The Baroque in Italy and Spain
Castel Sant'Angelo, Lungotevere Castello, Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy
Module 6 discusses the art of the 17th century Southern Baroque style which first emerged in Rome during the Catholic Counter-Reformation. For the past several centuries Florence had been the cultural epicenter of Italian art and architecture. The Baroque period was the backdrop for a shift in politics, papal patrons, and artist prodigies like Bernini. The counter reformation fueled Rome as the hot spot for powerful religious art meant to influence and ultimately "Purify" the previous century's art. Quickly spreading out of Italy and into the North, we see similar trends emerge in the Dutch Republic and Spain.
Do you recognize this structure? You can see this different vantage point of the baldacchino located within Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.
