Juan Gil de Hontañón facts for kids

Juan Gil de Hontañón (born in Rasines, Cantabria around 1480 – died in Salamanca on May 11, 1531) was a very important master builder in Spain during the 1500s. A master builder is like a chief architect and construction manager all in one. He was also known as a Trasmeran mason, which means he came from a special area called Trasmiera, famous for its skilled stone workers.

Who Was Juan Gil de Hontañón?

Juan Gil de Hontañón was a famous builder from the 16th century. He was known for his amazing skills in designing and constructing large buildings. He worked on many important projects across Spain, especially cathedrals and castles.

Early Projects and Famous Buildings

His first big projects were in Segovia. Here, he learned from other great builders, like those connected to the school of Juan Guas.

Juan Gil de Hontañón helped build some very famous places:

• The Segovia Cathedral, which is a huge and beautiful church built in a style called Isabelline Gothic. This style was popular in Spain at the time.
• The castle of Turégano.
• Several monasteries, which are places where monks or nuns live.
• The Cathedral of Palencia.

Work in Other Cities

Later, Juan Gil de Hontañón moved to Salamanca. In 1512, he started working on the new cathedral there. This was another very large and important project.

From 1513 to 1516, he also worked on the Cathedral of Seville. After that, he went back to Segovia. He also took on projects in other cities like Zamora and Granada.

His Family's Legacy

Juan Gil de Hontañón had two sons who followed in his footsteps. They were also skilled builders and continued some of his work after he passed away. His sons were Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón and Juan Gil de Hontañón the Younger. They helped carry on the family's tradition of amazing architecture.