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discover Rome:
- Water in Rome
- Along the Tiber
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- The historic squares
- Baroque Rome
- Renaissance in Rome
- Villas and gardens
- Arches ancient Rome
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San Pietro Cathedral
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Baroque Rome
If there is a period in art that can
be said to have left its nature indelibly impressed on the city of
Rome, this is the Baroque.
The concrete expression of the triumphant
Church that managed to overcome the crisis caused by the Protestant
Reformation, the Baroque is the style of theatricality, wonder and
amazement par excellence that emotionally involves the viewer.
During the 17th century palaces, fountains, squares and churches
were created, totally invading the city and giving it a new face
which, today still, sets it apart in the world.
Throughout this itinerary, two names are alternately repeated: those
of the two great and undisputed protagonists of this season, Bernini
and Borromini who, perhaps because of the rivalry that characterized
their relationship, both proved to be authentic geniuses.
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The itinerary begins with the church
of Santa Maria della Vittoria, where it is possible to admire a true
masterpiece, the amazing Ecstasy of St. Theresa carved by Gian
Lorenzo Bernini. Situated in the Cornaro Chapel, to the left of the
transept, the work is conceived in a theatrical manner, respecting
the words of St. Theresa of Avila who, to describe the moment when
an angel pierced her heart, wrote that she had felt "inflamed by the
love of God". The "staging" of the work is accentuated by the
presence, in side balconies, of several members of the Cornaro
family, who are the privileged spectators of an experience in which
all the faithful are invited to participate.
In the 18th century the sculpture was particularly criticized for
being too sensual, so much so that the Marquis de Sade found it hard
to believe that Theresa was really a saint and De Brosses, a French
man of letters, even stated, "If this is divine love, I know it
well".
Next, the design for the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,
on Via del Quirinale. is by Francesco Borromini. The strange,
fanciful shapes of the architectural elements, as well as the
continuous alternation of concave and convex lines in the decorative
elements, were achieved thanks to the exclusive use of stucco, a
particularly ductile material that was very suitable - more than
marble - for the fantastic designs of the architect.
Borromini managed to create an absolute masterpiece, in spite of the
extremely small dimensions of the church. It is said that the entire
surface of the church is as large as a single supporting column of
the dome of St. Peter's!
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Continuing along the street, on the
same side as San Carlino, there stands the church of Sant'Andrea al
Quirinale, a masterpiece by Bernini.
Called the "pearl" of the Baroque because of the precious materials
used in its construction, the church was the building to which
Bernini felt closest. During the last years of his life, in the
later afternoon, he would have himself taken to the church to admire
the light that, filtered by the windows, was reflected on the marble
walls and gold an stucco decorations.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was also responsible for two works in the
Palazzo del Quirinale: the benediction loggia and the circular
tower, added as a defensive bulwark at the time of Pope Urban VIII.
Originally a 16th-century suburban residence, the palazzo del Quirinale
fwas later chosen as the pope's summer residence thanks to the
salubrity of the air and the closeness to the center of the city.
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Photo (c) Nobuyuki Taguchi
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After becoming the luxurious royal
palace of the Savoia, today it is the seat of the Presidency of the
Republic. The palace may be visited every Sunday morning, from 8.30
a.m. to 12.30 p.m., while every Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m., in the
square in front of it, the solemn Changing of the Guard takes place,
accompanied by a band concert.
Across from it are the Papal Stables,
recently restructured by architect Gae Aulenti to hold important art
exhibitions. From the coffee shop, set up inside the exhibition
space, one of the most spectacular views over the city can be
enjoyed.
Descending from the Quirinal along
Via della Dataria and going past Via del Corso, a visit to the
church of Sant'Ignazio is worthwhile, even if it contains no works
by either Bernini or Borromini. The huge ceiling, frescoed by Father
Andrea Pozzo, who created an architecture which opens up into the
sky where St. Ignatius is received and glorified, is in fact one of
the last and astounding expressions of Baroque painting. An
incredible illusion is created by the fake architectural structures
that give the idea of a space that extends forever.
But even greater is the amazement before the fake dome. It is a
trompe-l'oeil effect done in perspective in such a way as to be seen
by the congregation arranged along the nave. In order to admire the
dome, painted on canvas, you can stand on the porphyry disk in the
center of the nave. Instead, to grasp the visual illusion, it is
necessary to move towards the transept! The mind and hands behind
this masterpiece is Andrea Pozzo, a Jesuit priest, painter,
architect and mathematician who also worked as a cook for his
religious order.
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Photo (c) Nobuyuki Taguchi
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Before continuing the visit, you should stop to admire the small but
lovely little square in front of the church. When, in 1727, the
architect Filippo Raguzzini designed the lively buildings, he was
criticized for having created a square in the shape of a "canterano"
(chest of drawers), a piece of furniture much in vogue at the time.
In reality, the space today appears as one of the most successful
rococo creations. The Via del Burrò, which winds behind one of the
buildings, takes its name from bureau i.e. the French offices that
were housed in those buildings.
