IN-PERSON LECTURE (ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH ZOOM)

Bernini vs. Borromini: The Rivalry That Produced the Three Most Beautiful Churches in Rome

George Sullivan, author of Not Built in a Day: Exploring the Architecture of Rome and a regular lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC

As architects, Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini were famous rivals in Rome during the 1600’s. Both constructed buildings that were Baroque in style, but within that stylistic category their architectural works were surprisingly different in design and vision. In subsequent centuries, Bernini’s architectural works were universally admired while Borromini’s works were almost universally condemned. That condemnation lasted until the mid-20th century when an astonishing art history turnaround took place, and Borromini’s buildings went from the bottom of the critical heap to the top of the critical pile. What caused this remarkable re-evaluation? And how, exactly, do Borromini’s idiosyncratic architectural ideas differ from Bernini’s more mainstream convictions? George Sullivan’s lavishly illustrated lecture addresses these questions by focusing in detail on three of Rome’s most beautiful small churches: S. Andrea al Quirinale (by Bernini); and S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and S. Ivo della Sapienza (by Borromini). Famous among architecture buffs but little known to the general public, these three very special churches embody Italian Baroque architecture at its very best.

$15 door fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)