FIGUEROA, Leonardo de
(b. ca.1650, Utiel, d. 1730, Sevilla)

Exterior view

1724-34
Photo
Colegio de San Telmo, Seville

During the final years of the seventeenth century, Leonardo de Figueroa introduced some important changes in the architecture of Seville. In the course of his long and fruitful career, he was instrumental in propagating a graphic and decorative approach to all surfaces. His late masterpiece was the elegant façade of the Colegio de San Telmo, a foundling hospital established in 1671, where the new generation was trained for the roles of captains of the Atlantic fleet. From 1722 he and his son Matias began work on completing the structure with pronounced corner towers, organizing it around a large internal courtyard.

Work went on until 1735 and resulted in one of the most important buildings of the Andalusian Baroque. The three-story central stone pavilion stands out majestically from the restrained brick-built façade. The decorative effect is heightened through the use of allegorical figures which illustrate nautical science and the importance of Seville.

The picture shows the façade with the central pavilion.




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