Bernini's Sant'andrea al Quirinale

Bernini designed this oval church so that future generations of photographers would have a really hard time. But seriously folks...

This odd church was comissioned to Bernini from Camillo Pamphilj though by request of the Pope, built to accomodate the novices of the Society of Jesus, 1658-40. It has an unusual oval plan that is disposed sideways so that it is impossible to photograph the interior, though i suppose contemporaries would simply have struggled with the fact that they had to look "both ways" to take it in. I was always under the impression that Bernini's work preceeded Borromini's, so i went here first. However, I'm wrong -- they were contemporaries and rivals, and their work makes an interesting comparison. The walls are covered in pink marble, and light, rather than filling the entire space, comes in drammatically through windows in each of the four chapels and four confessional spaces as well as above the high altar and from the main lantern. There is judicious use of pudgy baby angels, who make their way up right into the lantern, where there is a ring of golden cherubim.

Santa Maria della Vittoria, Cornari Chapel

The exterior is by Carlo Maderno, 1608 - 1620; the interior is considered an important example of the baroque, though watch out cuz the ciling fresco is actually 19th century.

The big hit in this church is Bernini's Cornaro Chapel, which contains his scandalously orgasmic Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1647-52), a fantastic multimedia creation in situ. Based on the saint's own writings about her mystical experience. An adolescent angel has come down from the heavens (above you'll notice stucco angels, some putto-like babies and other older and elongated ones) to raise Teresa towards the heavens. There are bronze rays of golden light, and the sculpture is illuminated by an oval window above (and by a light which you can switch on at the left of the chapel). Flanking either side of this chapel are two relief sculptures which have been proposed to be theatre boxes containing the patrons in contemporary dress as onlookers. However, the receding architecture does not fit the description of a theatre, even if Baroque sculpture is often considered "theatrical". The onlookers are said to meditate on or participate in the event, but again this does not seem to be correct, because at best they seem to be agitatedly discussing something, and not meditating at all.

The internet helpfully informs me that there is also a Czech dance music band named after Bernini's work.

Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

The exterior of this church is best seen from the opposite corner on Via delle Quattro Fontane; this intersection is marked with four reclining male figure fountains and, of the four long roads that can be seen in each direction from here, three of them are punctuated with obelisks at the end and the other in Porta Pia. The exterior shapes fit what I've always learned about the Baroque, namely the interplay of convex and concave surfaces that makes for a wavy effect, full of motion.

The small oval interior of this church dates to 1638-41. It is very white and makes for an interesting light-filled comparison to the Bernini church listed above. It is easier to take in this space in one glance (or one photographic lens)

 9.30-12.30; 16-18 closed saturday pm.

S. Ivo alla Sapienza

The University called "la Sapienza" was the first lay university in Rome, founded (I believe) in the early 14th century. It was only in the 17th c that the Pope at the time suggested a chapel be built for the students. Borromini (1642-48) was given the difficult task of building within a restricted and already delimited space. He already had experience with this at the church of Quattro Fontane, so perhaps this is why he was the man for the job.

The convex facade inside the courtyard, and the drum rising above it do not at all reflect what is going on inside. The drum is in fact a supporting shell for the internal dome. Once inside you are struck by the sensation of whiteness, of light, and of the musicality involved in the play of convex and concave surfaces, as if an orchestra director had waved the walls into place. The seemingly weighless dome, with defiant windows at the base from which it should spring, is set directly above the supporting pilasters without the intervention of a drum. (This is possible because of the drum we saw from the oustide!)

In contrast to Bernini or to most art we're used to, there is no obviously apparent iconographical scheme. That's cuz it's all missing now. Twelve niches contained statues of the twelve apostles by a different artist, but these were soon deemed insufficient and removed. In the dome, the brass plate we now see previously held a relief of the Holy Spirit, which recently fell off. The meaning was the holy spirit descending on the apostles, the episode in which they speak in tongues. From the outside of the church, the spiral on the lantern (the very top part above the dome) refers also to the tower of Babel. Rather appropriate for a great university.

Corso Rinascimentale, in the courtyard of the University (La Sapienza)

New opening hours thanks to Servizio Civile volunteers: M-F 8.30-17, Sat 9-12.
Free tours given by young art historian volunteers at set times (10, 12 etc) but also probably on request (there does not seem to be much demand).

Chiesa di Sant'Agostino (again)

Near pza navona on via st. agostino.

open 7.45-12; 16.30-19.30

daily 7-12; 16-19

Photos from the web gallery of art.

San Luigi dei Francesi

(No photos permitted)

The facade of this church is attributed to Giacomo della porta and the interior is a marble encrusted stucco disaster by Antonio Derizet (1756-64). There is excellent information posted in three languages on interestingly designed modern info pillars.

It's well known because it houses three paintings by Caravaggio depicting the Life of Saint Matthew (in the Contarelli chapel). Over the high altar is The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, on the left his Calling, and on the right the Martyrdom.

Nearby S. Ivo, on via Giustiniani
7.30-12.30; 15.30-19

Photos of these works available at the web gallery of art.

The Gesu

St. Ignatio di Loyola

This chuch was designed by Carlo Maderno, begun 1626; the triumph fresco on the ceiling is a masterpiece by Andrea Pozzo executed 1691-4. What i find most amazing is the way that the walls seem to be higher than they are due to the masterful perspective painting of the ceiling. Counter-Reformation painting is supposed to be clear and easy to read, but I often find that to my own eye this is not the case. At Saint Ignatio however, like at the Gesu, there is a strong upward thrust and a central figure in a burst of light, making the ceiling rather readable.