Baroque Architecture: Everything You Need to Know 

For those that love a performance, perhaps no building style is more theatrical than Baroque architecture. “The origins of the word ‘Baroque’ are not entirely clear, but it is generally associated with irregularity in forms as well as opulence,” says Laura Foster, an architectural historian and professor at John Cabot University whose research focuses on Baroque architecture. Born in Italy in the late 16th century and flourishing throughout certain parts of Europe, the style was characterized by grandeur and a distinct dramatic flair. In this guide from AD, learn just how Baroque architecture came to be, discover famous examples of the style, and study what exactly makes the look different from other ornamented aesthetics. 

What is Baroque architecture? 

Strictly speaking, Baroque architecture refers to an opulent architectural style born in Italy in the late 16th century. “It’s a very broad term used for European architecture of the 17th and early 18th centuries,” Foster explains. As Merriam Webster defines it, the building style “is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension.” The architectural style is the structural manifestation of a larger movement in art and design—commonly called the Baroque period—which also included similarly elaborate and dramatic work in the visual arts and music. 

Often, Baroque architects would employ elaborate motifs and decorations in their work with an emphasis on organic, curving lines and bright colors. “The term Baroque was initially used as an epithet to describe buildings whose design strayed from the principles established during the Renaissance,” Foster adds. The style spread primarily throughout the 17th century in Europe, with particular prominence in Germany, and even made its way to colonial South America. Late Baroque work, which emerged in the mid to late 18th century, is often referred to as Rococo style—or Churrigueresque in Spain and Spanish America. This iteration of the style was even more ornamented and elaborate. 

History of Baroque architecture

Unlike other architectural styles, Baroque aesthetics didn’t come to be just because of a change in cultural tastes or ideologies. Rather, the catalyst for the emergence of Baroque buildings was the ongoing tension between the Catholic Church and Protestant Reformers. “The origins of Baroque architecture are often associated with religious conditions beginning in the late 16th century,” Foster says. At this time, Protestant believers had rejected the authority of the Roman Pope and disavowed many Roman Catholic teachings. This was known as the Protestant Reformation.

Known as the Counter-Reformation, Baroque architecture was part of the Church’s campaign to entice congregants back into Catholic worship. By constructing churches to inspire awe and emotion, Catholics believed they could attract parishioners back to them. The church commissioned architects to reimagine many of the elements of Renaissance architecture—like domes and colonnades—and make them grander and more dramatic. Inside, almost all design decisions were made to entice visitors to look up, with the goal to make worshipers feel as if they were looking into heaven. Quadratura or trompe-l’oeil paintings on the ceilings or winding columns that evoked upward movement were often employed as part of this. 

Early Baroque architecture was largely contained to Rome, later spreading to more Italian cities before making its way across other European nations. Some of the earliest completed works in the Baroque period were the Church of Gesu, in 1584, and the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica, designed in 1612. As the style took hold, it wasn’t just churches that were crafted in the aesthetic, but secular buildings too. One of the most famous examples of this—commissioned by Louis XIV of France—is the Palace of Versailles. 

“The Baroque style overlapped with Neoclassicism in the 18th century, which largely replaced [Baroque architecture] by the end of the century,” Foster says of the style’s end. “Its disappearance partly had to do with religious associations made with the Baroque style as well as identification of it with monarchy and absolutism.”  

Defining elements and characteristics of Baroque architecture

According to Foster, there are three main elements that define all Baroque buildings. “First, there is a sense of monumentality even when the space is actually small,” she says. This can be seen throughout many Baroque structures, though she says the façade of Francesco Borromini’s Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is a particularly good example. Next, Baroque design exemplifies a desire to create embodied experiences of architectural space. “This was done by creating theatrical forms through the manipulation of the classical orders, curvature in walls and façades, and the dynamic sequencing of spaces,” she explains, citing Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale as a good example. Lastly, light plays a vital role in Baroque work. “Its use is often through reflective or glimmering surfaces, such as the extensive use of gold in interior church and palace decoration,” she says. 

To better understand the style of architecture, consider the elements and characteristics of Baroque architecture. Though not exhaustive, many Baroque buildings will make use of the following: 

• Vaulted cupolas
• Twirling and swiveling colonnades
• Rough stone and smooth stucco used throughout walls and doorways 
• Frescoes and ornately painted ceilings 
• Trompe l’oeil paintings—French for “deceives the eye”—on the ceilings and walls. This style included hyperrealistic subjects, like painted windows, which would give the viewer the perception that windows actually existed  
• Use of complex form and less focus on strict rigidity or order
• Gilding on the interior and exterior 
• Elaborate and highly decorative interior design 

Famous Baroque architecture examples and architects 

Consider the following list of notable architects and buildings from the Baroque period: 

Commissioned in 1634 and built between 1638 and 1646 (the façade was later added in 1677),  this Roman church was designed by Francesco Borromini as a monastery for a small group of Spanish monks. Though it is constructed in a relatively small plot, it’s a prime example of the way Baroque architecture emphasizes the feeling of monumentality. The curved, undulating façade was also frequently referenced in later Baroque work.  

One of the most cited examples of Baroque architecture, Jesuit Church Il Gesù is the mother church for Jesuits. Featuring a single aisle, side chapels, and a large dome over the nave and the transepts, the layout became a standard for many Baroque churches. The fresco on the nave, The Triumph of the Name of Jesus by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, is considered one of the most pristine examples of Baroque art.  

Commissioned by Cardinal Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili, Church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale was the third Jesuit church in Rome. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was said to have been incredibly proud of the structure and considered it one of this best works. The heavily gilded dome is representative of the ways Baroque churches encouraged visitors to look upwards. 

As the seat of the Bishop of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most celebrated Baroque buildings in England. It’s considered a more restrained version of the Baroque style, and the large dome of the cathedral remains one of the most recognizable parts of of the London skyline.  

Executed in the French Baroque style, the Palace of Versailles is often cited as one of the most notable royal residences in the world. Commissioned by Louis XIV, every element of the structure is designed to glorify the king. The highly extravagant Hall of Mirrors is likely the most famous room in the building. 

What is the importance of Baroque architecture?

Like any aesthetic period, understanding Baroque architecture helps tell the human story. Not only does it serve as a lasting reminder of an important moment in history, but studying its impact explains the desires and ideals of Europeans at that time. It was also one of the first architectural styles to spread globally and a prime example of the way architecture is used to convey cultural messages. 

Additionally, the Baroque period has long represented a creative peak for Western civilization. As modernist architect Harry Seidler explained in a lecture at University of New South Wales in 1980 on the links between Baroque and modern architecture, the Baroque style was one of the last great examples of a truly new aesthetic. “The Baroque has been called the last great creative and innovative period before our own; there have only been revival periods in between us,” he said. “The fact remains that both eras [modernism and baroque] were born of fresh thought.”