baptisms, onomastics, weddings, enthronement ceremonies, visits to cities, military victories, diplomatic agreements, funerals, etc.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=6}}</ref> As for religious celebrations, those of [[Feast of Corpus Christi|Corpus Christi]] and [[Holy Week]], celebrated with processions, [[Stations of the Cross|''via crucis'']], ''rogativas'', ''[[autos sacramentales]]'', where large stage sets were usually set up for the festivities, and along with the religious processions, folkloric elements such as masks, ''mojigones'', fanfares, giants and big-heads were added.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=22–23}}</ref> Also part of the ephemeral celebrations were the so-called "Holy Week Monuments" that were mounted with great pomposity inside temples and churches—the case of the Cathedral of Seville is the most paradigmatic example in the Baroque period. Other celebrations were motivated by specific acts, generally canonizations, such as those of [[Luis Bertrán|Louis Bertrand]] in 1608, [[Francisco Javier|Francisco Xavier]], [[Ignacio de Loyola|Ignatius of Loyola]], [[Isidore the Laborer]] and [[Teresa of Ávila]] in 1622, [[Tomás de Villanueva]] in 1658, [[Francisco de Borja|Francis Borgia]] in 1671 or [[Paschal Baylón]] in 1690; or pontifical decrees, such as the brief of [[Pope Alexander VII|Alexander VII]] in which he recognized the [[Immaculate Conception]] of the Virgin (1662).<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=23–24}}</ref> Of particular significance was the canonization of [[Ferdinand III of Castile|Ferdinand III]] in 1671, since it brought together Church and monarchy in the same interest, combining the values of the ruling classes of the [[Ancien Régime]].<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=25}}</ref>

The patronage of the monarchy and the Church entailed a certain support to professionals of architecture, plastic and decorative arts and craftsmanship, who thus counted on labor commissions in a time of economic crisis in which there was scarce work at the civil level.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=6–8}}</ref> On the other hand, ephemeral architecture reached a level of popularity that gave great prestige to the professional who carried it out. Thus the competition held for the awarding of the obsequies of [[Marie Louise d'Orléans]] in 1689, won by a previously unknown [[José Benito de Churriguera]], served the latter to launch his professional career with great success.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=21–22}}</ref>

There are no material remains of these ephemeral events, and they are only known through engravings and drawings, and written accounts that described in detail all the details of these celebrations. Such accounts gave rise to a new literary genre, that of the "[[chronicle]]", which have as their main reference point Juan Calvete de Estrella, author of ''El túmulo Imperial, adornado de historias y letreros y epitaphios en prosa y verso latino'' (1559).<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=8}}</ref> This literature abounded in meticulous descriptions of the events celebrated by the monarchy and the Church, with special emphasis on symbolic elements, often embodied in hieroglyphs and shields, whose mottos, generally in [[Latin]], they translated into Spanish in verse. On the other hand, these chronicles did not fail to reveal the political, social and moral values that the powerful personages who sponsored these lavish events were championing.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=8–10}}</ref>

In the 18th century, the same festive typologies continued, as the [[Bourbons]] maintained the same protocols and repertoires of celebrations and solemnities. The evolution in ephemeral architectures was mainly stylistic, especially from the first third of the century, when the encouragement of the [[Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando]] promoted the [[Classicism|classicist]] lines, in a movement that would be baptized as [[neoclassicism]]. On the other hand, the rise of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] led to a decrease in the number of large-scale religious festivities of a counter-reformist nature. The new events had a more didactic character, with a clearer distinction between the sacred and the profane, and music and opera became more important.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=26–27}}</ref>

== Main creations ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Arco triunfal felipe III lisboa.jpg|Triumphal Arch for the arrival of [[Philip III of Spain|Philip III]] to [[Lisbon]] (1619).
File:Pineda Fernando III Sevilla.jpg|Monument to the Triumph of [[Ferdinand III of Castile|Saint Ferdinand]] in the backchamber of the [[Cathedral of Seville]] (1671), work of [[Bernardo Simón de Pineda]].
File:Túmulo Felipe V.JPG|Tumulus of [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] at the [[University of Cervera]] (1746), engraving by [[Ignacio Valls]] from a drawing by [[Pere Costa i Cases|Pere Costa]].
File:Túmulo reina Amalia.jpg|Tumulus of Queen [[Maria Amalia of Saxony|Maria Amalia]] in the [[Barcelona Cathedral|Cathedral of Barcelona]], Spain (1761), work of [[Manuel Tramulles i Roig|Manuel]] and [[Francesc Tramulles i Roig|Francesc Tramulles]].
</gallery>

