Giulio Romano’s House, 1546, Italy

Giulio Romano was Italian painter and architect in Rome during 16th century. He was a student of Raphael and  help define the 16th-century style known as Mannerism. Mannerism is a style of 16th-century Italian art preceding the Baroque, characterized by unusual effects of scale, lighting, and perspective, and the use of bright, often lurid colors. Giulio Romano’s house built in Mantua, Italy, in 1546. The house represents the Renaissance period, because of the use of brick. Having a rusticated stone work, the architrave, and the molding. It's not like the Palazzo Farnese in Rome because it has less details in the façade. But Giulio Romano put more of his focus on the high window area. Unlike the Palazzo Farnese the first floor is very dull and no depth to the detail. But because it was his home, it makes sense that the building only beautiful on the second floor. The historic building was destroyed in the capital 1661 to make way for Bernini's colonnade. Today the house is restored but only the west hall and the façade still stands.

Church of the Gesu

The Church of the Gesu is located in the Piazza de Gesu in Rome. This church was actually conceived by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits Society of Jesus. Saint Ignatius was said to have been born of noble origins and become a soldier. During a battle he was hit in the knee with a cannonball and was left crippled. He then devoted his entire life and being to serving Jesus Christ; thus the order of the Jesuits was formed. The Church of Gesu is said to have the first truly baroque facade and helped bring the baroque style into architecture. It has a Latin cross plan with a single aisle, side chapels, and a dome over the crossing of the naive and the transepts.

Michelangelo was actually willing to design the building for free, but was rejected. Instead Cardinal Alessandro farnese funded it and the architects who ended up working on the church were Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola and Giacomo della Porta. The building was built according to Vignola’s design, and as later taken over by the Jesuit architect Giovanni de Rosis after his death. The revision of Vignola's façade design by della Porta has offered architectural historians opportunities for a close comparison between Vignola's balanced composition in three superimposed planes and Della Porta's dynamically fused tension bound by its strong vertical elements, contrasts that have sharpened architectural historians' perceptions for the last century (Whitman 1970:108)

This church set the precedent for future Jesuit churches leading all the way up to the twentieth century. The ideas for the new design of the church came mostly from the Council of Trent, where it was established a new set of “rules” for architecture in Italy to follow. It called for the simplification of all of the architecture in general.

The interior of the church is even more grand than the outside. The detailing is much more elaborate. On the inside there are many focal points with equally interesting stories. The object that is most prevalent is the largest fresco painting on the ceiling of the naive of the church. The Triumph of the Name of Jesus was completed by Giovanni Battista Gaulli. The first chapel is the Cappella di Sant'Andrea, named after the church that previously occupied the site. In it there were paintings dedicated to Saint Andrew. The paintings were all done by Agostino Ciampelli. The second is the Cappella della Passione with paintings depicting the Passion and six canvases on pilasters. The third chapel, Cappella degli Angeli, has paintings on its ceiling depicting The Coronation of the Virgin.The Saint Francis Xavier Chapel is larger and depicts Francis Xavier being welcome into heaven by angels on a stucco mural.

The Church of the Gesu is one of the most important pieces of history and heritage for the Jesuit order. This church is the foundation to what the Society of Jesus is all about.

"Gesu." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

Whitman, Nathan T. Roman Tradition and the Aedicular Façade. N.p.: Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 1970. Print.

Santa Maria degli Angeli, Rome, Italy, 1563

From the statue of David to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti is perhaps the most well-known Italian in history. Through his works he was able to impose change in culture, in the art world, and in the course of history. It is evident that he exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western Art, therefore it is necessary to study his works of art, including one of his churches in Rome: Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, better known by its shorter name – Santa Maria degli Angeli.

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri 20th-century entrance.

Santa Maria degli Angeli is a unique Renaissance church located in Rome, Italy. Designed by Michelangelo and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to the angels, and to the Christian slaves who perished while building these structures, the church was built within the Roman walls of the Baths of Diocletian.1 In fact, it is one of the three buildings left within these walls (other two being the Museo Nazionale and the Octagonal Hall or Aula Ottagona).   

