Baroque architecture

Baroque is derived from the Potuguese word called “barocco” meaning “oddly shaped pearl”. In
informal usage, the baroque describes something that is elaborate and highly detailed. The baroque is a
period of artistic style that started around 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread through the majority of
Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style
which appeared in Italy in the early 17 th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally
introduced by the catholic church, particularly by the Jesuits as a means to combat the reformation and
the protestant church with a new architecture that inspired, surprised and awe. It reached its peak in
the high baroque (1625-1675) when it was used in churches and palaces in Italy, Spain, Portugal and
France and Austria.

The baroque started as a response of the catholic church to the many criticism that arose during the
protestant reform in the 16th century. The seat of the catholic church in the Vatican saw in art an
opportunity for reconnecting with the people. This period refers to an era that started around 1600 and
ended around 1750, and included composers like bach, Vivaldi and handel, who pioneered new styles
like the concerto and the sonata.

Architectural influences
Baroque architecture was linked to the counter- reformation, celebrating the wealth of the catholic
church. It was charac terized by new explorations of form, light and shadow, and dramatic intensity.
Bernini was the master of Baroque architecture in rome. St. peter’s square was one of his greatest
achievement.

Baroque architecture wasn’t found on the homes of average people. It was a style that conveyed
grandeur and drama. It was used most often on churches and palaces, places where someone- either a
church official or a wealthy land owner- wanted to make a statement. Important Italian baroque
architects included carlo Maderno(1556-1629) who oversaw early baroque additions to St. peter’s
basilica in Rome.

Architectural features
Some of the qualities most frequently associated with the baroque are:

 Grandeur
 Sensuous richness
 Drama
 Vitality
 Movement
 Tension
 Emotional exuberance

Baroque architecture rejected the clear, rational geometric forms of the early renaissance period. It was
a definite, purposeful shift in style. Actually, the term “baroque” began as a negative one, coined by
critics who thought the style was overdone, extravagant, ad full of drama.
For example:
Ilatian baroque architecture has several important characteristics. It usually includes curving forms,
including oval shapes and the combination of concave and convex forms that make walls seem to
undulate, or appear wavy with the strong sense of motion. Italy, the cradle of baroque and the ket
destination of those on the grand tour, produces in addition to a proportionate number of good
professional architects a quarte who rate as excellent: Bernini, Borromini, Pietro da cortona, and
guarino, Guarini. The work of each was unmistakably baroque, but each of them had, as it were, a
different accent. Bernini and to a lesser extent, Pietro da cortona, represented the courtly baroque,
majestic, and exuberant but never outrageously so, which was successful principally in the Italian
peninsula. This style possessed, at their most typical, all the features of baroque described above, and
conveyed an air of grandeur and dignity that rendered it a classic of its kind.

Bernini and st. peter’s basilica:

The history of st. peter’s, the most important architectural example of Christian art- is in itself a history
of the transition from renaissance to baroque, and is also a textbook example of catholic counter-
reformation art, in both its structure and surroundings. Soon after the death of Michelangelo, designer
of st. peter’s dome, Carlo Maderna (1556-1629) built a nave which is not altogether a happy feature of
the plan, considered as a whole, for every attempt to expand one arm of the central space, as planned
by Michelangelo, into a nave, was bound to degrade the miraculous achievement toa mere intersection
of nave and transepts. Behind the façade over 320ft in width and 150 ft. in height. The dome was
conceled upto half the height of the drum.