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Our European adventures thus far (Bordeaux in particular) have sparked my interest in architecture. The variety of buildings and designs - from the grand to the seemingly mundane - stand silent testament to a fascinating history; and as yet I haven't understood what secrets of the past these carved walls contain. So like all good researchers, I turned to Google for answers.
What I learnt was that the buildings invariably reflect the era in which they were designed and built, and offered clues into what was happening at the time. The Classic era of Ancient Greece and Rome was all about perfection in simplicity. Proportion was important, and I think everyone can see the Pantheon in their mind's eye as a prime example of this. Order in society. Simple geometry, columns, carved statues etc. Things got progressively more functional, defensible and decorative through Medieval times (called Romanesque) and peaked in the Gothic period, where inspiration was drawn from the Moors who had invaded Spain and introduced Arabic decoration and ornamentation to the European landscape. This was a time marked by cathedrals at once grand and gloomy. Intricate rosette windows faced the street while sharp spires adorned with gargoyles and patterns reached for the sky. For mine, this style served as a reminder of God's holy wrath and divine power more than his welcoming arms. Watch the sun set and darkness fall on a Gothic cathedral and you'll see what I mean... It's more than a bit spooky. As with all things, European architecture was cyclic: it returned to a form of its simple and elegant self in the Renaissance. The Greeks had it right all along! Bring back the columns, arches and geometry! Just to make things more confusing, this happened again more recently (1750-1900 AD I think?) in the form of Neo Classicism - think The White House in Washington DC. So now whenever I see columns I need to decide how old it looks... Super old is the Classic era (BC and early AD: Colosseum), old but not ancient is Renaissance (1400-1600 AD: Bordeaux's Opera National Grand theatre - we sat on the steps there today for a picnic and people watching), while relatively new means Neo Classicism (1800s?: The White House). There was also the Baroque and Rococo periods in there somewhere. This is where Richie Rich displayed his wealth and affluence in the form of extreme ornamentation and gold-plated everything's. Think chateaux with grand spiral staircases and chandeliers. Think opulence.
I'm not sure whether I'm more or less confused about architecture now than I was before. I'm sure I've only got a very vague idea about it all. Even so, strolling the streets of Bordeaux I can now begin to see the significance of the variety of architectural periods represented: Medieval archways with their conical rooves, Renaissance theatres with their Greco-Roman statues of Adonis and Co. perched atop the columned facade, gilding and gold that reflects a time of wealth in the Baroque period, the haunting spires of Gothic cathedrals jutting out above it all. Just to really top it all off, the city streets are full of super-modern, chic boutique and designer fashion stores: a firm reminder that Bordeaux lives very much in the 21st century despite its extensive history. Despite our short stopover here, the time we did have was mostly spent walking the city's streets and admiring its exquisite beauty. The city is like a patchwork quilt; carved in stone and sewn by many hands through the ages. I am now really starting to comprehend how very young Australia is as a nation. Our architectural history can really only be traced back to the most recent of these European styles, and even buildings like that are few and far between compared to the modernism of the vast majority of what makes up our city landscapes.
P.S. Despite all this newfound knowledge, I still have absolutely no idea what Gaudi was thinking when he designed all that stuff in Barcelona!
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