Friday July 13

It’s our last day in Rome! The time has flown by amazingly fast!

In beginning this blog I see that I missed one of the important stops of yesterday… The Gesu.  The foremost Jesuit church in Rome was built between 1568 and 1575.  It was built as an overwhelming display that would challenge every one of your senses as you entered.  We were directed to sit by our professor, not the usual protocol of the trip, but we were soon to find out why.  At the same time each day, the church has a magnificent performance of song, spoken word, dramatic lighting, and mechanical effects.  The result was quite stunning, and more than a bit overwhelming. I can only imagine the impact on those that can understand Italian that have come there to worship. 

On our last day we compared churches designed by Bernini and Borromini, San Andrea Al Quirinale and San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane.  Both of these churches were designed in small spaces, and we could compare the two from the standpoint of design, and use of that design to create the illusion of a bigger space. San Andrea, designed by Bernini is made to look larger by the skilled placing of light, color choices in marble, and ceiling decoration that leads the eye.  San Carlo, designed by Borromini features convex and concave surfaces in the ceiling, as well as a series of geometric shapes that create the illusion that the ceiling is taller than it’s actual height.

Our last stop of the trip is the Palazzo Barberini. At this point, we have all taken in so much, that it is hard to comprehend any more. The Palazzo Barberini is one of the grandest palaces in Rome, built for the Barberini pope Urban VIII in 1624. Both Bernini and Borromini were a part of the design of the palace. The palace is now home to what is considered the most important of Italian Baroque paintings.  The most outstanding of the paintings that we saw was the ceiling fresco in the salon by Pietro da Cortona. This fresco is located in a room that would have been available for access by many people, and the fresco was designed to make a statement of power.

Having the room to ourselves, we were able to lie on the couches to get a more comfortable view of the ceiling. The imagery includes Divine Providence crowning with the laurel wreath of Immortality, along side the family arms of the Barberini, and the family crest symbol, the honeybee. These symbols represent the triumph of pope urban over lust and intemperance.

Our time in Rome has concluded and everyone is excited for the return trip, or for further travel. The sights that we have seen may take months to fully process, and I know the memories will last a lifetime.  Someday, I hope to bring my family, and possibly my own group of students to Rome to share what I have learned these past two weeks.

Arrivederci Roma!