Gothic Versus Renaissance? An Approach to the Ornamentation “A la Romana” in the Kingdom of Valencia: ca. 1447-1564

Abstract

The objectives of this work are to weigh the importance of the decoration "a la romana" in the introduction of the Italian Renaissance in the kingdom of Valencia between the XV-XVI centuries and to value the role that the arrival of transalpine artists played, the import of sculptures and Latin lapidary; evidences that were conditioning the visual arts of the Valencian workshops, until then mediated by the Gothic-Flemish aesthetic. The importance of humanism is addressed, with Vives at the head, born with the University of Valencia, as an attractive cultural dynamo for the nobility, since all this will explain the artistic novelties that occur in the Cathedral of Valencia or the emergence of an exceptional painter like Joan de Joanes. However, the aristocracy was belatedly identified with the Renaissance, although it did so with humanism, unlike the ecclesiastical hierarchy, since it was not easy to accept it in a society whose mentality was still medieval. We offer a new reading of the arrival of the archaeological language and its impact on Valencian art, the Renaissance entry way to Spain thanks to Valencia's privileged contact with Italy.