Rome is a city where you are taking your life and continually putting it in jeopardy. The traffic is as brutal as the heat and you can understand why they liked gladiators....may as well make other people suffer more than you.....but you also encounter some beautiful and surprising architecture...such is the intersection of the Four Fountains.
Down the street from the Quirinal is a group of four late Renaissance fountains commissioned by Pope Sixtus V in 1588 and completed in 1593. They look amazingly modern within their arched niches. The figures represent The Tiber, The Arno, the Goddesses Diana and Juno. All are the work of Domenico Fontana except for Diana, which was designed by Pietro di Cortona.
As you can see, there are no sidewalks.....and the cars zoom by at breakneck speed....I suggest limping across the street as they will slow down a bit....this is also useful at Piazza Venezzia.
The fountains are inset into the sides of buildings and one of the buildings is a masterpiece.
The Roman's love the Church of St Charles at the Four Fountains. San Carlino is one of at least three churches dedicated to San Carlo. This one is by Borromini and was his first commission. Not a bad way to start your career with a masterpiece. Welcome to the Baroque.
The facade is all undulating lines.
The plan. This is not a big church, to give you an idea of the scale, the entire building is as large as one of the piers at St Peter's.
Classical details forced into baroque alignment.
Recurring ovals and circles.
Looking up at the dome. The forced perspective makes it look much higher than it actually is.
The Sacristy
Stairs
The very moist crypt.
There's also a charming cloister, but it was packed with students drawing, so I could only peek inside.
Do try to see it when you're in Rome..... it's worth the visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment