Madrid and Seville / The Magnificent Age: Art, Life and Baroque

When Martin Luther published his 95 theses in 1517, it was not only a challenge to the perceived corruption of the Catholic Church, it was an act which prompted the transformation of the religious, socio-political, and artistic landscape of Europe. One of the most dynamic styles to emerge in the wake of the Counter-Reformation, the Baroque lasted a century and manifested differently in Italy, Spain, and France, where it produced the most extraordinary artists and architects including Caravaggio, Bernini, Velasquez, Poussin, and Borromini.

In Spain (and its colonies) huge resources were spent creating elaborate church facades, gold-covered chapels and tabernacles, and polychrome sculptures. Discover the particular character of the Spanish Baroque in Madrid and in Seville (‘the new Rome’) and how its architects including Juan Gomez de Mora and painters such as Francesco Pacheco and Valdes Leal constituted the new style.