GIL DE HONTAÑÓN, Juan the Elder

Spanish architect. He was maestro mayor (official architect) of the Segovia cathedral and he designed in a late medieval style.

Gil de Hontañón worked in Burgos with Simón de Colonia, one of a family of German architects who were responsible for many important Spanish buildings. He laid the cornerstone of the Segovia cathedral in 1525, and his son Rodrigo took over this work after his death. The cathedral of Segovia is designed in a mixture of late medieval and Plateresque styles; the spaces are unified under relatively simple roofing.

Juan the Elder’s son, Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón is perhaps best known for his treatise on architecture, but he also designed several notable buildings in the Spanish style known as Plateresque. His other son, Juan the Younger (active 1521-1531) was also architect.