Baroque Churches in Rome
 

I am looking for some suggestions of the most beautiful baroque churches to visit while in Rome.

And any Rococo churches too, would be great!

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Sant'Andrea al Quirinale: practically next door to each other, one by Borromini, the other by Bernini.

Il Gesu for pomp and splendor, Sant'Ignazio for trompe-l'oeil dome.

For starters.

Rome never went in much for Rococo. At the spur of the moment, I can't think of a Rococo church in Rome.

This guy's website has lots of info about the various churches with picture links.
http://www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/churches.htm

Il Gesu,Vignola and della Porta: notable for facade and also for frescoed ceiling (Adoration of the name of Jesus) by Gaulli. (Alot going on!)
St. Ivo della Sapienza, Borromini: notable for spiral cupola and dome
S. Carlo alla Quattro Fontane, Borromini: geometry inside dome--hexagons, octagons, crosses.
Borromini's churches are also interesting because he was working with unusual settings: the oddly shaped property for S. Carlo alla Quattro Fontane and the existing curved base of the chapel that is set into the courtyard for St. Ivo.

This is great thanks! I took art history a while ago but lost my book:[

Another good site for information on sacred buildings is http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome (although for Rome, only a few Baroque churches are listed).

We were at Borromini's San Carlo alla Quattro Fontane in late May. It is always a moving experience. Also love his church in Piazza Navona the Sant'Agnese. Better find that book and read up before you go. These churches, all of them mentioned, are major delights of any trip to the Eternal City.

If you love baroque the intimate detail and exquisite craftsmanship rendered to the interior of the Santa Maria della Vittoria church is something to behold. Walk into the unassuming entrance, located at 20 XX Settembre (near the Republican Square),let your eyes adjust and then enjoy the beauty from the golden sunburst above the alter, the paintings and alabaster cherubs and angels covering the marble walls and ceilings and ...last but notleast Bernini's "Ecstasy of St Teresa". A must see on every visit to Rome. Do a Google search on Santa Maria della Vittoria and check out the photos and other information available.

hi bmeyer,

it's not exactly an art history book, but the "best" guide book for art and architecture is usually thought to be the blue guide - it lists far more "obscure" buidlings and sights than anyone else, in my experience.

you might find it useful, especially if your public library has it.

San Giovanni e Paolo and San Marco for baroque. Santa Maria Maddelena has probably the finest examples of rococo in Rome (1 block north of the Pantheon) in the sacristy. San Luigi Francesi for both, plus 3 Caravaggios.

Check out the Google Maps on my website under "Churches of Rome". While I have not detailed them yet, it shows the locations of over 50...

www.passagetoroma.com

dave

Besides the baroque churches already mentioned, there are some more worth consideration. In alphabetical order:
- S. Andrea delle Fratte: a turret by Borromini, and inside two original Bernini angels from Ponte S. Angelo (where now all angels are copies)
- S. Andrea della Valle, of course, one of this planet's major baroque churches
- S. Croce in Gerusalemme (a nice late baroque facade)
- S. Giovanni in Laterano, though the baroque part here is for art historians only (Borromini's only failure, but a blatant one)
- S. Girolamo della Carità (an insider tip: a modest church with two side chapels that are among the very best Rome's baroque can boast, one by Borromini, a major work of his, the other by Filippo Juvarra from Torino, his only preserved Roman work as far as I know)
- SS. Luca e Martina (ever heard that Pietro da Cortona was also an architect?)
- S. Maria in Campitelli (one of Carlo Rainaldi's best efforts)
- S. Maria della Concezione, of course (the famous bone crypt of the Capuchins)
- S. Maria Maddalena (THE rococo church of Rome)
- S. Maria dei Miracoli and S. Maria di Montesanto, the famous fake twin churches of Piazza del Popolo (their layouts are in fact completely different, "twin" as they may seem from outside)
- S. Maria dell'Orazione e Morte (another bone crypt, very difficult to get in, I never succeeded so far)
- S. Maria della Pace (a model baroque urbanist intervention, church facade plus square design, unmissable!)
- S. Maria dei Sette Dolori (a little known Borromini jewel)
- S. Maria in Vallicella (another important example of Jesuit baroque, like S. Andrea della Valle, S. Ignazio and Il Gesù)
- SS. Re Magi (another completely unknown work of Borromini, important and unusual)
- S. Susanna (Carlo Maderno's main work)

I don't know if you get BBC programmes or i-player where you live, but there has recently been a fabulous series called From St Peter's to St Paul's, about Baroque architecture in Europe, and the first episode was all about Rome.

Anyway it's worth looking out for.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00j4d3g

Thanks!I will check that out.