Old Columns, New Architecture: Spolia Columns and the Edges of Colonnades in Early Medieval Iberia

Yoshihiko Ito

doi:10.1515/atc-2022-1004

Article

Old Columns, New Architecture

Spolia Columns and the Edges of Colonnades in Early Medieval Iberia

Yoshihiko Ito
Yoshihiko Ito is an associate professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University, specializing in the history of architecture. He studied at the University of Tokyo, the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo for his thesis on the Architecture of the Kingdom of León in the 10^th century. His main research interests include architecture, construction, and visual culture of the early medieval Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the Kingdom of León and the Umayyad Córdoba. He is the author of Spanish Early Medieval Architecture (Supein Shoki Chusei Kenchiku Shiron). Architecture of the 10th Century Kingdom of León and the Myth of Mozarabism (Tokyo 2017); Annual Prize from the Society of Architectural Historians of Japan in 2019.

Published/Copyright: May 19, 2025

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From the journal architectura Volume 52 Issue 1-2

Abstract

Aligning load-bearing vertical posts to make an interior space is a longstanding practice, evident in Mediterranean architecture, where stone columns became the standard among all the materials and forms used by the Greeks and Romans. From the late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Christians and Muslims repurposed those stone columns for their prayer halls. This paper delves into the architectural practices of the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th to 10th century, focusing on the strategic use of spolia columns at the ends of colonnades. Though its colonnaded interior spaces are apparent continuity from early Christian basilicas, close observation reveals that their ›architects‹ prioritized using reused columns at the ends of the colonnades. It questions the balance between maximizing column usage and adhering to logical construction principles.

Keywords: Colonnade; Column; Spolia; Spain; Iberia; Early Medieval

About the author

Prof. Dr. Yoshihiko Ito

Yoshihiko Ito is an associate professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University, specializing in the history of architecture. He studied at the University of Tokyo, the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo for his thesis on the Architecture of the Kingdom of León in the 10^th century. His main research interests include architecture, construction, and visual culture of the early medieval Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the Kingdom of León and the Umayyad Córdoba. He is the author of Spanish Early Medieval Architecture (Supein Shoki Chusei Kenchiku Shiron). Architecture of the 10th Century Kingdom of León and the Myth of Mozarabism (Tokyo 2017); Annual Prize from the Society of Architectural Historians of Japan in 2019.

Credits

Fig. 1, 2, 4 –12, 14, 16, 18 – 22: Author — Fig. 3: Larren 1990, 221, additional notes by the author — Fig. 13: Ruiz Cabrero 2009, supplementary plate, additional notes by the author — Fig. 15: Ruiz Cabrero 2009, supplementary plate, additional notes by the author — Fig. 17: Marfil Ruiz 2010, 181

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Published Online: 2025-05-19

Published in Print: 2025-06-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/atc-2022-1004

Keywords for this article

Colonnade; Column; Spolia; Spain; Iberia; Early Medieval