Pope Pius IV, who reconvened and concluded the Council of Trent, entrusted Michelangelo, who at the time (1563) was working at St. Peter’s Basilica, to transform the Thermal Baths into a church.2 Still, Michelangelo placed special thought when designing the transept of the new church. The transept is so dominant, that the effect is essentially that of a transverse nave. He created a Greek cross design leaving unaltered several right-angle frames, the vestibule and the chancel. Consequently, there were three entrances: two on each side of the transept and one towards the exedra. Unfortunately, the following year, at the age of 88, Michelangelo passed away; but his works were immediately continued and completed by Jacopo Lo Duca.1

Plan of Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli illustrating dominating transept.

Today, when visiting this minor Basilica, one would automatically be dazed as the exterior has a unique surface for a church, since its outer walls consist in part of the brick of the Baths of Diocletian. However, due to the addition of the modern façade by Bazzani in the 20^th century, some may say the façade takes away from the simplicity of the church.

The interior is the true gem of this structure. Within the church, it is easier to appreciate the grandeur in which the Romans built, which can be seen in the size in which the imperial baths were built. The great vaulted transept also gives a striking display of the magnificent scale of Roman construction, being almost 300 feet long, and with the risen floors, over 90 feet high. With the many additions to the basilica throughout time, the basilica now has new bronze doors by Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj as well as a statue of John the Baptist by him. There is also the 5-meter high bronze statue of Galileo Galilei Divine Man, designed by Tsung-Dao Lee, that was donated to the church in 2010.

Grandeur scale of the interior of the Santa Maria deli Angeli.

Moreover, an interesting addition to the church, that has awed many of those who visit, would be the meridian line.  At the beginning of the 18^th century, Pope Clement XI appointed the mathematician, astronomer, archaeologist, historian and philosopher, Francesco Bianchini, to build a meridian line that would function as a sort of sundial within the basilica. The line is laid down along the meridian that crosses through Rome, at latitude 15º.1 Through a small hole in the ceiling, light penetrates the church and casts its light on this line. The reason behind the meridian line, per the pope, was to produce a tool that would predict Easter precisely and check the accuracy of the Gregorian reformation of the calendar. He also wanted to give Rome a meridian line just as important as the one built in Bologna’s cathedral by Giovanni Domenico Cassini; which according to Alan Cook, was accomplished: “The disposition, the stability and the precision are much better than those of the famous meridian… in Bologna.”3

Angles depicting the entry of light and its location on the meridian line.

The meridian line located inside Santa Maria degli Angeli.

This church has been altered in many ways since its design. Almost every few years there have been multiple additions to the church, whether it be a sculpture, a painting, a chapel or even another resting body during burial ceremonies. After the wedding of the Prince of Naples, the status of Santa Maria degli Angeli ascended, and has since been the scene of religious ceremonies promoted by the Italian state.1 Then in 1920, the church was given the status minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV. Today, Santa Maria degli Angeli is served by diocesan clergy and functions as a parish church.1

                           

1 "Santa Maria Degli Angeli E Dei Martiri, Rome." Sacred Destinations. Sacred Destinations, n.d. Web.

2 "Santa Maria Degli Angeli Roma: Project of Michelangelo." Santa Maria Degli Angeli Roma. Santa Maria Degli Angeli Roma, n.d. Web.

3 Cook, Alan. "A Roman Tercentenary: Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London." A Roman Tercentenary 56 (2002): 273. Print.

Palazzo Rucellai, Firenze, Italy, 1446

The Colosseum is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering known to mankind; making it a major tourist attraction in Rome, Italy, with over a million tourists visiting the structure annually. Hence, it is no surprise that the distinguished Leon Battista Alberti – Italian humanist, architect and principal initiator of Renaissance art theory – drew inspiration from this outstanding structure to create the Palazzo Rucellai.

 Façade of Palazzo Rucellai designed by Leon Battista Alberti - 1446.

