Character of Renaissance ArchitectureMoore, Charles Herbert
History
Character of Renaissance Architecture
Moore, Charles Herbert
Architecture, Renaissance
The Gesù in Rome, another large church by Vignola, and built at about
the same time as Santa Maria degli Angeli, is a variation of the
same scheme, and shows in a more marked degree the influence of St.
Peter’s. A plan of this building, the intended façade which Vignola
did not live to construct, and the existing façade by Jacomo della
Porta are given in the addendum to the edition of the architect’s book
on the Five Orders published in 1617 already referred to (p. 84),
and are reproduced in Figures 48, 49, and 50. The aisles are omitted
here so that the side chapels, which communicate with each other by
narrow openings in the dividing walls, open directly out of the nave.
The transept is short, and extends on either side beyond the nave
only by the thickness of its walls. An elevated dome on pendentives,
circular on plan within and octagonal on the outside, rises over the
crossing, and barrel vaults cover the nave and transept arms. The
side chapels are vaulted, with small domes on pendentives, except
those in the angles of the crossing, which do not require pendentives
because their supports are shaped to the circular form as shown in the
plan, Figure 48. These supports are made heavier than the others in
order to strengthen the crossing piers, which, in consequence of this
reënforcement, do not need to advance so far into the space under the
great dome as they otherwise would. In Santa Maria degli Angeli the
aisles prevent this treatment, and the crossing piers extend far into
the nave and narrow the spans of the crossing arches.
The scheme of the interior of the Gesù is a close reproduction of
that of St. Peter’s, though the great pilasters are of the composite,
instead of the Corinthian, order, and other minor differences are
noticeable. It is worthy of remark that the entablature has no
ressauts except at the crossing, and the vaulting is raised upon an
attic, so that no part of it is hidden from view by the cornice of the
entablature, as it is in St. Peter’s. It is also noticeable that, while
capricious in the use of elements derived from the antique, Vignola
in his church architecture eliminates mediæval forms more completely
than most architects of his time. Where in St. Peter’s, for instance,
the apses have celled vaults on converging ribs, he employs the plain
half-dome of Roman antiquity.
[Illustration: _Questa facciata no fu messa in opera per la
morte del architecto_
FIG. 49.--Façade of the Gesù, Vignola.]
[Illustration: _Facciata del Giesu come al presente si troua
fatta da Iacomo della Portta._
FIG. 50.--Façade of the Gesù, Della Porta.]
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