Polish Cathedral style
May 29, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under Architectural style
The Polish Cathedral style of North-American Catholic church is a genre of church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England in North America. These churches are not necessarily cathedrals (seats of bishops), or seats of their respective dioceses, but rather monumentally grand churches.
Key characteristics distinguish churches of the Polish Cathedral Style from other architectural styles represented in North-American church buildings. The most visible is the large amount of ornamentation used in decorating both the exterior and interior, comparable only to the more famous Churrigueresque or Spanish Baroque style. The decorations used reflect the tastes of the Polish immigrants to these regions in both the symbols and statuary of saints prominently displayed throughout.
Churrigueresque
May 27, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under Architectural style
Churrigueresque refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 1600s and was used up to about 1750, marked by extreme, expressive and florid decorative detailing, normally found above the entrance on the main facade of a building.
Named for the Churriguera family of Salamanca, its origins can be traced back to an architect and sculptor named Alonso Cano, who designed the facade of the cathedral at Granada in 1667.