The “Manueline” Secular Architecture in Portugal: A Distinctive Style in Lisbon in the Context of Italian Tradition

A distinctive Renaissance architectural style, known as Manueline, emerged in Portugal during the reign of King Manuel I (1495–1521), blending Gothic, Spanish Plateresque, and Italian Renaissance elements. This study highlights how Manueline architecture, characterized by its whimsical and symbolic motifs—including heraldic and exotic designs influenced by global discoveries—served as a tool for reinforcing national identity and central power in Portugal. The research reconstructs Lisbon's urban ensembles, royal residences, and secular buildings using historical miniatures, maps, and paintings, while contextualizing these structures within North Italian Renaissance traditions. Despite significant losses due to earthquakes from the 16th to 18th centuries, modern scholarly efforts—including those by T. Kaptereva, K. Lawe, L. Fernández-González, and A. Jordan Gschwend—offer new insights into this unique style's evolution and significance.

Smagol, O. S. (2019). The “Manueline” Secular Architecture in Portugal: A Distinctive Style in Lisbon in the Context of Italian Tradition. Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art, 9, 703–714. https://doi.org/10.18688/aa199-5-64