* Entrance of [[Philip III of Spain|Philip III]] in Lisbon (1619): it was honored with the construction of thirteen triumphal arches, paid for by the guilds of the city, decorated with mythological gods and heroes, allegorical figures and literary references taken from classical authors such as [[Ovid]] or [[Virgil]], or from [[Dante]] and biblical texts, as well as shields and emblems of symbolic character. The arches transpired an architectural style reminiscent of [[mannerism]], inspired by the work of [[Serlio]] and [[Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola|Vignola]].<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=14}}</ref>
* Entrance of [[Mariana of Austria]] in Madrid (1649): it was planned by [[Alonso Cano]], who built four triumphal arches dedicated to the four main continents and the four elements, in this relation: Europe-Air, Asia-Earth, Africa-Fire and America-Water. He also built a noble portal in the [[Buen Retiro]], on pedestals of [[Granite|baroque stone]], with six columns of [[Doric order]] and cornices decorated with castles and lions. Next to this portal, over the fountain of the Olive Tree of the Prado Viejo de San Jerónimo, a Parnassus Mount was erected with two summits, one presided by [[Hercules|Hercules-Sun]] and the other by [[Pegasus]], with [[Apollo]] in the center and nine statues dedicated to the [[muses]] and Spanish poets.<ref>{{cite web |last=Suárez Quevedo |first=Diego |year=2001 |title=Alonso Cano y el arte efímero |url=https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ANHA/article/download/ANHA0101110231A/31355}}</ref>
* Recognition of the [[Immaculate Conception]] in [[Valencia]] (1662): it was celebrated for half a year with masquerades and processions, and provisional altars were built all over the city, some with stagehouses that threw flakes of cotton simulating snow, in allusion to the purity of the Virgin.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=24}}</ref> One of the most elaborate was located in the Faculty of Philosophy, covered with tapestries and silk and gold embroidery, crowned by an allegory of the Triumph of the Church, flanked by Pope [[Pope Alexander VII|Alexander VII]] and the Archbishop of Valencia, Martín López de Ontiveros.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=IV}}</ref>
* Celebration of the Immaculate Conception in [[Seville]] (1665): it was designed by [[Bartolomé Esteban Murillo]], and celebrated in the church of [[Iglesia de Santa María de las Nieves (Sevilla)|Santa María la Blanca]], on whose exterior two triumphal arches were placed, one dedicated to the Mystery of the Immaculate Conception and the other to the Triumph of the Eucharist, next to a bounded perimeter covered with awnings and occupied by altars decorated with Marian themes. A large painting of the Virgin by [[Juan de Valdés Leal|Juan Valdés Leal]] was placed at the door of the church.<ref name="Bonet" />
* Canonization of [[Ferdinand III of Castile|Ferdinand III]] (1671): it was celebrated in Seville, city reconquered by the holy king, whose cathedral was adorned by several monuments and emblems made by Bernardo Simón de Pineda, in collaboration with the painter [[Juan de Valdés Leal|Juan Valdés Leal]] and the sculptor [[Pedro Roldán]]. The entire cathedral complex of Seville was decorated with painted canvases, including the [[Giralda]] and the Patio de los Naranjos; all the chapels were ornamented, and in the choir loft a triumphal arch was erected with the effigy of the honoree at the coronation, surrounded by allegorical figures; in addition, a stage set with a painting by Murillo was placed in the altarpiece of the tabernacle. This set of monuments exerted a notable influence on the architecture of the time, which lasted until the reign of [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]], as an expression of a distinctly Spanish Baroque, with dynamic and profusely decorative forms. The designs for this event were printed in a "chronicle" written by Fernando de la Torre Farfán, considered the most beautiful book printed in Baroque Spain.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=25–26}}</ref>
* Entrance of [[Marie Louise d'Orléans]] in Madrid (1680): Was organized by [[Claudio Coello]] and [[José Jiménez Donoso]] with the help of Matías de Torres and [[Francisco de Solís|Francisco Solís]] among other painters, José Ratés and José Acedo in the architectural and Pedro Alonso de los Ríos, Enrique de Cardona and Mateo Rodríguez, in charge of the sculpture works, among many other artists. Five triumphal arches were erected, in Calle del Prado, Italianos, Puerta del Sol, Puerta de Guadalajara and Santa María, along with porticoes, fountains and decorative sculptures in the Retiro, San Felipe, Plaza de la Villa and Plaza de Palacio.<ref>{{cite book |last=Zapata Fernández de la Hoz |first=María Teresa |title=Claudio Coello: dibujos festivos |work=Archivo Español de Arte |year=1993 |volume=66 |pages=257–286 |issue=263}}</ref> All the elements were very ornately ornate, in an apotheosis of the most decorative Baroque, with an abundance of plant and stone motifs.<ref name="Bonet" />
* Catafalque of Marie Louise d'Orléans in Madrid (1689): work of [[José Benito de Churriguera]], its design served as a model for burial mounds until well into the 18th century.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=22}}</ref> It was located in the church of the [[Royal Monastery of La Encarnación|Real Monasterio de la Encarnación]] of Madrid, and consisted of a high platform with four flights of stairs, on which rose two bodies with a profuse decoration of moldings, foliage, tarjas and stipites, as well as various sculptures of allegorical figures and images of the deceased.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=V}}</ref>
* Catafalque of [[Charles II of Spain|Charles II]] in Barcelona (1700): the work of Josep Vives, it was a turriform tumulus with an octagonal base with shields supported by eagles and lions, on which rose a stepped pyramid ornamented with skulls and [[roleo]]s, and topped by a hexagonal [[baldachin]] with the royal emblems.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=VI}}</ref> The iconographic program consisted of allegories of the Hispanic kingdoms ([[Castile (historical region)|Castile]], Aragon, [[Catalonia]], [[Americas|Indias]], Milan, [[Naples]], Sicily, Flanders), the four continents (Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia), the four main rivers of the [[Iberian Peninsula]] ([[Ebro]], [[Douro]], [[Tagus]], [[Guadalquivir]]), the [[theological virtues]] (Faith, Hope, Charity) and [[cardinal virtues]] (Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance), Victory and the [[Phoenix (mythology)|Phoenix]] bird.<ref>{{harvtxt|Triadó|Barral i Altet|1999|p=89}}</ref>
