Palladio in Spain (III): Palladian echoes in El Escorial (III)

2.- Tetrastyle hall in Sotacoro.

Sotacoro has a Palladian tetrastyle hall form and structure. The narthex leads to another squared entrance hall, which served as a hall for common people while king and court were in the great Church nave.

Plan of narthex and sotacoro in an engraving from 1694 (1) 

Sotacoro rests on four pillars placed near the corners which support a flat vault. This provision is called by Palladio tetrastyle hall with columns to provide more width than height and safely support upper chamber weight.

Square Pillars in Sotacoro or Tetrastyle Hall.

Plain Vauilt in Sotacoro or Tetrastyle Hall.

Tetrastyle Hall in Isaac Ware edition of "I Quatro Libri"(1738).

We can find antecedents of this tetrastyle hall in Villa Cornaro (1552) and Villa Mocenigo (1570).

Villa Cornaro (1554), from Isaac Ware edition of "I Quatro Libri"(1738).

(1) Perret, Pedro. Diseños de toda la fabrica de San Lorenzo el Real del Escurial(sic), con las declaraciones de las letras, numeros y caracteres de cada uno. Madrid, 16954. (enlace al facsímil virtual de la Universidad de Sevilla)

Lecture taught at Notre Dame School of Architecture in South Bend, Indiana (USA), June 11, 2011.

Author: Pablo Álvarez Funes