7: Diffusion within the Habsburg Realms: Facades Exhibiting Selective Ornamentation Outside the Ibero-American Sphere.

One of the most iconic features of the B/R era in Spain and in Spanish colonial possessions is selectively ornamented portions of especially exterior facades, separated by relatively large expanses of empty space. In the colonial variants, this tended to affect the interiors as well, particularly in Brazil.

But one of the things I noticed was that in studying the B/R churches, particularly in Germany and Bavaria, but also in Austria, the exteriors of the buildings tended to, in their own way, use the same patterns. For example the pilgrimage church at Kappell, St. John Nepomok in Zdar, and the pilgrimage shrine of our lady of Lorezo, Prague.

Although it is the general style in the Germanic sphere to simply adorn the planes of the building, the punctuated courses or highly contrasted areas do resemble Iberian styles.

One commonality between these two areas was, despite their geographical and in places religious sectarian disparity, they were ruled for a fashion by the same dynasty: The Habsburgs. It is not inconceivable to believe that they would have exercised some personal sensibilities and personal preferences.