* Tomb of [[Louis XIV]] in Barcelona (1715): work of Josep Vives, it had a square plan with pedestals at the angles, crowned with statues, volutes, and fleurons, representing the Virtues with angels holding a portrait of the deceased, all crowned by a baldachin with the royal crown.<ref>{{harvtxt|Triadó|Barral i Altet|1999|p=116}}</ref>
* Entry of [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] in Seville (1729): celebrated the arrival of the monarch, who turned the Andalusian city into the seat of the court for five years. The city was adorned with hangings, paintings and tapestries, and various constructions such as pyramids and triumphal arches, as well as statues of mythological heroes, some [[pillars of Hercules]] with a lion spewing water from its mouth and a [[Colossus of Rhodes]] under which a ship was passing.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=27}}</ref>
* Archiepiscopal appointment of Cardinal-Infante [[Infante Luis of Spain|Luis de Borbón]] (1742): took place in Seville, where a masquerade and a procession of ornate carriages was organized, as well as fireworks, the illumination of the Giralda and the emergence of wine from the fountains of the episcopal palace for three days.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=27–28}}</ref>
* Catafalque of Philip V in Madrid (1746): work of Juan Bautista Sacchetti, it featured a plinth with two staircases with balustrades representing the figures of [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]] and [[Cybele]], above which rose a tempietto of aerial and diaphanous appearance, decorated with skeletons. Inspired by the work of the Italian family of scenographers Galli Bibbiena, his style is framed in a more classicist Baroque and international affiliation, away from the Hispanic Baroque inherited from the previous century.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=VII}}</ref>
* Philip V's tumulus in [[Cervera]] (1746): work of Pere Costa, it was erected in the chapel of the [[University of Cervera]]. It had an octagonal plinth, on whose sides were pyramids with allegories of Theology, Canon Law, Philosophy and Mathematics; on the cornice were represented Civil Law, Medicine, Poetry and Rhetoric; at the crowning there was a figure of Death treading crowns and scepters, and a shield with the inscription ''Philippi quod potui rapui'', alluding to Death taking away his mortality, but not his immortal exploits.<ref>{{harvtxt|Triadó|Barral i Altet|1999|pp=116–117}}</ref>
* Proclamation of [[Ferdinand VI of Spain|Ferdinand VI]] in Seville (1747): it was celebrated with a procession of eight decorated carriages, made of wood and covered with stucco, with brightly colored decoration. The first chariot was the Pregón de la Máscara, followed by the Pregón de la Común Alegría, four dedicated to the four elements, the Pregón de Apolo and the Pregón de los Reyes, which carried the portraits of the new monarchs.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=28}}</ref>
* Arrival of [[Charles III of Spain|Charles III]] to Barcelona (1759): for his arrival at the port a bridge, a staircase and a triumphal arch were built, decorated with figures from marine mythology and astrological allegories. Below were various arches with representations of the history of the city, alluding to its mythical foundation by Hercules. In the [[Llotja de Barcelona|Lloja de Mar]] there was a large screen representing the solar system, placing the king at the center of the universe. There was also a masquerade and a procession of five chariots that toured the city for three nights, decorated with a [[rococo]] aesthetic.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|p=30}}</ref>
* Arrival of Charles III to Madrid (1759): several structures were built by the architect in fashion at the time, [[Ventura Rodríguez]], with the collaboration of the sculptor [[Felipe de Castro]]; the inscriptions of the ornamental fabrics were written by [[Pedro Rodríguez de Campomanes]] and [[Vicente Antonio García de la Huerta]]. The streets of Madrid were ornamented with tapestries and hangings, in bright colors such as gold, pastel blue and [[lapis lazuli]]s; in the [[Puerta del Sol]] a rotunda temple (''[[Beehive tomb|tholos]]'') was built, with imitations of jasper for the columns, bronze in bases and capitals and marble in cornices and pedestals; in Carretas Street a triumphal arch was erected, decorated with reliefs and trophies; another arch was placed in Mayor Street, with representations alluding to the king's piety and liberality, next to a double gallery of [[composite order]] that thanked the new monarch for the suspension of tax debts. All these ornaments were designed in a more sober style than usual, already pointing to the neoclassicism of the end of the century, although its conception was still basically baroque.<ref>{{harvtxt|Soto Caba|1992|pp=30–31}}</ref>
* Tumulus of Queen [[Maria Amalia of Saxony]] in Barcelona (1761): built in the Cathedral, it was the work of Manuel and Francesc Tramulles. On the facade was placed a baroque portal with cartouches and mortuary symbols, as well as an allegory of [[Catalonia]] in mourning. Inside, the coats of arms of the kingdoms of the [[Spanish Empire|Hispanic Monarchy]], Saxony and the four continents were placed. In the choir loft there was a portal with an allegory of Barcelona in the form of a weeping [[nymph]]. Finally, between the choir and the presbytery a mausoleum was installed, which presented a low body with allegories of [[Tarragona]], [[Tortosa]], [[Lleida]], [[Girona]], [[Vic, Spain|Vic]], [[Manresa]], [[Mataró]] and [[Cervera]]; in the intercolumniations there were sculptures of Pain, Love, Loyalty and Gratitude and, in the center, the royal coffin with scepter and crown; in the second body there were seated sculptures of Generosity, Constancy, Intelligence and Obedience; in the upper body, Charity, Religion, Humility, Prayer and, in the center, Barcelona; finally, in the crowning, Eternal Happiness.<ref>{{harvtxt|Triadó|Barral i Altet|1999|p=117}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[History of architecture]]
* [[Baroque architecture]]
* [[Ephemeral art]]
* [[History of aesthetics]]
* [[Spanish Baroque architecture|Spanish Baroque]]
* [[Spanish Baroque architecture]]
* [[Falla monument]]s are modern satirical sculptures burnt in the [[Fallas]] festival of Valencia, Spain.

