Friday February 24th: Bernini vs. Borromini

Today we visited the S. Andrea al Quirnale and S. Carlo alla Quattro Fontane churches. We discussed and did a group exercise on Baroque Architecture: Bernini vs. Borromini. We broke into groups and looked at one of the two churches analyzing: architecture, symbols/iconography, and experience. Then we discussed our findings with the groups and compared and contrasted the two churches.

S. Andrea al Quirnale
This is a Jesuit church designed and completed by Bernini over the fourteen year period from 1658-1672. This church is decicated the Saint Andrew. July 1658 Pope Alexander VII told the Jesuit cardinal that he would grant permission to build a new Jesuit church and that Bernini would be the architect. Bernini drew up two plans (pentagon and an oval plan), the oval plan was agreed upon.



This church is a jewel box. It is ornately decorated and seems to glimmer and sparkle when you walk in. The interior is a medley of marbles, the most prominent is a rose colored, mottled marble used for the walls of the church. A pattern of mosaics and opus sectili mosaics path the walkway to the main alter. The alter is a stunning work of guilded stucco.



The alterpiece is of St. Andrew on the X shaped cross, flanking the picture are angels and cherubs. Above the alterpiece is a statue of St. Andrew sitting on a cloud rising to Heaven.



The church is small and calming. Although there is a lot of business the colors are soothing and everything is very well tied together. The extravagance of this church was made clear in the final cost: 56,030 scudi.

S. Carlo alla Quattro Fontane
This is a Trinitarian Church for Spanish monks who would go and rescue those taken hostage as well as preach the word of the Bible. This church was designed by Boromini, an introverted, shy, non-socialable artist who lived and died for his work. Boromini took no payment for his design and work on the church. He wanted to have total artistic freedom in his creation of the church. The church is made out of two triangles, which make a diamond, in which he placed two circles creating the outer curves of an ellipsis. He uses triangles and circles that play both geometrically as well as metaphorically: the triangle represents the Holy Trinity and the circle represents the eternity of God. The church is all white, with very calm colored marble and a small amount of guilding around the altarpieces.



Boromini has put 16 tall columns and arranged in odd rhythms that draw the eye directly to the main altarpiece. The dome of the church is amazing, filled with intricately arranged octagons, hexagons, and crosses that make the dome look much higher than it is.



The total cost of this more modest church was 11,678 scudi.

We were supposed to go to S. Maria della Vittoria, but we got there right as the doors closed. There is no way to get them to open the doors either, we knew we were doomed at the church bells chimed noon. But, c'est la vie, we'll visit it next week.

Ciao,
Ema