The particular stereotomy at the ‘Obra Nova’ of the Valencia`s Cathedral
Blasco, Vicentea; Mas, Ángelesa; Lerma, Carlosa; Gil, Enriqueb; Torner, Mª Eugeniab
aDpt. Architectural Constructions, bDpt. of Continuous Medium Mechanics and Theory of Structures; Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.
Abstract:
Except for very few examples in the world we could consider the ‘Obra Nova’ of the Valencia’s Cathedral as a unique, singular and exceptional case, or at least one of the few with its features in the history of Architecture, due to conform a Renaissance gallery with the style of the Italian interior spaces, called ‘cortile’, but in this case forming an external space with the additional particularity, which makes it exceptional, of conforming a curved façade with arches with a difficult outline and execution. Up to the arrival of the Renaissance to the city of Valencia, we might say that its Cathedral did not enjoy the advantages of its position as a real civic centre despite the magnificent presence of its Apostles’ Door. It was in the middle of 16th century when the Chapter had the appropriate idea of building this attached element which would put the Cathedral in relation with the privileged place in which it was. In an era when there was no book about stereotomy, it was the master stonemason Miguel Porcar, heir of the gothic constructive tradition, who started the construction of these arch-curved galleries in 1563. As it is known, the specific term of stereotomy as the art of cutting three-dimensional solids into particular shapes was documented for the first time in the late 17th century, but it wasn’t until the mid-to late 19th century that the earliest, more well-known academic manuals were published. And this is the magnificence and the great contribution of Porcar’s work to the history of Architecture, because if cutting blocks of stone or keystones was not that difficult, the added difficulty was, as it is the case, when those had to be cut for a round dug arch.
Keywords: Valencia; Cathedral; Stereotomy; Stonemason; Construction; Architecture.