Introduction: The Iberian Story

The Iberian Peninsula can be considered the breeding ground of the Western world: Romans, Visigoths, and Christians have all left traces embedded in Iberian history. It was also the starting point of the age of explorations with Vasco da Gama, Bartholomeu Diaz, and Columbus. Simply put, the Iberian Peninsula is the cultural breeding ground of the Western world. Spain and Portugal have shared a border for centuries, their histories intertwined, yet their architectural identities differ. Spanish architecture is often categorized by ornate grandeur, palaces, courtyards, and Moorish filigree, while Portuguese architecture has more subtlety and restraint to it.

Portugal: The language of tiles and light.

If you walk through Lisbon’s Alfama district, you’ll find entire walls made out of blue and white azulejo tiles. Azulejos were originally imported by the Moors during the 13th century, and the Portuguese later converted them into an architectural art form. Later in the 16th century, missionaries and Portuguese artisans began painting biblical scenes, historical events, and artistic patterns on Azulejos tiles, embedding history within each of them. The reflective quality of these decorated homes and streets became an artistic motif of Portuguese culture.

The reflective quality of these tiles served both practical and poetic purposes—they cooled homes, brightened narrow streets, and became the visual heartbeat of Portuguese architecture.

2. The Age of Discovery and the Manueline Dream

Azulejo tiles aside, Portuguese architecture is best known for the Manueline. Named after King Manuel I, the late Gothic style became popular under his reign in the early 1500s. Stone carvings in the style became known for the depiction of sea-fearing times, taking the forms of ropes, coral, seaweed, and armillary spheres. One such example is the Jerónimos Monastery.

The Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon

Designed in 1501 by Diogo de Boitaca and Francisco de Arruda, the monastery is a symbol of exploration and faith. The structure itself is wrapped in carvings of twisted ropes and flowers, a representation of maritime dominance. The buildings, funded and commissioned by wealthy spice merchants, displayed the power of wealth brought on by the era of exploration.

Legend has it that famed explorer Vasco da Gama and his crew prayed here before they set sail and would often return with tributes, making the monastery a symbol of Portuguese naval dominance.

In some respects, the Manueline style can almost be a duality, rooted in global culture, yet distinctly Portuguese.

3. The Humble Vernacular: From Granite to Whitewash

Beyond the previous grandeur we’ve seen, Portuguese architecture can traditionally be categorized as humble. In the Minho region up north, houses are often built using locally sourced granite and wood and are often attached to large plots of farmland. In Alentejo, cottages are often built with thicker walls for cooling during the summer heat. Yet in mountainous regions such as Casa Serrena, their homes are built into the terrain itself, becoming part of the landscape.

Yet, another part of simplistic, humble architecture can be traced back to a natural disaster. After the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the Marquis of Pombal launched an architectural rebirth, ordering buildings to be built efficiently, symmetrically, and structurally more sound, giving birth to the Pombaline style. These buildings can often be seen as neat, yet with grids of stone facades and anti-seismic wooden frameworks, they were one of the most innovative earthquake-resistant designs at the time, reflective of the Portuguese innovative spirit, as seen in the age of exploration.

Spain: The Geometry of Faith and Empire

1. The Moorish Legacy: Light, Water, and Pattern

It would be remiss if we didn’t talk about Islamic roots in Spanish architecture. For nearly 800 years, the Iberian Peninsula was controlled under Muslim rule, thus giving way to merchants and a diverse population, enriching culture and history. Yet, even after the Spanish Inquisition and Christian Reconquista (where much of that influence was removed), the Medujar architecture form survived.

Mudejar buildings are a hybrid of Christian architecture with Moorish ornament decoration, often involving intricate brickwork, arabesques, horseshoe arches, and yeseria plasterwork. One famed example of this style is the Alhambra.

The Alhambra, Granada

Part fortress, part palace, the Alhambra was built in the Nasrid dynasty (13th-14th century). With many courtyards, water channels, and arcades, the Alhambra is the epitome of Mudejar buildings. Its most famous structure, the Court of the Lions, is made of slender marble columns and lions sitting on a marble fountain, combining religion, architecture, and culture together.

After Granada fell in 1492, it was reclaimed by Catholic monarchs, adding Renaissance-influenced design touches to the building. Yet, the overall Islamic DNA remained. Even centuries later, writers like Washington Irving praised the site’s beauty, calling it “a most elegant memento of Moorish grandeur.”

2. Regional Vernaculars: Diversity of the Land

Although both share a border, the distinct geography of each region shaped their respective architectures.

Galician Architecture: Usually built with heavy granite, cruceiros, and horreos on stilts to protect it from damp moisture and rats. Often used to store grain and food, a symbol of agriculture-based feudal life.

Andalusian courtyard houses: often the most picturesque Spanish homes, with white walls, blue flowerpots, and patios covered with vines.

Valencian Barracas: simple triangular farmhouses with reflective tiles, making them iconic to the region.

3. The Revival of Mudéjar and the Spanish Identity

In the late 19th century, despite the country’s modernization, architects and artists continued to revive these medieval forms, often being dubbed as the Neo-Mudéjar style. Many buildings and train stations built during this time involve Moorish arches and brick patterns. Even in Gaudí’s organic modernism, these distinct architectural traits remain, only reinforcing the idea that architecture is ingrained in history.

The beauty of Iberian architecture is not just in its photogenic characteristics but in what lies underneath: history, culture, and identity. Each building is a living archive, preserving architectural style, but each has a distinct national identity woven within, serving as a connector between worlds and time periods.

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Echoes of Stone and Tile: The Living Soul of Architecture in the Iberian Peninsula.