Church of Sant Ignazio_01
In 1491, Ignatius was born into a noble and warlike family in the Basque region of northeastern Spain. He grew up watching his father and his brothers become proud and aggressive individuals. Ignatius’s battle wound that shattered his right leg had inspired him to serve and worship God. As a result of him getting hurt, he no longer could fight so he turned to God and furthered his education. In 1537, Ignatius was ordained priest in Venice and then traveled his way to Rome. One of the jewels of the Roman Baroque is also the part of the Collegio Romano complex- the church of S. Ignazio, Church begun in 1626 to commemorate the canonization of St. Ignatius Loyola in 1622. The original Jesuit architect Orazio Grassi had planned to crown this building with a monumental dome only slightly smaller than that of St. Peter’s. The dome was not created the same way as the one in St. Peter’s it was unique in its own way. The dome was created the specific way because there was a protest because the dome would prevent light from entering a library near by. So then the illusionistic perspective named Andrea Pozzo painted the dome to be a flat surface. The dome can be seen by the eye when standing on the dot in the center of the pews inside the church. The fact that the ceiling of the church was three dimensional was interesting and I would love to know how did Andrea Pozzo design such a perfect piece of art? This totally amazed me because it is brilliant! How did he know the exact spot to put the dot on the floor for people to view the dome?
Alexis Simmons, Survey of Art and Architecture, St. John’s University
Church of Sant Ignazio_02
The church of Sant’Ignazio, completed in 1650, was previously the major place of worship for the nearby Jesuit Roman College. The church was built in order to commemorate St. Ignatius for founding the Jesuit order. The money that was set aside to build the church ran out before the cupola could be built. So, the artists painted a 56-foot canvas to emulate the interior of a real dome. The church foundation is shaped like a Latin cross and is beautifully decorated with Baroque décor such as colored marble and stylized paintings. The most impressive painting is the ceiling fresco painted from 1691 to 1694 by Padre Andrea Pozzo, a Jesuit brother. The fresco is “St. Ignatius’ Entrance into Paradise” and it is a masterpiece of three-dimensional painting. In the center of the painting, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary welcome St. Ignatius into heaven. Around them, angels and other figures bask in the heavenly light. Along the bottom sides of this fresco, Pozzo painted four female figures representing the continents on which their Jesuit order was active. These continents include Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. This church was one of my favorite churches to visit because it was so different than any other church that I’ve seen in Rome. As we walked into this church, my eyes were immediately drawn to the ceiling fresco because of the unique perspective it had. The ceiling actually looked like it continued up much higher than it really did because of the artist’s genius ability to create a three-dimensional view. Also, the ceiling fresco was very pleasing to look at because of its optimistic and light tone.
Katherine Latta, Survey of Art and Architecture , University of Florida
The Rome of St. Ignatius Loyola_03
St. Ignatius Loyola had a great and profound impact on Rome. His Jesuit order, the Society of Jesus, changed the Eternal City. He had a series of conversion experiences which made him reconsider the troubled life he was leading and filled him with a desire to serve God. He returned to school in Spain and then Paris to help accomplish his religious goals with ordination. His religious passion aroused the suspicions of the Inquisition and was briefly imprisoned. A group of six organs and himself formed Inigo, now called Ignatius, which later became the nucleus of the Jesuit order. While roadside at a shrine in Rome, he had a vision from Christ and God and heard the voice of God say to him, “I will propitious to you in Rome.” Ignatius chose a site for his headquarters at the heart of Rome, west of the present-day Piazza Venezia. The piazza is irregularly shaped and was kind of an island in the busy flow of streets. The Jesuits secured a permanent foothold there and eventually became the modern Piazza del Gesu, site of the Jesuits’ principal church, Il Gesu. Ignatius opened the Collegio Romano in 1551, where Jesuit seminarians from all nations could be trained. Even though it is no longer owned by the Jesuits, its severe sixteenth-century architecture still dominates the piazza. The church of S. Ignazio began in 1626 to commemorate the canonization of St. Ignatius Loyola in 1622. Jesuit architect Orazio Grassi planned to crown his building with a dome smaller than that of St. Peter’s. Funds were running low and the Dominicans at the nearby monastery resented the presence of the Jesuits and protested that any dome atop S. Ignazio would prevent light from entering the library. The solution came from a northern Italian expert on illusionistic perspective named Andrea Pozzo. He painted a false dome instead, a flat disk that creates the illusion of the interior of a large dome. The ceiling was painted in 1692 with scenes symbolizing the missionary work of the Jesuits throughout the world. He adds a story of painted architecture and makes the ceiling disappear into the infinite spaces of heaven. The decoration inside Il Gesu is the product of the late 1600s, the exuberant age of the Italian High Baroque with bronze and stucco work, glittering veneers and brilliant paintings. I thought this church was amazing. At first it looked just like all the others churches but when looked at closer, it is stunningly different. It was awesome to stand in the middle and just stare at the ceiling. It really looked like the ceiling was disappearing into the infinite spaces of heaven and the figures were popping out of the ceiling. The painted dome really looked like a normal dimensional dome at first but it was shocking to see that it was flat. I enjoyed this church and it was mind boggling to think that someone was able to design and create such beautiful art.
Katie Whitmore, Survey of Art and Architecture, St. John’s University
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