RODRIGO GIL DE HONTANON: HIS WORK AND WRITINGS, LATE MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE IN SIXTEENTH CENTURY SPAIN

Rodrigo Gil de Hontanon (c. 1500-1505 to 1577) is essentially a late medieval architect working within a tradition inherited from his father, Juan Gil de Hontanon. The tradition involves the use of geometric and arithmetical formulae for setting out the horizontal and vertical limits of interior space and thereafter enclosing this space with supporting members proportioned according to their work load. Although closely related to late medieval practice all over Europe certain of Rodrigo's methods seem to have become peculiar to Spain long before he began the practice of architecture.;As a renaissance architect Rodrigo continued to employ essentially linear late medieval methods of design. This being so, he never let his designs grow from the proportions of the orders. This is characteristic of the Spanish Renaissance as opposed to the High Renaissance Style not used extensively in Spain until the building of the Escorial. With the beginning of this building in 1563 or a few years earlier the Spanish Renaissance died and Rodrigo returned to a renewed exploitation of the late medieval style. He continued to treat this style in a creative manner but his successors merely copied earlier work so that his death may be considered to end late medieval building in Spain.