Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,756,536,475 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Borromini, Francesco

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.
Borromini, Francesco (fränchā`skō bōr-rōmē`nē), 1599–1677, major Italian baroque architect. His first independent commission (begun 1634) was San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome, one of the masterpieces of the Roman baroque. The church is noted for its undulating rhythm of architectural elements within a basically geometric plan. In 1642 he began the designs for Sant' Ivo della Sapienza, Rome, a dynamic hexagonal structure. He was also entrusted with the reconstruction of St. John the Lateran, as well as the completion of Sant' Agnese in the Piazza Navona and Sant' Andrea della Fratte. Borromini's innovations in palace as well as church design had a tremendous influence in Italy and northern Europe.

Bibliography

See studies by A. Blunt (1979) and Connors (1980).


Borromini, Francesco

 orig. Francesco Castelli

Enlarge picture
Interior of the dome of the church of S. Ivo della Sapienza, Rome, by Francesco Borromini, …
(credit: GEKS)
(born Sept. 25, 1599, Bissone, Duchy of Lombardy—died Aug. 2, 1667, Rome) Italian Baroque architect. Though he worked with Gian Lorenzo Bernini on the design of the famous baldachin in St. Peter's Basilica, the two later became bitter rivals. Borromini's first independent commission was the Roman church and monastery of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (1638–41), the dome of which appears to float because its spring points (see arch) and light sources are concealed below. His works, composed of flowing concave and convex forms, contain spaces that are irregular ovals and polygons, as at Sant'Ivo della Sapienza (1642–60). His fortunes declined in later years, and in 1667 he committed suicide. His influence was felt in northern Italy and central Europe in the next century.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
? Mentioned in
 
Encyclopedia browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.