Tag: Francesco Borromini in Rome

The Church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza is a Baroque church in Rome dedicated to Saint Ivo of Kermartin, located in Corso del Rinascimento, about 100 meters away from Piazza Navona.   SHORT HISTORY In 1632, Francesco Borromini became the main architect of Palazzo della Sapienza, the palace of the University of Rome. At that time, the layout of the courtyard of the palace was already defined by Giacomo della Porta, and a circular church with small chapels was planned. The work on the church began only in 1643, and continued for over twenty years. The first construction phase was from 1643 to 1655. After an interruption, the work resumed in 1659, with the completion of the church, the construction of the Alessandrina Library and the facades of the palace overlooking Piazza Sant’Eustachio and Via dei Canestrari. The church was consecrated in 1660, although the works continued for a few more years. The library was instead completed after the death of Francesco Borromini.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The church has a large courtyard in front. Its facade is concave, with five blind arches on each of the first two floors. The central arch on the ground floor is occupied by the Read more [...]

Piazza Navona is a monumental square in Rome, with the shape of an ancient stadium, located about 350 meters away from the Pantheon.   SHORT HISTORY In ancient Rome, the current site of the square was occupied by the Stadium of Domitian, built by the Emperor Domitian in 85 AD, and restored by Alexander Severus in the 3rd century. The stadium was 265 meters long, 106 meters wide, and could accommodate about 30,000 spectators. The square became again a public space used for recreational purposes in the second half of the 15th century, during the reign of Pope Paul II. However, the most important transformations in the square took place during the pontificate of Innocent X, around the middle of the 17th century, when Piazza Navona took on its current appearance. The square was supposed to celebrate the greatness of the Pamphili family, and Innocent X, born Giovanni Battista Pamphili, desired the palace of the same name to be erected in the square, together with other imposing structures.   ARCHITECTURE Piazza Navona is a symbol of Baroque Rome, with architectural and sculptural elements by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi. In the center of the square, stands the Read more [...]

Piazza di Spagna, known in the past as Piazza di Francia, is one of the most beautiful squares in Rome. The square owes its name to the Palazzo di Spagna, seat of the Embassy of Spain among the Holy See.   ARCHITECTURE To the east of the square, we can find the Spanish Steps, a monumental staircase of 135 steps built between 1723 and 1725, which makes the connection between Piazza di Spagna, at the base, and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Church of Trinità dei Monti, at the top. On the right corner of the staircase is the house of the English poet John Keats, who died there in 1821. Today, the building hosts a museum dedicated to his memory and that of his friend Percy Bysshe Shelley. On the left corner of the staircase is the Babington’s tea room, a traditional English tea shop founded in 1893 by two English women, Isabel Cargill and Anne Marie Babington. To the south of the square stands the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, a palace owned by the Holy See. Its main facade was designed by the sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and the front side of the Via Read more [...]