Arnau Bargués designed the Monestir de Poblet in Catalonia, Spain, founded in 1151. It served as the royal pantheon of the Crown of Aragon, and is in use by monks of the Cistercian order. While the layout is conventionally Cistercian, much of the site is Romanesque.
Transition to Gothic – The Gothic style was still undeveloped in the 12th century Spain, and the pointed arches that are usually characteristic of Gothic can be seen at Poblet Abbey’s continuous vault was built above overly-large columns. A long tunnel vault extends down the main church with arches traversing the haves, clean and austere. Middle Eastern influences are also clear in the lavatorium and courtyard spaces.
Upward Motion – Such early French Gothic devices in the architecture provide a grand expression of upward movement. The white stone seems to stretch up to the sky, drawn by light itself, a manifestation of the heavenly firmament. The Benedictine ideal of monastery architecture was rational, simplistic, and reflective of heaven.
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