== References ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==

* {{cite book |last=Antonio Sáenz |first=Trinidad de |title=El siglo XVII español |publisher=Historia 16 |year=1989 |isbn= |location=Madrid}}
* {{cite book |last1=Azcárate Ristori |first1=José María de |title=Historia del Arte |last2=Pérez Sánchez |first2=Alfonso Emilio |last3=Ramírez Domínguez |first3=Juan Antonio |publisher=Anaya |year=1983 |isbn=84-207-1408-9 |location=Madrid}}
* {{cite book |last=Fernández Arenas |first=José |title=Arte efímero y espacio estético |publisher=Anthropos |year=1988 |isbn=84-7658-078-9 |location=Barcelona}}
* {{cite book |last=Giorgi |first=Rosa |title=El siglo XVII |publisher=Electa |year=2007 |isbn=978-84-8156-420-4 |location=Barcelona}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hernández Díaz |first1=José |url=https://archive.org/details/laesculturaylaar0000hern |title=Summa Artis XXVI. Escultura y arquitectura españolas del siglo XVII |last2=Martín González |first2=Juan José |last3=Pita Andrade |first3=José Manuel |publisher=Espasa Calpe |year=1999 |isbn=84-239-5226-6 |location=Madrid}}
* {{cite book |last=Martínez Ripoll |first=Antonio |title=El Barroco en Italia |publisher=Historia 16 |year=1989 |isbn= |location=Madrid}}
* {{cite book |last=Soto Caba |first=Victoria |title=El Barroco efímero |publisher=Historia 16 |year=1992 |isbn=84-7679-199-2 |location=Madrid}}
* {{cite book |last=Suárez Quevedo |first=Diego |title=Renacimiento y Manierismo en Europa |publisher=Historia 16 |year=1989 |isbn= |location=Madrid}}
* {{cite book |last=Toman |first=Rolf |title=El Barroco |publisher=Ullmann |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-8331-4659-6 |location=Colonia}}
* {{cite book |last1=Triadó |first1=Joan Ramon |title=Art de Catalunya 5: Arquitectura religiosa moderna i contemporània |last2=Barral i Altet |first2=Xavier |publisher=Edicions L'isard |year=1999 |isbn=84-89931-14-3 |location=Barcelona |language=Catalan}}

[[Category:Spanish Baroque architecture]]
[[Category:Ephemera]]