If you think that the only place to see special effects is in The Matrix, then think again. The Eternal City, Rome, is filled with jaw-dropping stunts—bodies whirling through space at light speed, saints experiencing out-of-body rapture of the “red pill” kind, and architecture designed for another world. This is not just decoration, this is not just religious zeal, and it’s not just “old Europe’s old art”. This IS Roman Baroque and even today it provides a show-stopping, no-holds-barred spectacle that’s meant to convince viewers that they have traveled to an alternate reality! In order to be persuaded by the Roman Baroque experience, you have to shed your beliefs in efficiency, economy, and the remote control, but having done that, you’ll never be the same again.
Rome is the Zion of the Baroque. It all started here in the I7th century when such artists as Gianlorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini, and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio envisioned a world that wasn’t limited by the bounds of time, space, or matter. Take Bernini’s ravishing St. Teresa in Ecstasy as an example (above). In the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Bernini, the master of all materials, shaped stone, wood, gold, and even light in such a way as to convince viewers that they were witnessing the moment of Saint Teresa’s ‘transverberation’ with God. It’s religious theater optimus maximus - a moment of sheer spectacle. The sainted Teresa, overcome with pleasure and pain as an angel of fire pierces her body and soul, floats weightless on a cloud and is filled with the divine love of God! As our mouths gape, unable to believe that marble floats and that Teresa has been in this position for centuries, we can’t help but notice that the saint, utterly rapturous, is as oblivious to her sculpted onlookers (perched in opera boxes within the chapel) as she is of the flash of our digital cameras.
Outside the church, once again in the terra firma matrix and with composure regained, one can stroll down the Quirinal Hill and partake in an equally powerful transcendence at the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (above). The small but exquisite church was designed by Bernini’s arch rival, Francesco Borromini. In contrast to Bernini, who left no surface unadorned in his efforts to generate a divine experience, Borromini’s primary tool in rendering the heavenly realm was light itself. The all-white stuccoed interior of his church is an exercise in restraint. Time evaporates here and thanks to Borromini’s expert manipulation of space and natural light, the church seems to glow and pulse, transporting us to another dimension. The metaphysical experience first sooths, then slowly stimulates both mind and body. Here the vastness of the universe is summarized and given human proportions, and one can hardly help but contemplate the supernatural.
The supernatural becomes the hyper-real when one gazes upon the paintings of Baroque’s bad boy, Caravaggio. Known to have killed a man in a bar fight, this radical and rebellious painter single-handedly revolutionized the depiction of religious themes in the early 17C. Caravaggio’s extraordinary empathy and innate talent allowed him to create paintings that open doors to a world that’s more a parallel universe than a painted contrivance. The paintings invite us to step into highly staged scenes; they ask us to sympathize with their characters and to feel their pain; above all, Caravaggio’s paintings persuade us to believe that the events they depict are happening in our present-day world. In the Calling of Saint Matthew (above), painted for a chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi, we see a room that appears to be an extension of our own space. There’s a table surrounded by the rough and tumble characters modeled on Caravaggio’s notorious street punk friends. At the far right, Christ enters the room, raises his arm, and points to Matthew, calling him to become his disciple. The disbelief shown on Matthew’s face lets us know that he’s as awestruck at being chosen for a religious mission, as we are surprised at being let into this melodramatic moment.
How to “Go Baroque”
If these metaphysical tricks tempt you to visit Rome and to experience its Baroque wonders, then you’ll want to visit the sites featured in this article:
The Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria houses Bernini’s Saint Teresa in Ecstasy. The church is located at Via Venti Settembre, 17.
Borromini’s Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane. Via del Quirinale, 23.
The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi houses Caravaggio’s Calling of Saint Matthew, as well as his Martyrdom of Saint Matthew, and The Inspiration of St. Matthew. You’ll find San Luigi at Piazza San Luigi dei Francesi, 5.
