290 Apuntes del Alcázar de Sevilla
E
nglish
version
with winged Hermes or vases, according to the room. In the top
baseboard, among female matched figures carrying diverse symbolic
objects (Virtues), we find the heraldic shields of Spain and Portugal
next to the Pillars of Hercules with P
lus Ultra
phylactery. The tondi
of Carlos V and Isabelle of Portugal remind us they were the devel-
opers of this great imperial venture. Even though this tiling used to
cover the four rooms, they were eliminated from the Northern one,
just like corbels of the domes, possibly as a consequence of the dam-
ages caused by the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 and the deep renova-
tion of this room besides of the corridor in the eighteenth century.
In 1577, Gonzalo Pérez is hired to paint the supplements of every
vault from the two main halls, finishing his job in July 1578. First,
he decorates the one which faces the gardens and then the one fac-
ing the
Patio del Crucero
, but there are no evidences of the design
nowadays. At the present time, it is still unknown whether these
ornamentations underlie the lime coats. In 1578, this painter contin-
ues with the arches from the disappeared corridor, which preceded
the
Sal
ó
n de las B
ó
vedas
, replaced by the Baroque gallery of Van der
Borcht in the eighteenth century, and restoring an emblem placed
on the central largest arch de, beginning his task with the
Patio del
Crucero
7
in the same year. Works in the gothic palace lasted about
twelve years, being finished in 1588. In that period the
Patio del
Crucero
was intervened simultaneously, with the result of the most
beautiful complex of the
Alc
á
zar
, with Renaissance Mannerist Plat-
eresque decorative motifs.
On the basis of the beautiful and numerous decorative elements
maintained in the complex at the present time, we get an overview on
the way that the large halls belonging to the palace must be renovated
and accomplished so efficiently, still fascinating due to the dynamism
implied by the design of the plinths, the lively colours and the high
brightness. These emotions are still transmitted by the light coming
from their picture windows, the majestic and pleasant view of the
gardens and the colourful profuse of the Grutesque forms jumbled in
the yellow background of the tiles (which will include those that were
probably belonging to the vaults painted by Gonzalo Pérez).
The same stylistic reformist idea is applied in the Transept Court-
yard and the subterranean gardens, with access from the gothic pal-
ace climbing narrow stairs located on the lateral nave —Chapel—
which leaded into the Western flank of the Southern gallery of the
Ba
ñ
os
, maintained but walled nowadays. Remodelling is executed
virtually simultaneously with that implemented in the gothic halls,
beginning in 1577 with the opening of an alley to communicate the
Jardines de la Danza
and the
Ba
ñ
os
. The construction of this tunnel,
located beneath the
Sal
ó
n de las B
ó
vedas
and aligned with the central
longitudinal gallery of the
Ba
ñ
os
, allowed for opening this area and
communicating it with the new Renaissance gardens.
The new tunnel, which reaches as far as the Southern gallery of the
Crucero
, is organised in 6 domed sections, all of them rectangular-
shaped and variable in size. The largest three are placed among other
undersized and narrower three that restrict the passage as inter-ver-
tebral disks, aligning the minor sections successively with regards to
the central gallery of the
Ba
ñ
os
. As we go forward inside, the largest
ones are longer but narrower. The first external vault is lower, fol-
lowed by a narrow barrel vault above a short flight of stairs, with a
slope about 1m from the pavement of the previous section; the rest
of vaults are also barrel-shaped. Stone benches were constructed on
both sides of the first and third sections, enclosed by friezes forged
by the smithy artisan Juan Fernández
8
.
After whitewashing the tunnel and vaults of the
Crucero
, the paint-
ers Juan Díaz and Juan de Saucedo are hired by the Governor Juan
Antonio del Alcázar, to adorn the transit area, being accomplished
in November 1577 after four months of work and with the cost of
48 ducats
9
. We do not know whether this ornamentation reaches
the six vaults which form the passage, or only the first external two
—the lower and the barrel ones— since just those keep part of their
compositions, without trace in the others. In the first one the orna-
mentation is about heraldry, while the second one presents an al-
legory about the power, union and strength of monarchy.
At the back of the central gallery there is a Grutesque sculptural
fountain engaged to the painter Juan Chacón in exchange for 210
ducats, being finished in April 1578. It is made of stones and shells
and closes the Northern ogival opening of the penultimate vault,
compartmentalized with 10 alcoves which contain polychrome clay
sculptures, referring characters and mythological deities related to
water
10
. From this fountain, disused at the present time, it is only
maintained its stony structure. Its rear surface still has an attached
box containing a reservoir positioned in its top third part. Three ce-
ramic pipes are also still visible, which made the fountain work: one
served as the tank supply, other as an overflow (a hole based on the
Southern top side) which poured into the fountain, and the last one
for drainage, vertically positioned in the Northern side of the box
11
.
The tank was nurtured by water from the hydraulic circuit, working
nowadays, inserted in the top fringe of the arches from the North-
eastern external courtyard of the
Ba
ñ
os
, possibly coming from the
Casa del Maestre
or from the
Chorr
ó
n
reservoir. Nowadays, even dis-
used, a pipe system of suppliers is maintained hidden by the stones
of the fountain. However, it is unknown if it deals with the eight
suppliers created by the brass artisan Francisco Jiménez
12
due to its
confusing current state.
The domed sector, where there fountain-cave is based on, is closed
by grids forged by Juan Fernández and painted by Juan Chacón
13
af-
terwards in two of its sides
.
Even disappeared, we have found some
forging clamps during the intervention, inserted in the lateral ogival
arches at different levels, one of them at the keystone of the arch,
covering the opening completely. It may seem that they were in the
front side, probably to facilitate the frontal and complete view from
the pond. The fountain seemed to be flanked by pedestals with clay
sculptures
14
; however, at current time there are no traces of sculp-
tures, flooring, pieces or ornamental remains on the floor in front
of the fountain, just a corroded and irregular piece of land in accor-
dance to plant of the vault. The water poured must supply the pond
as well, even though we do not know how, sliding over the ground or
by means of other construction elements or hydraulic mechanisms.
The supplements and the ogival arches of this vault were poly-
chrome in whole with mannerist motifs, creating a harmonious,
bright and attractive unit with groups of small theriomorphic fig-
ures and Grutesque designs. The paintings of the vault, due to its
advanced state of deterioration because of crusts, were successively
whitewashed, remaining hidden at the time until their interven-
tion less than a year ago, uncovering the beautiful supplements that
adorn the supplements of the vaults with mannerist motifs, besides
of the three visible sustenance ogival arches. It can be assumed that
Juan Chacón was also in charge of this decoration, together with
the construction and the ornamentation of the sculptural fountain,
defining a single aesthetic unit. In the design we can see some ele-
ments coinciding with the friezes of barrel vaults from the entrance,
designed with interlaced leaves and flowers as well.
