Changes: San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

Revision as of 12:57, 9 August 2011

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is a church dedicated to St Charles Borromeus and the Holy Trinity.

History

The church and monastery was built 1634-1638 by Francesco Borromini, and was the first church in Rome to be dedicated to St Charles Borromeus, who had been canonized in 1610. It was also the first church that Borromini built in Rome.

It belongs to the adjacent Spanish Trinitarian monastery, built by Borromini four years before he started work on the church.

The church is small, and the plan and proportions are said to be based on one of the piers supporting the dome of St Peter's. Because of its size, it is also known as San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane, Little St Charles' at the Four Fountains. The appellation refers to the four fountains at the corners of the intersection where the church stands.

Exterior

The travertine façade, completed by Borromini's nephew Bernardo in 1667 according to his uncle's design, is integrated with the monastery. It is on two levels. Above the doorway, a niche is crowned by a tympanon formed by the wings of two angels. Beneath the wings is a statue of St Charles Borromeus by E. Antonio Raggi. On the sides are statues of St John of Matha and St Felix of Valois, the founders of the Trinitarian Order.

Interior

The altarpiece, by Pierre Mignard, has a depiction of Sts Charles Borromeus, John of Matha and Felix of Valois.

The mummified body of a Roman soldier martyr lies in the chapel on the left side. The painting in the chapel is by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli, and depicts the Flight to Egypt.

A room outside the sacristy was set aside for Borromini's tomb, but it remains empty. The great architect committed suicide in 1667.

The refectory has a painting of St Charles Borromeus, painted by Orazio Borgianni in 1611. There are also beautiful stucco decorations.

Special notes

The church has often been closed recently. You may ask the sacristan, who you'll find by ringing the bell at the monastery door, to let you in. I suggest that you also ask him to show you the porcelain holy water stoup attributed to Borromini, which is kept in the sacristy.

External links

Template:Commons

The facade
The plan
photo. The lower corner of the central X shows the small dome of the church. The opposing corner (north) is the edge of the complex once constituting the Palazzo Barberini. On the other side of the street are the start of the Quirinal Palace gardens. Southwest along past the grove on the lower slopes of Via Quirinale, one comes to the dome of Bernini's Sant'Andrea al Quirinale.
Visual reference
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane: Virtual Tour, Art & History

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 ==Special notes==
-The church has often been closed recently. You may ask the sacristan, who you'll find by ringing the bell at the monastery door, to let you in. I suggest that you also ask him to show you the porcelain holy water stoup attributed to Borromini, which is kept in the sacristy.
+The church has often been closed recently. You may ask the sacristan, who you'll find by ringing the bell at the monastery door, to let you in. I suggest that you also ask him to show you the porcelain holy water
+stoup attributed to Borromini, which is kept in the sacristy.
+== External links ==
 {{commons|San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane}}
+* [http://www.storiadellarte.com/periodi/barocco/immbarocco/scarlo.htm The facade]
+* [http://www.usc.edu/schools/annenberg/asc/projects/comm544/library/images/040bg.jpg The plan]
+* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=10+via+del+corso,+rome&ll=41.901830,12.490489&spn=0.004931,0.009295&t=k&hl=en|Satellite photo]. The lower corner of the central X shows the small dome of the church. The opposing corner (north) is the edge of the complex once constituting the [[Palazzo Barberini]]. On the other side of the street are the start of the [[Quirinal Palace]] gardens. Southwest along past the grove on the lower slopes of Via Quirinale, one comes to the dome of [[Bernini]]'s [[Sant'Andrea al Quirinale]].
+* [http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/ha/related_sites/rome_san_carlo_360/mov/1rome_san_carlo_church.mov Visual reference]
+* San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane: [http://www.rome-guide.it/english/miscellaneous/RVT_san_carlo_fontane.html Virtual Tour], [http://www.rome-guide.it/english/monuments/monuments_san_carlo.html Art & History]