Ricardo Velázquez Bosco (1843–1923) was a Spanish
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
,
archaeologist and
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or research ...
.
Velázquez's most notable architecture was erected in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), an ...
, buildings such as the
Palacio de Cristal
The Palacio de Cristal ("Glass Palace") is a conservatory located in the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain.
The Palacio de Cristal, in the shape of a Greek cross, is made almost entirely of glass set in an iron framework on a brick base, which ...
and the
Palacio de Velázquez
Palacio de Velázquez, or Velázquez Palace (sometimes referred to as Palacio de Exposiciones) is an exhibition hall located in Buen Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain.
Originally known as the Palacio de la Minería, it was built in 1881-3 for the Expos ...
(both in the
Parque del Buen Retiro
The Buen Retiro Park (Spanish: ''Parque del Buen Retiro'', literally "Good retirement park"), Retiro Park or simply El Retiro is one of the largest parks of the city of Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th ...
) and the massive
Ministry of Agriculture building. As an architect he was known for the prolific use of glazed pieces of ceramics in bright colors for his projects.
He also carried out restoration work on the
Cathedral–Mosque of Córdoba and directed important archaeological excavations near Córdoba in
Medina Azahara
Madinat al-Zahra or Medina Azahara ( ar, مدينة الزهراء, translit=Madīnat az-Zahrā, lit=the radiant city) was a fortified palace-city on the western outskirts of Córdoba in present-day Spain. Its remains are a major archaeological s ...
.
Biography

Born in 1843 in
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
.
Use of
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelai ...
s as decorative architectural materials became popular in Spain in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Architects such as Velázquez used them in the style which came to be known as “Regionalist Architecture".
Velázquez built the
Palacio de Velázquez
Palacio de Velázquez, or Velázquez Palace (sometimes referred to as Palacio de Exposiciones) is an exhibition hall located in Buen Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain.
Originally known as the Palacio de la Minería, it was built in 1881-3 for the Expos ...
, which is named after him, in the
Parque del Buen Retiro
The Buen Retiro Park (Spanish: ''Parque del Buen Retiro'', literally "Good retirement park"), Retiro Park or simply El Retiro is one of the largest parks of the city of Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th ...
in Madrid.
This building, which was constructed for the
Exposición Nacional de Minería (1883)
The Exposición Nacional de Minería, Artes Metalúrgicas, Cerámica, Cristalería y Aguas Minerales (National Exhibition of Mining, Metallurgical Arts, Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Waters) was an exhibition held in Madrid, Spain in 1883. Situat ...
, features ceramic tiles made by
Daniel Zuloaga.
The Palacio de Velazquez and the nearby Palacio de Cristal are influenced by London's Crystal Palace.
Velázquez taught the Spanish architect
Antonio Palacios
Antonio Palacios Ramilo (8 January 1874 – 27 October 1945) was a Spanish architect. Distinguished by the monumental eclecticism he left as imprint in many of his projects, he helped define the architectural identity of Madrid in the first h ...
who was influenced by his eclectic and modern style; it is sometimes called "emphatic
eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...
". His works are characterized by a resounding treatment of volume, as well as the use of ceramic decoration on building facades. He was a member of the
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF; ), located on the Calle de Alcalá in the heart of Madrid, currently functions as a museum and gallery. A public law corporation, it is integrated together with other Spanish royal acad ...
along with
Enrique María Repullés
Enrique María Repullés, (30 October 1845 – 13 September 1922 in Madrid) was a Spanish architect.
He was a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando along with Narciso Pascual Colomer and Ricardo Velázquez Bosco.
Work ...
and
Narciso Pascual Colomer
Narciso Pascual Colomer, also known as Narciso Pascual y Colomer, (1808 in Madrid – 15 June 1870 in Lisboa) was a Spanish architect. He was one of the most important of the reign of Isabella II, an exponent of the late Neoclassicism and hist ...
.
Most of his work was concentrated in Madrid, where he taught at the
School of Architecture
This is a list of architecture schools at colleges and universities around the world.
An architecture school (also known as a school of architecture or college of architecture), is an institution specializing in architectural education.
Africa
...
.
He died in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), an ...
in August 1923.
Archaeology and restoration
Velázquez, who from 1910 was the director of the Madrid school of architecture, also taught history of art. He was involved in archaeological and conservation projects, notably in the
province of Córdoba, where he was assisted by the sculptor
Mateo Inurria
Mateo Inurria Lainosa (25 March 1867, Córdoba - 21 February 1924, Madrid) was a Spanish sculptor.
Biography
His began his artistic studies in his father's workshop. who was Director of the arts school of Cordoba.
Archaeology
As an archaeologist, Ricardo Velázquez Basco was involved in the excavation of two
Islamic heritage sites near
Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to:
* Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain
* Córdoba, Argentina, 2nd largest city in the country and capital of Córdoba Province
Córdoba or Cordoba may ...
in 1910/11:
* Madīnat az-Zahrā (
Medina Azahara
Madinat al-Zahra or Medina Azahara ( ar, مدينة الزهراء, translit=Madīnat az-Zahrā, lit=the radiant city) was a fortified palace-city on the western outskirts of Córdoba in present-day Spain. Its remains are a major archaeological s ...
), a large medieval site built by the
Umayyad Caliph
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
s of Córdoba.
This long-abandoned site had previously yielded finds, but Velázquez' work effectively represented its rediscovery.
* Munyat al-Rummaniyya (El Cortijo Alamiriya). This excavation revealed the remains of a country estate with four rectangular terraces, over a area, of size x. Although the terraces are still to be seen, with the masonry of a pool in the upper terrace, the remains of a house which were examined by Velazquez are not longer extant. After analyzing the materials used in this structure he interpreted the site as an ''
almunia'' with a layout found also at Madinat al-Zehrá.
:After Velásquez' death the site was identified as Munyat al-Rummaniyya, an estate known from documentary sources.
It has been suggested that there was a political motive for these excavations, as Spain was in the process of colonizing
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
, a Muslim country; a process which culminated in 1912 when Spain and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
made Morocco its “protectorate.”
Restoration
Velázquez undertook restoration/conservation works at the
Cathedral–Mosque of Córdoba. The building had been declared a
national monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a sp ...
in 1882; the works involved the reversal of accretions, for example, removing an altarpiece from the ''
mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the '' qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla ...
'' and a lean-to structure from the west
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means 'frontage' or ' face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...
.
He worked on
León Cathedral
Santa María de Regla de León Cathedral is a Catholic church, the episcopal see of the diocese of León in north-western Spain, consecrated under the name of the Virgin Mary. It was the first monument declared by the Royal Order of Spain on A ...
and the
La Rábida Monastery
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
.
Works
His most important works include the following buildings in Madrid:
* 1881–1883: Pavilion for the
National Mining Exhibition of 1883 at the
Palacio de Velázquez
Palacio de Velázquez, or Velázquez Palace (sometimes referred to as Palacio de Exposiciones) is an exhibition hall located in Buen Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain.
Originally known as the Palacio de la Minería, it was built in 1881-3 for the Expos ...
, with engineer
Alberto de Palacio and ceramist
Daniel Zuloaga
* 1884–1893:
School of Mining Engineering of Madrid
The School of Mining Engineering of Madrid (Spanish: ''Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Minas y Energia'') is located in calle Ríos Rosas, Madrid, Spain. It is one of the engineeri