Lantern Golden Baroque

Historical information about the Parrocchia Sant'Anna in Rome

The interior plan of the church is elliptical in shape (Fig. 7). The entrance and the altar can be found at both ends of the major axis, but outside the perimeter of the ellipse, as well as the two side chapels at the ends of the minor axis. With this measure, the elliptical shape, not being interrupted, is strongly highlighted in the purity of line, but at the same time, the indentations which make up the sanctuary and the chapels give variety of lines and create textured surfaces of objects and recesses from areas in full light and shaded areas, not only in the plant but also in 'raised (Fig. 8).

S. Anna is the first example of the Grooms of the church in Rome to elliptical. The new form was so successful that got taken in many other places of worship of the late Renaissance and the Baroque period, such as chapels of S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini in Via Giulia, the side apses of the Sforza Chapel, S. Andrea al Quirinale, S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane. The same Barozzi in 1550 had already addressed the oval shape in the church of S. Andrea in Via Flaminia, where affixed to the rectangular building once elliptical. Then, in 1559, built the chapel in the Belvedere Courtyard, the ellipse was from those applied by the decision to the plant, inserting it in a rectangular perimeter wall.

How, then, see, S. Anne of the Grooms is the point in an evolutionary path of the taste and the concept of space, which, through intermediate stages of research in the relationship between form and effect of light, comes to the discovery of an architectural form, widely adopted in imperial Rome: the sphere or ellipse placed in a rectangle. Holds for all the example of the Pantheon. And the same is repeated in the spatial effect of these buildings Vignola and his followers outside the plant perimeter structural strictly adheres to the canons of a rectangular building, and there is nothing to indicate that the interior can hold surprises. But when the visitor enters a space is totally different, unexpected, in which straight lines disappear entirely, replaced by the triumph of the curved line. This architectural vision inspired by the classical world, however, is not an isolated phenomenon in Renaissance culture, but, as is well known, is part of a general rediscovery of the classics occurred in those centuries.

As already mentioned, the entrance is located at one end of the major axis. The minor axis ends with two chapels. Among the high altar, side chapels and the entrance is dealt four doors surmounted by a pediment, and framed by columns with Corinthian capitals of travertine (Fig. 9). At the top of the dome lowered hovers the dove of the Holy Spirit, from which golden rays radiate in a circle (Fig. 10). On a plinth with a cornice with three strips rests the dome, pierced by eight windows at the base (Fig. 11). Four large arches rise at the ends of the two axes, framing the entrance areas, of 'high altar and the two chapels (Fig. 12). The restricted zone over the main altar is a square, picking up, so that faces the entrance, and is characterized by four arches, which enclose the sides and are a clear counterpoint to those of the oval church. From the top of the lantern dome is raised, the only source of natural light on the altar.

Until the middle of the century. XVIII of the church interior walls were white and travertine columns show the natural color of the stone, according to the custom in force in Renaissance churches. But under the influence of the Baroque style, which since 1600 had directed that he preferred the aesthetic taste for lavish decorations with plenty of gilt and stucco, the interior of this church was suited to this approach, and was entrusted in 1746 the sculptor Giovanni Battista de Rossi responsible for carrying out the stucco angels holding garlands above the door (Fig. 9) and shells that are deluded with festoons hung the four frescoes with scenes from the life of St. Anna, located above the doors in places where previously opened the windows and the refurbishment of six of the eight capitals. The decorator Hannibal rotated cured staining in blue, cream and gray walls. The door jambs were decorated with stucco marble by James Rocchi's de. The gold and silver of some stucco was made by Peter Ricci. Despite the new, rich decoration, the essential lines of the interior were not altered, so that the sixteenth century the church emerges with good evidence.

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About the Author

Daniele Davide, manager of Tredy Sas.

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