7 of the Best Baroque Buildings in Rome
Just before the year 1600, a new style of art and architecture emerged in Rome. The ideals of the Renaissance, which favored symmetry and proportion, were pushed to the limits as Mannerist artists exaggerated human anatomy in their paintings and sculptures—elegance was favored over balance. Soon thereafter, the Baroque movement was born. Artists pumped drama and tension into their works, and architects designed monumental religious buildings rich with detail. The complicated geometry of Roman Baroque architecture was meant to pay tribute to the institutions and beliefs of the Catholic faith. By the end of the Baroque era, in the late 1700s, the aesthetics of the modern world had been evolved to encompass a much greater sense of expression and ornamentation. Here are seven of the best Baroque buildings in Rome—the epicenter of the movement.
Getty Images/iStockphoto1/7Church of the Gesú
Giacomo della Porta added the façade to the Church of the Gesú in 1575—it's considered to be the first work of the Baroque movement.
2/7Santa Susanna
Carlo Maderno’s 1603 vision for Santa Susanna is also considered an early example of Baroque architecture. (Note the similarity to the façade of the Church of the Gesú.) Generally, as the Baroque movement progressed, so did the degree of ornamentation.
Getty Images3/7Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza
Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza is one of Francesco Borromini’s best works. Its corkscrew lantern sits atop a building that pays respect to classical architecture while simultaneously flourishing with detail.
UIG via Getty Images4/7San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
The interior of Francesco Borromini’s San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane displays the type of detail and ornamentation that was praised during the Baroque period. This was considered representative of sacred splendor.
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5/7Sant’Andrea al Quirinale
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was a hugely influential Baroque architect. As the style radiated from Rome throughout Europe, his name would become synonymous with the design of theatrical spaces that strived for emotional stimulation. See the drama in the Sant’Andrea al Quirinale church from 1658.
Getty Images/AWL Images RM6/7St. Peter’s Square, Vatican
The heart of the Vatican is the massive St. Peter’s Square. In the late 1600s Gian Lorenzo Bernini added four rows of columns to the perimeter. The 284 columns were a dramatic—and truly Baroque—addition to the space.
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Getty Images7/7Trevi Fountain
Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, which depicts classical figures in sumptuous detail. This example of late Baroque, or almost even Rococo, architecture, is lighter in many ways. It's not as formal as earlier Roman Baroque architecture, as it conveys its grandeur less strictly with more free-flowing opulence.
