José Benito de Churriguera

José Benito de Churriguera ( born March 21, 1665 in Madrid, † March 2, 1725 ibid ) was Spanish sculptor, carver and architect of the late baroque.

Biography

The sculptor and carver tradition of his father following Probably, he first worked in this profession. Influenced by Gianlorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini and Guarino Guarini he created altarpieces for several churches of Madrid, Salamanca and the Capilla del Sagrario (or Capilla del Santísimo Sacramento ) in the Cathedral of Segovia. The architecture he turned only in 1709, by developing designs for the village of Nuevo Baztán ( Community of Madrid ), which is regarded as the most generous town planning in Spain in those days. He designed and built the palace, the church and the manufacture of the village. In the years 1722/23 he built the city hall of Salamanca. Together with his two younger brothers Joaquín de Churriguera (1674-1724) and Alberto de Churriguera (1686-1750), both also architects and sculptors, he coined a lush style of the late Spanish baroque, over rich in ornamentation, in part plateresque forms again were taken. This style went into the architecture and art history under the name Churrigueresque.

Brethren

Joaquín de Churriguera built including the Colegio de Anaya and the Colegio de Calatrava in Salamanca. Alberto de Churriguera who possessed the greatest talent among the three brothers, came only after the death of his two elder brothers emerged as an independent architect. He built the first works the Plaza Mayor ( Beg 1729 ) and the Iglesia de San Sebastián (1731 ) in Salamanca. Although he had risen to become chief architect of the city, he left Salamanca to seven years. His last works, which are smaller but are among his most important as an architect, are the parish church in Orgaz (1738 ) and the portal and the facade of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción ( 1738-47 ) in Rueda.