The Architect of Excess: José Benito Churriguera and the Spanish Baroque José Benito de Churriguera, born in Madrid in 1665, stands as a towering – and arguably overwhelming – figure in the history of Spanish art. He wasn’t merely an architect; he was a sculptor, urban planner, and the embodiment of a particular aesthetic sensibility that would come to define a period: the Churrigueresque. His name became synonymous with a style characterized by exuberant ornamentation, dramatic flourishes, and a relentless pursuit of visual impact. To understand Churriguera is to understand a Spain grapplin…