The period of style that I have chosen to discuss is Baroque. I’m going to examine the characteristics that represent this time period and how it was originated. The Baroque period began around the 17th century and lasted until the 18th century. Its style and characteristics were greatly influenced by the Renaissance. The Baroque age is largely associated with the age of music and acoustics, which had an immense impact on the style of architecture that was created during this time. The Baroque style is described to be flamboyant and theatrical, incorporating heavily the use of curves, sea-scrolls and s-shapes. The characteristics of the Baroque period show “elements from the classical period, exhibiting an unstructured and over-ornamented building” (Architecture in the baroque time, 2000). The Baroque period re-invented the humanist vision of the Roman Renaissance and established a new style with more focus on colour, light, shade and sculptural values (Architecture essays – baroque architecture characteristics, 2013).
The Baroque style of architecture originated in Rome, Italy, around 1600 and it was greatly encouraged by the Catholic Church (Boundless, 2015). The council of Trent had decided that the arts should focus on religious themes as a response to the Protestant Reformation that had just begun (Boundless, 2015). The architecture reached the rest of Europe throughout the 17th century. The name Baroque is derived from the Italian word barocco meaning an obstacle or the Spanish word barrueco, which translated refers to a large, bizarrely shaped pearl (Baroque, 2015). It promptly became part of everyday language as a word to describe something that appeared to be abnormal, extravagant or irregular, traits that are often used to describe the style of this architecture.
Even though the buildings created in the Baroque era are known for their spacious interiors and overall flamboyant nature, in addition to these characteristics came new techniques and discoveries regarding architecture. Scientists became curious about the universe and how it worked, discovering new information about nature. New revolutions in science were discovered including how light was made up of waves of particles that formed waves (Architecture in the baroque time, 2000). New mathematical advances in analytical geometry and infinitesimal calculus were discovered which helped the architects with the dimensions of the new structures they were building (Architecture in the baroque time, 2000). This allowed them to experiment with light and shade and different shapes to create a new attractive and elegant style of architecture. Because of the new discoveries, the Baroque period is sometimes referred to as a time of enlightenment, which is also why it is so closely linked to the Renaissance.
Similar to Renaissance architecture, Baroque architecture was mostly found in churches and palaces. Buildings would take hundreds of years to build and often the patrons wouldn’t be alive to see their finished investments. They funded for extravagant buildings, mainly cathedrals, churches and mansion houses to make a statement of how important these buildings were to the community and how much influence the Catholic church had over the people of the time. Consequently, Baroque buildings were often lavish and pretentious because of the large amount of time and money spent on them. This is obvious in most of the characteristics found in baroque as their purpose is mainly decorative and unnecessary.
Baroque architects played by a different set of rules compared to previous eras. While some characteristics were kept, they played around with new ideas. For example, many Baroque cathedrals had kept the ground plan that was based on the Roman Basilica. They included a large central aisle called a nave, an intersecting transepts and a dome shaped roof. However many others had strayed from the traditional structure. The classic long, narrow nave was replaced by “a broader, or occasionally with circular forms.”(Baroque Architecture Characteristics, 2013). They placed a great emphasis on extensive spaces, domes and the importance of light (Boundless, 2015). The use of the new ground plan contributed to how the light and shade affected the interior. This created either a strong light-and-shade contrast known as chiaroscuro or they would make use of several windows to create uniform lighting throughout the building (Architecture essays – baroque architecture characteristics, 2013). They played with this to give the impression that the interior was much larger than it really was, symbolizing that God was far larger than the people the interior was then filled with large frescos, sculptures and statues, often over-decorated.
In a similar fashion to the interior, the exteriors of the Baroque churches carried the same elaborate style. They often had a façade that had a main central focus such as extravagant sculpture or a magnificent entrance. The use of symmetry, sculptures and columns were also main features of the exterior which can be seen on the Santa Susanna featured below.
Carlo Maderno is a famous Italian architect and is said to be one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His buildings such as St Peter’s basilica, Sant'Andrea della Valle and the Santa Susanna are of key importance when discussing the characteristics of Baroque (Carlo Maderno, 2015). The Santa Susanna, built in 1603, was one of the first Baroque facades to break the mould of previous designs. The building is playful, yet has symmetry with its assortment of columns and an extended central bay that has mirrored sculpture on either side of it. The interior of the church contains a nave, a circular apse, two chapels and a domed roof, giving it the classic spacious effect of baroque. The walls and ceilings are completely decorated with sculptures and large frescos, making it seem utterly magnificent and superior.
As a result of his achievement with Santa Susanna, Maderno was hired as one of the main architects to work on the façade St. Peters basilica, one of finest churches built in the Baroque era. The building is possibly most famous for its domed roof, which is the largest in the world, while the rest of the building supports a barrel vault. The church adapts the traditional nave and transepts floorplan, creating the cruciform shape. The exterior contains a large order of Corinthian columns, giving the impression of height to the building. Its long façade stretches across St. Peter’s square and one can’t help but be in awe of its vastness. Maderno included a central pediment and thirteen statues that represent Christ and the twelve apostles.
Although St. Peters basilica is an exceptional example of a Baroque structure, Maderno’s Sant’Andrea Della Valle is known to be a complete masterpiece that mirrors the true elegance of the Baroque era. Just like the previous churches, it follows the same ground plan of a cruciform shape with nave and transepts and has chapels. The outside façade makes use of the chiaroscuro technique, with its large columns all positioned in various distances from the façade. The capitals and window frames are decorated sea-scroll like sculpture and positioned in the centre above the main portal is a gallery, a popular feature of Baroque.
It is evident that from the Baroque period new innovations in design were brought to light. Experimentation was all the age and the rules of previous eras weren’t followed as strictly. Baroque brought movement and excitement to buildings, both in the interiors and the exteriors with its curved sculpture that added a certain fluidity to it. Columns brought height and symmetry to the façade, while the new style played with colour, light and shade. The importance of music to this particular time had heavily affected the ideas that were presented in its buildings. The baroque period was focused more on the story that could be portrayed in the building rather than focusing on its basic structural needs. However, accompanying these new styles, architects did indeed invent new advanced methods of building as they weren’t as restrictive in their thinking as they had previously been.