\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \qj\li105\ri105 \f1 \b ROMAN AND VISIGOTH SPAIN\par
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\b0 The Roman domination of Spain began with the conquest of Carthage. From the artis
tic viewpoint, it marked the end of the Celtiberian and Iberian styles that had until then been characteristic of production on the peninsula, with highly original results. For Spain, Romanization meant the construction of roads, bridges, and aqueducts,
as well as new centers with triumphal arches, arenas, and mausoleums, but above all it resulted in a homogenization of artistic styles and languages.\par
The arrival of the Goths from the north and then of the Arabs from the south marked the end of the
Roman empire and the consequent breakdown of political unity. A period of crisis and conflict began that led Spain to play a role of mediation between East and West for over a thousand years. It brought a mixture of languages and styles in art and archit
ecture: with the invasion of Alans, Suevi, Vandals, and Visigoths, the taste for lavish ornamentation typical of these nomadic people was superimposed on Roman classical art. The Byzantines who settled in the coastal areas of the Levant controlled the ma
in ports of the Mediterranean, influencing the arts with their own refined style.\par
The Visigoths, converts to Catholicism and the precarious conquerors of a population of six million, relied on the preexisting ecclesiastic structure for their social
organization and their very survival. Typical examples of the architecture of this period are provided by a number of small stone churches, adorned with sculptural friezes.
