Facts about Baroque Architecture

1. 05

   Borromini's Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome features a distinctive spiral lantern atop its dome, a hallmark of Baroque architecture's inventive sculptural energy.

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2. 04

   Gian Lorenzo Bernini's colonnade at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, designed in the 1650s, exemplifies Baroque architecture's theatrical use of elliptical forms and grand scale.

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3. 03

   In Catholic countries, Baroque architecture was heavily promoted by the Jesuits as a tool of the Counter-Reformation to inspire awe and reinforce Church authority.

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4. 02

   The Church of the Gesù in Rome, completed in 1584, is widely regarded as a key precursor that helped establish the Baroque architectural vocabulary.

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5. 01

   Baroque architecture emerged in early 17th-century Rome as a style emphasizing dramatic ornamentation, curved forms, and the interplay of light and shadow.

   Baroque ArchitectureJun 6sharearchitecturehistoryeuropean