Monday, January 23, 2017

Counter-Reformation Architecture

Sketch Il Gesu's plan. Compare it with the plans of Santa Sabina and St. Sernin. What are the reasons for the architectural differences?
  
   The Santa Sabina and the Church of Gesu are the same and different in many ways. For instance They are the same because they are both basilicas. They are different because the isles for the Santa Sabina are actual two long corridors, while the Church of Gesu has many small chapels that line the central nave. The Santa Sabina domes not have a dome while the Church of Gesu does have a dome at the very end supported by arched leaning pillars. Another difference would include the knowledge that the Santa Sabina has a mosaic at the very end where the alter is. On the other hand the Church of Gesu has a painted fresco and a bronze sculpture of the sun at the end. Also the Church of Gesu has painted fresco on the top of the ceiling that looks as if it is billowing out. On the other hand the Santa Sabina doesn’t have any of this. To conclude this comparison with a similarity, they both have windows that line the higher wall next to the nave which runs all the way down to the alter.  
   Now for the comparison between St. Sernin and the Church of Gesu. I will not mention all of the Church of Gesu’s architectural components because of the fact that I mentioned them in the latter paragraph. One of the main differences between the two churches is that St. Sernin is built in the shape of a cross while the Church of Gesu is just in a long basilica. Furthermore, St. Sernin has a very pointed and long steeple on top of their church while the other is just a rounded dome. Another difference would be the front outside façade. Here the St. Sernin has a blockish looking front that is pretty much plain with a giant circular window and two front doors. The Church of Gesu on the other hand is a two terred building with which looks like a second story. On this second story are two separate windows and center door that leads out unto a small balcony. On the ground there is a center big door with two smaller doors off to the sides spread evenly apart. Both have a bronze looking sculpture at the front of the church but the Church of Gesu has a circular sun beam and the other has an angel. St. Sernin has a ribbed vaulted ceiling while the other has a rounded ceiling.
   One reason for all these differences in the building architecture is the different architects that built them. This is significant because each of these builders is unique in their styles because of different influences in schooling and different creative minds. For example the Santa Sabina was built by Peter of Illyria, a Dalmatian priest in between 422 and 432. St. Sernin was constructed in the Romanesque style between about 1080 and 1120 so it definitely had to be by a different guy. The Church of Gesu was made by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola and Giacomo della Porta and completed in 1580. And so all these different dates and different people prove that there was different cultural ideas floating around at each of their times on what made good architecture. Simply put, the reason for the differences is because of the different cultural times in which they lived.

Plans of the Church of Gesu

















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