Jerónimo de la Gándara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerónimo de la Gándara
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| Born | 1825 |
| Died | 1877 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Known for | Lope de Vega Theater, Valladolid |
Jerónimo de la Gándara (born 1825, died 1877) was a Spanish architect. He designed many important public buildings. He worked during the time of Isabella II of Spain, who was queen then.
Contents
About Jerónimo de la Gándara
Jerónimo de la Gándara was born in 1825. His hometown was Ceceñas, in a region of Spain called Cantabria.
His Education and Travels
He studied architecture under Antonio de Zabaleta. In 1848, he finished his studies at the Special School of Architecture in Madrid. He was the very best student in his class!
After graduating, he traveled a lot. He studied more in Germany and the United Kingdom. He also explored many other parts of Europe. Jerónimo de la Gándara was the first Spanish architect to visit the ancient ruins of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. He even drew detailed plans of the old buildings.
Teaching and Research
In 1853, Jerónimo de la Gándara started teaching. He taught at the Madrid School of Architecture. By 1855, he became a Professor there. He continued teaching until 1873.
He also helped with an important project. He was part of a group that studied old Spanish monuments. They wrote a big book about their discoveries in 1859. It was called Monumentos arquitectonicos de Espana. This book had many pictures and was written in both Spanish and French.
As part of this work, he explored ancient ruins in central Spain. Some of these ruins were from before the Al-Andalus period. This was a time when parts of Spain were ruled by Muslims. He even found things from the time of Emperor Justinian I. He was careful not to move old mosaics from where they were found. This was because they were very fragile and hard to keep safe if moved.
Buildings He Designed
Jerónimo de la Gándara designed many famous buildings.
Early Projects
In 1845, he worked with Aníbal Álvarez Bouquet. They helped redesign the front of the Senate building.
He also designed the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid. This theater opened in 1856, on Queen Isabella II's birthday. It was a special place for "Zarzuela Theatre." This type of show mixes talking with singing and dancing. The original building burned down in 1909. But it was rebuilt later. The theater was designed like Italian theaters. It had a U-shaped hall with three levels of seating boxes.
In 1857, he designed the Palace of the Marquis de Viluma. This grand building opened in 1859.
Famous Theaters
Jerónimo de la Gándara was the architect for the Lope de Vega Theater, Valladolid. It opened on December 8, 1861. The front of the building was fixed up in 1920. It looks like a classical Greek or Roman building. It has two levels, each with three arches. Above the arches is a triangle-shaped part called a pediment. It holds a round sculpture of Lope de Vega, a famous writer. Ponciano Ponzano created this sculpture.
Another big project was the Teatro Calderón de la Barca in Valladolid. This is one of the largest theaters in Spain. It mixes different old styles of architecture. The Calderón theater opened in 1864.
Other Important Works
In 1864, he built a special tomb for Manuel Bertrán de Lis y Ribes. Manuel Beltran de Lis was a finance minister for Queen Isabel II. The tomb is in the cemetery at the Sacramental de San Isidro.
In 1867, he built the Spanish building for the Universal Exposition of Paris. This was a big world's fair. The building was designed in a style called Neo-Plateresque. This style was popular in Spain and had many detailed decorations.
Gallery
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Teatro Lope de Vega, Valladolid
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Teatro Calderón de la Barca in Valladolid
See also
In Spanish: Jerónimo de la Gándara para niños