Palazzo Rucellai is an opulent 15^th-century townhouse located on the Via della Vigna Nuova in Firenze (Florence), Italy. It was originally designed by Leon Battista Alberti for the Rucellai family, a wealthy Tuscan mercantile family.3 The façade has been the main “attention-grabber” for this structure, radiating the full spirit of 15^th-century humanism.4 It uses balance and proportion to create an evident symmetry to its façade. The elegant design of this palace marked a turning point in the architecture of aristocratic residences, setting them apart from the former, more fortress-like structures.

Structural elements of ancient Rome are resonated throughout the façade in its arches, pilasters, and entablatures – themes which are echoed in the larger blocks on the ground floor, which heighten the impression of strength and solidity.1 Comparable to that of the Colosseum, Alberti uses three classical orders throughout three tiers, to indicate upward advancement. Divided by horizontal entablatures that run across the façade, the first tier acts as the root of the building, giving it a sense of strength. This character is achieved by using cross-hatched, or rusticated stones that run across the very bottom of the building. This is also achieved through the use of square-shaped windows and thresholds, as well as the use of post and lintel construction in the place of arches that align above it. The second tier emits a softer feeling due to the use of smaller stones, which is emphasized by the rounded arches of the windows, a familiar Roman feature. The third and last tier also uses smaller stones to give the feeling of lightness, as well as continuing the use of rounded arches to frame the windows, identical to that of the second tier; the difference between the second and third tier is the decrease in height. Each tier decreases in height from the bottom to the top.2

Elevation of Palazzo Rucellai.

The overall horizontality of this façade is called “trabeated” architecture, which Alberti thought was most fitting for the homes of nobility.2 Each tier is tied together through the use of pilasters running vertically across the façade. Although, each pilaster is of a different order: first tier – Tuscan order, second tier – Ionic order, third tier – Corinthian order.

Perspective of Palazzo Rucellai showing
use of materials, symmetry, proportion, etc.

Based on the use of its pilasters and entablatures in proportional relationship to each other, Alberti’s impressive façade was one of the first to proclaim the new ideas of Renaissance architecture.4 Renaissance architecture places importance on symmetry, proportion, geometry and the consistency of parts as they are demonstrated in the architecture of classical antiquity and ancient Roman architecture.  

The interior of the palace consists of a central courtyard. This is mainly due to the fact that the palace was created from a district of eight smaller buildings combined to form a single architectural complex, surrounding a courtyard.1 The grand Loggia Rucellai also exists diagonally across Palazzo Rucellai, mirroring the style of the palace’s façade. The loggia, a classical construction of three large rounded arches, is known for the architrave, which possesses the decorative motive of the Rucellai coat of arms: a sail blowing in the wind.

Loggia Rucellai depicting Rucellai coat of arms above each arch. 

Palazzo Rucellai is no longer the home of merchant nobles, but instead holds the school Institute of Fine and Liberal Arts within. Nevertheless, the palace is amongst many tourists’ checklist when visiting and examining the city of Firenze in Italy. It is an excellent example of Florentine Renaissance palazzi per reviewers on TripAdvisor, and ultimately just pleasing to the eye (credits due to its symmetry).5 The Palazzo became a precedent for future buildings such as the Palazzo della Cancelleria (later the Papal Chancery, in Rome)3 making it an influential landmark to Italian architecture. 

                             

1 "The History of Palazzo Rucellai." ISI Florence - Study Abroad in Florence, Italy. ISI Florence - Study Abroad in Florence, Italy, n.d. Web.

2 Zappella, Christine. "Alberti, Palazzo Rucellai." Khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web.

3 "Palazzo Rucellai." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Ed. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Aug. 2009. Web.

4 Murray, Peter. "3: Alberti." The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance. London: Thames & Hudson, 1969. 51-61. Print.

5 RonL40. "Beautiful Building in Florentine Style." Rev. of Palazzo Rucellai. n.d.: n. pag. Trip Advisor. 29 June 2015. Web.