Rome Baroque Tour: Art and Architecture of Bernini and Borromini

Compare and contrast two masters of the Italian Baroque
From US$426 privately
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Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Santa Maria della Vittoria
  • Sant'Andrea al Quirinale
  • San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
Photos & Highlights
  • Explore three churches famous for their Baroque architecture while learning about religious icons and their role in Baroque art
  • Led by a scholar of the Baroque
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Tour Description
In the mid-1600s, as gold from the Age of Discovery began pouring into Rome, two geniuses appeared on the scene—each attuned in a very different way to the city's transformation and both put into motion the great artistic movement called the Baroque. During this three-hour Baroque Rome tour, we will explore the work of Bernini and Borromini, visit three extremely important churches that bear their imprint (one of which was made famous by a Dan Brown novel), and discover how the Baroque swept across Rome—and Europe at large—changing our understanding of the relationship between art and power.

Baroque Rome Tour

Our walk begins at Santa Maria della Vittoria to view Bernini's magnificent Ecstasy of St. Teresa, featured prominently in Dan Brown's popular novel. A sculptural masterwork, St. Teresa will enable us to think more significantly about religious icons and their role in Baroque art. We will also discuss patronage and why so much of Rome's great art of this period rests in churches—much of it in the same place in which it was created five hundred years ago. Participants who have taken one of our other art tours in Rome will be able to make connections and comparisons here to ancient art, the Renaissance, and other eras.

Our next stop, just down the street, is the even smaller but even more stunning, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane by Francesco Borromini. San Carlino, as this church is called, is a favorite among architects, with Richard Meier calling it one of the most inspirational. Our discussion of art and politics will continue here, we'll dig deeper into some of the finer aesthetic details that Borromini honed and which form the basis of high Baroque art.

Personalities in Conflict

As we peer into the biographies of both of these artists who, though both influential, represent nearly polar opposites, we'll pull out some salient details. Bernini was the consummately connected insider who built a career—and studio of artists—churning out dozens of amazing works. Borromini, on the other hand, was the sole practitioner who labored for years on smaller, more private projects. Never to achieve the fame of his rival during his lifetime—and eventually committing suicide—many consider his work to be of a higher quality. Using biography as a lens, we'll look at how our conceptions of genius were shaped by the art of this period.

Sant'Andrea al Quirinale

Our final stop will be at on Via del Quirinale with the church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Considered by many to be a masterwork of the Baroque, this small, intimate church offers a perfect place to discuss some of the basic principles of Baroque art and architecture—movement, perspective, grandeur—as well as diving into the social and political atmosphere in Rome during the 1660s. In the company of our guide, a trained art historian, we will learn how to pull apart the details of architecture and put them back together again, to read the program of the artist.

Looking to learn more about older Roman architecture? Try our Forum Tour or our Colosseum Tour.

Take-Aways

We will emerge from our time together with a better understanding of the Baroque and an appreciation of the work of two of Rome's greatest artists—Bernini and Borromini. We will also have the chance to visit several lesser-known tourist sites that happen to house some of the most significant artworks in the world.
Where You'll Start
100 Reviews (4.76)

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Jose was exceptional! So kind and incredibly knowledgeable
Cecilia, our guide, was very knowledgeable but was a soft speaker. The loud city noise around the churches we visited did not allow us to fully hear her. It's a shame.
Jeanette is a fantastic guide! We had a great time and learned a ton