Arquitectura religiosa en los pueblos de colonización de la Extremadura meridional

Abstract

This work gives continuity to others on the churches in the villages built by the National Institute of Colonization in Extremadura. The same architectural characteristics of the previous studies are appreciated, although some peculiarities are also distinguished. On the one hand, the villages are more geographically dispersed. Most are located along the left bank of the Guadiana River; others further south, in the area of the Ardila river; and Docenario is located at the eastern end, in the La Serena region. The concurrence of three outstanding Spanish architects of the 20th century should be highlighted: Alejandro De la Sota, José Luis Fernández del Amo and José Antonio Corrales. Finally, the different circumstances that occurred during the development and construction of some churches are described. In Guadajira, they wanted to expand the tower to locate inside an elevator with panoramic views of the entire region, although it was never installed, and part of the temple had to be demolished due to problems in the foundations. The bell tower of San Rafael de Olivenza that ended up being a water deposit is also a unique case. In La Bazana, the architect who created the town’s layout was Alejandro de la Sota, and Perfecto Gómez the author of the church. In Alvarado three different projects were drawn up and it took more than ten years for the church to be finished.