Author
Mauro Calvo (the bald Morisco).
Author Original
ماورو كالفو المورسكي الأصلع
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;24;ar
Library Location
El Androal, Évora (Jabora), Portugal
Notes
The Fortress of El Andrual is a good example of Mudéjar art in the Alentejo region. In fact, the fort is considered a fortified building that was built by an architect of Muslim origin at the request of an elite of Christians. The building was established at the end of the thirteenth century (1298 AD) by the military organization of the Avis during the reign of Dr. Denis (1279 - 1325); In its construction, limestone extracted from the region was used, although brick and marble were discovered in some places. The masters of the region and the fort allowed the architect or craftsman who managed the construction work, the teacher “Mauro Calvo,” to place a stake in one of the corners of the tower to the right of one of the entrances to the building. The architect not only put his signature, but also engraved in Roman letters an expression similar to the coat of arms of the Nasrid kings of Granada. The peculiarity of this inscription is that it was partly written in Old Portuguese and ends with the following words: “LEGALI: BI: ILLALA,” which means in a hidden way, especially when the pieces on which it is engraved are rearranged: “And there is no victor but God,” indicating its similarity to the Nasrid motto. This fortified building presents some characteristics that clearly distinguished Andalusian architecture. With the exception of the presence of the huge square towers, we note that the upper part of them extends inward to the inner part of the wall, which requires the presence of small tunnels that cross the path of the guardhouse. There are similar towers on the Islamic walls of Seville, and they may have served as a model for the Muslim architect who was commissioned to complete the building. Mauro Calvo wanted to leave another testimony to the Andalusian Islamic legacy. In a secluded area of the palace, in one of the corners that is not easily seen, a small window was built of brick, solid on the inside, although its splendor appears on the outside using marble and the border arch framed by Alvis, a characteristic composition of the final phase of the Islamic period. The honorary tower, although it differs in style from the towers of the Islamic period, shows a resemblance to fortified buildings of the Kingdom of Granada that are currently being studied. This similarity is particularly evident through the stepped vaults of the interior staircase. This fortified building is considered an example of the continuing balance in the Kingdom of Portugal during the end of the thirteenth century between the prevailing Western Christian world, which was behind works that had a distinctive stylistic character, and the influence of the building craftsmen who were trained in the “Andalusian School.” They did not hesitate to leave a trace of their cultural origins in the stones, which is why this building can be considered one of the most beautiful examples of Mudéjar art in the Alentejo.
Sample Text
Fernando Branco Correia “Palace of the Underground” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;24;ar
