Portuguese Architecture

Portuguese Architecture

Architecture of Portugal refers to the architecture practised in the territory of present-day Portugal since before the foundation of the country in the 12th century. The term may also refer to buildings created under Portuguese influence or by Portuguese architects in other parts of the world, particularly in the Portuguese Empire.

Portuguese architecture, like all aspects of Portuguese culture, is marked by the history of the country and the several peoples that have settled and influenced the current Portuguese territory. These include Romans, Suebians among other related Germanic peoples, Visigoths and Arabs, as well as the influence from the main European artistic centres from which were introduced to the broad architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassicism. Among the main local manifestations of Portuguese architecture are the Manueline, the exuberant Portuguese version of late Gothic; and the Pombaline style, a mix of late Baroque and Neoclassicism that developed after the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.

In the 20th century, Portuguese architecture has produced a number of renowned personalities like Fernando Távora, Eduardo Souto de Moura and, especially, Álvaro Siza.