l of Malaga, San Juan della Penitencia at Toledo (1511),
the facade of the Alcazar at Toledo (1548), the Town Hall (1551), and
Casa Zaporta (1560) at Zarragoza, and the Town Hall of Seville (1559).

A great number of tombs, staircases, doorways, and other smaller
single features, executed during this period from the designs of good
artists, are to be found scattered through the country. "These
Renaissance monuments exhibit an extraordinary degree of variety in
their ornaments, which are of the most fantastic nature; an exuberant
fancy would seem to have sought a vent, especially in the sculptured
ornament of the style, which though at times crowded, overladen, and
we must add disfigured by the most grotesque ideas, is very striking
for its originality and excellent workmanship."--(M. D. W.)

[Illustration: FIG. 84.--THE ALCAZAR AT TOLEDO. (BEGUN 1568.)]

The second phase of Spanish architecture was marked by a plain and
simple dignity, equally in contrast with the Plateresco which had
preceded it and with the extravagant style to which it at length gave
place. The earliest architect who introduced into Spain an
architectural style founded on the best examples of Italy, was Juan
Baptista de Toledo. He in the year 1563 commenced the Escurial
Palace--the Versailles of Spain; but the principal part of the
building was erected by his more celebrated pupil, Juan de Herrera,
who carried on the works during the years from 1567 to 1579. This
building, one of the most extensive palaces in Europe, is noble in its
external aspect from a distance, thanks to its great extent, its fine
central dome, and its many towers, but it is disappointing when
approached. Of the interior the most noteworthy feature is a
magnificently decorated church, of great size and unusual arrangement;
and this dignified central feature has raised the Escurial, in spite
of many faults, to the position of the most famous and probably most
deservedly admired among the great Renaissance palaces of Europe.

By the same architect numerous buildings were erected, among others
the beautiful, if somewhat cold, arcaded interior of the Alcazar of
Toledo (Fig. 84), which may be taken as a fair specimen of the noble
qualities to be found in his dignified and comparatively simple
designs. About the middle of the sixteenth century Charles V. erected
his palace at Granada; but here the architecture is strongly coloured
by Italian or French examples, and much of the bui