At Via dei Bergamaschi 59 there is a
shop, Tulipani bianchi, where two amicable young Swiss people,
Monika e Franz, create extremely original bouquets and elegant
floral compositions.
At the nearby Piazza di Pietra 45, you can eat at the Osteria
dell'ingegno (06-6780662). Also very popular are the American pub
Miscellanea, which offers tasty salads for lunch, Via delle Paste,
and the Pub Incontro, at Via del Collegio Romano 6. Going along Via del Seminario, after
passing the Pantheon we turn left to reach Piazza Sant'Eustachio,
where we can admire the dome of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, a
masterpiece by Francesco Borromini.
The church was conceived to be the chapel of the University of Rome,
founded in 1303 by Boniface VIII. The original seat was in
Trastevere and, only in the mid-15th century, the university was
transferred to the area of Sant'Ivo, where the building still stands
today. The building was the seat of the "La Sapienza" University of
Rome until 1935, when it was transferred to the "Città Universitaria".
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The task of building the chapel of
Sant'Ivo was originally assigned to Gian Lorenzo Bernini who,
considering the work troublesome and difficult, entrusted it to
Borromini, who instead created a structure as extraordinary as it
was complex. The very original hexagonal plan takes up, in a
schematized manner, the bee symbol of the Barberini family who
commissioned the work. Also extraordinary is the dome, with an
unusual spiral shape culminating with a crown of flames. It is the
symbol of charity, the main virtue of St. Ives, protector of
lawyers, who placed himself free of charge at the service of the
poor and defenseless, thus becoming the "poorman's lawyer". The
lantern of the dome recalls the valve of a mollusk which Borromini
kept in his shell collection. It is thus probable that the artist
was inspired, in his design for the bejewelled crown topping the
building, by the elongated shape of the mollusc!
If you would like a good cup of
coffee, don't miss the Caffè Sant'Eustachio, Piazza Sant'Eustachio
82, while at no. 54 is Camilloni, famous for its pastries and
home-made ice-cream.
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After a stop at Piazza Navona, always a beautiful setting for festivities, shows and
processions, the itinerary on the Baroque can only end at the
Vatican, where Bernini left countless specimens of his talent,
starting from the spectacular Colonnade of St. Peter's Square.
The
elliptical shape, symbolizing the Church's embrace of all of
mankind, is defined by a series of 284 columns arranged in four
rows.
If, however, you stand on one of the
two focuses of the ellipse, marked by a granite disk, it seems that
the colonnade is made up of only a single row of columns!
At the end of the right-hand arm of the colonnade, two Swiss Guards
stand watch before the Scala Regia.
Skillfully exploiting the little space
at his disposal, the artist managed to give the illusion of a much
bigger staircase through the use of optical devices.
Inside the basilica, also, Bernini's ingenious inventions never
cease to amaze.
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Piazza San Pietro
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The huge space under the dome was
occupied by the gigantic Baldacchino, 29 meters high (like Palazzo
Farnese and the Louvre), whose twisted columns were cast of bronze
taken from the Pantheon, a fact that immediately became the subject
of the famous pasquinade "Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt
Barberini" (What the Barbarians did not do, the Barberini did).
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Photo (c)
Elaine Robbins
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The Baldacchino was erected over the
altar, which in turn was placed exactly over the spot where,
according to tradition, St. Peter is buried.
On the bases of the bronze columns
supporting the Baldacchino, it is possible to see the shields with
the Barberini bees.
A closer examination reveals,
however, that in reality they show the sequence of expressions of
pain on the face of a woman giving birth. Going around the monument
clockwise, seven different moments of pregnancy can be seen, up to
the smiling face of a baby. Bernini intended, evidently through the
figure of Pope Urban VIII Barberini, to celebrate mankind who
suffers while awaiting salvation.
At the back of the apse is the
Cathedra, the large bronze chair, supported by four gigantic statues
portraying the Doctors of the Church, which was created to hold the
Episcopal chair where Peter sat.
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In reality, the cathedra, kept inside
the Baroque monument, dates from the 9th century and is a gift from
King Charles I (the Bald) to Pope John VII.
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To give an idea of the dimensions of
the cathedra, just imagine that 121 tons of bronze were used and
that the wingspan of the dove of the Holy Spirit in the
stained-glass window is 1.75 meters long. The tiaras of the Doctors
of the Church, situated below, are also about two meters high. Bernini also did the funeral
monuments for Popes Urban VIII Barberini and Alexander VII Chigi.
The latter situated in the left
transept, originally had the statue of Truth carved nude; but the
pope, judging the female figure scandalous, had it covered with a
bronze robe.
Bernini, who by then was on in years,
in spite of his objections, had to surrender before the pope's
request and see his work modified.
The door at the bottom of the
monument is the Door of Death, symbolized by the macabre skeleton
with hourglass in hand, through which all mortal beings must pass
sooner or later.
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Photo (c)
Renato Esti
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Courtesy of
romaturismo.com Azienda Promozione
Turistica Comune di Roma
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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