The Piazza del Popolo incorporates the Porta del Popolo and the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo. The porta was at the edge of the ancient city where the Via Flumina ended. The gate was part of a customs area here. There were duty stones found here, which meant that this was a place of revenue for the state (taxed goods and people coming in). Criminals were also executed just inside the gate.
The exterior of the porta was built in the 1560’s and was styled like a triumphant arch. The two pairs of central columns were spolia from St. Peters. Bernini designed the inside for Christina of Sweden’s entry. It has the Chigi family crest (6 hills) because the pope at the time was a member of this family.
The Piazza del Popolo is composed of an obelisk, 2 churches, and a pedestrian area. The obelisk is the second oldest in Rome and one of the tallest. It was meant to be at the Circus Maximus, but Pope Sixtus IV placed it here in 1475 because he wanted to spruce up this area. The 2 churches by Rainaldi are referred to as being “fraternal twins.” They serve as anchor points on the city side of the space, and they differentiate the 3 streets that diverge from here. The pedestrian area was one of the last elements added. It was expanded in the 19th century when the piazza was made into a pedestrian only area.
The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo was built during the baroque period, which was after the renaissance. The renaissance was a return to artistic ideals/methods of Ancient Rome and classical culture, meaning that the depictions of the human body were more accurate and natural. The Renaissance gave birth to the “ideal body.” The Baroque period corresponds to a time when there was the Protestant challenge to the Catholic Church, so Baroque art rekindled religiousness for Catholics.
There are 2 paintings by Caravaggio inside that church that are a great example of the Baroque style. They are displayed on opposite walls. The one on the right has lines pointing out and the one on the left has lines pointing in, making the space in between feel alive. The left depicts the crucifixion of St. Peter (painted in 1600). The dark background helps to emphasize the dramatically lit figures and also serves to hide the faces of everyone except for Peter. The struggling bodies and the cross create slashing diagonal lines. Looking at the painting, you feel like you’re there with the killers, as opposed to looking through a window. The painting on the right shows the conversion of Saul (painted in 1601). Saul is facing towards us while the horse is facing away, but something about the body language of the horse and its expression tells us that it knows something we don't.
The church also features 2 statues by Bernini: Habakuk and Daniel in the Lion’s Den.
The exterior of the porta was built in the 1560’s and was styled like a triumphant arch. The two pairs of central columns were spolia from St. Peters. Bernini designed the inside for Christina of Sweden’s entry. It has the Chigi family crest (6 hills) because the pope at the time was a member of this family.
The Piazza del Popolo is composed of an obelisk, 2 churches, and a pedestrian area. The obelisk is the second oldest in Rome and one of the tallest. It was meant to be at the Circus Maximus, but Pope Sixtus IV placed it here in 1475 because he wanted to spruce up this area. The 2 churches by Rainaldi are referred to as being “fraternal twins.” They serve as anchor points on the city side of the space, and they differentiate the 3 streets that diverge from here. The pedestrian area was one of the last elements added. It was expanded in the 19th century when the piazza was made into a pedestrian only area.
The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo was built during the baroque period, which was after the renaissance. The renaissance was a return to artistic ideals/methods of Ancient Rome and classical culture, meaning that the depictions of the human body were more accurate and natural. The Renaissance gave birth to the “ideal body.” The Baroque period corresponds to a time when there was the Protestant challenge to the Catholic Church, so Baroque art rekindled religiousness for Catholics.
There are 2 paintings by Caravaggio inside that church that are a great example of the Baroque style. They are displayed on opposite walls. The one on the right has lines pointing out and the one on the left has lines pointing in, making the space in between feel alive. The left depicts the crucifixion of St. Peter (painted in 1600). The dark background helps to emphasize the dramatically lit figures and also serves to hide the faces of everyone except for Peter. The struggling bodies and the cross create slashing diagonal lines. Looking at the painting, you feel like you’re there with the killers, as opposed to looking through a window. The painting on the right shows the conversion of Saul (painted in 1601). Saul is facing towards us while the horse is facing away, but something about the body language of the horse and its expression tells us that it knows something we don't.
The church also features 2 statues by Bernini: Habakuk and Daniel in the Lion’s Den.