Philip II of Spain and the Architecture of Empire

Abstract

Philip II of Spain was a major patron of the arts, best known for his magnificent palace and royal mausoleum at the Monastery of San Lorenzo of El Escorial. However, neither El Escorial nor the collections therein fully convey the rich array of architectural and cultural trends that characterized the artistic landscape of the peninsula in this period. In this book, Philip's architectural and artistic projects, are analyzed by placing them within the wider context of Europe and the transoceanic Iberian dominions. Philip II of Spain and the Architecture of Empire investigates ideas of empire, and cultural circulations in the art and architecture of the Iberian world during the sixteenth century. This book illuminates Philip's use of building regulations to construct an imperial city in Madrid and highlights the importance of his reform of the Simancas fortress into an archive. She analyzes the refashioning of his imperial image upon his ascension to the Portuguese throne and uses the Hall of Battles in El Escorial as a lens through which to understand visual culture, history writing, and Philip's kingly image as it was reflected in the funeral commemorations mourning his death across the Iberian world. Positioning Philip's art and architectural programs within the wider cultural context of politics, legislation, religion, and theoretical trends, the book shows how design and images traveled across the Iberian world and offers a nuanced assessment of Philip's role in influencing them.