Architecture of Rome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rome's architecture over the centuries has greatly developed, especially from the Classical and Imperial Roman styles to modern
Fascist architecture. Rome was for a period one of the world's main epicentres of classical architecture, developing new forms such as the
arch, the
dome and the
vault.
[1] The
Romanesque style in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries was also widely used in Roman architecture, and later the city became one of the main centres of
Renaissance and
Baroque architecture.
[2] Rome's cityscape is also widely
Neoclassical and
Fascist in style.
[edit] Classical and Imperial Rome
During the
Roman Republic, most Roman buildings were made of concrete and bricks, but eversince about 100 BC and the
Roman Empire, marble and gold were more widely used as decoration themes in the architecture of Rome, especially in temples, palaces, fora and public buildings in general.
[3] Most buildings, just like in
Classical Athens, had caryatids and atlantises supporting balconies or structures, mainly rapresenting standing women or muscular men. The caryatids found in ancient Roman architecture were mainly copies of the Greek ones, just like in the Forum of Augustus.
[4] Temples in ancient Roman architecture were usually raised with an elongated staircase, and were usually built on a podium or a dais. They usually had a portico and a triangle-roofed porch with columns.
[5] Romans mainly copied their orders from the
Corinthian orders, the
Doric orders and the
Ionic orders, but created a new
Composite order which was used in the
Arch of Titus. Domes, vaults,
Aedicules (small shrines designed as small temples) and coffers were also popular elements of Classical and Imperial Roman architecture. The
Colosseum is the most prominent element of ancient Roman architecture, but also the
Roman Forum, the
Domus Aurea, the
Pantheon,
Trajan's Column,
Trajan's Market, the
Catacombs, the
Circus Maximus, the
Baths of Caracalla,
Castel Sant'Angelo, the
Mausoleum of Augustus, the
Ara Pacis, the
Arch of Constantine, the
Pyramid of Cestius, and the
Bocca della Verità are renowned ancient monuments.
[edit] Romanesque, Gothic and Medieval Rome
Rome has an often overlooked, yet rich and diverse Romanesque and Gothic heritage. Many of the first Christian churches in the world were constructed in Rome, and Byzantine churches were mainly based on the Roman basilica. They were often oblong or geometric, long, with three naves and full of rich golden mosaics.
[6] Later Romanesque churches in Rome were more round, using the Roman arch. There are few Gothic churches in Rome. Examples of buildings from this period includes the
Santa Maria Maggiore, the
San Paolo Fuori le Mura (the later part being largely rebuilt in the 19th century),
Santa Maria in Trastevere,
Santi Quattro Coronati,
Santa Prassede,
Torre delle Milizie, the
Torre dei Conti, and the
Santa Maria in Ara Coeli. Elaborate tabernacles were popular especially in the 13th century, and basilicas were often full of rich mosaics.
[7] In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Cosmati family was famous for their mosacis and elegant decoration. They created beautiful marble floors with mosacis, often with inlays of green and red porphory. Their designs in Rome became so popular that they were known as
cosmatesque.
[8]
[edit] Renaissance
Rome is widely regarded as being the second Renaissance capital of Italy after
Florence, and was one of the most important architectural and cultural centres of the time. It derived its main designs frn the Classical models.
Loggias, ore open-sided galleries, were fashionable,
[9] and palaces, or
palazzi often had rusticated blocks decorating the grand entrances to their houses. In churches, especially in
St. Peter's Basilica,
baldacchini or a column-supported canopy, were widely used. Examples include the
Palazzo del Quirinale (now seat of the
President of the Italian Republic), the
Palazzo Venezia, the
Palazzo Farnese, the
Palazzo Barberini, the
Palazzo Chigi (now seat of the
Italian Prime Minister), the
Palazzo Spada, the
Palazzo della Cancelleria, and the
Villa Farnesina.
[edit] Baroque
Rome is widely regarded as being the epicentre of Baroque architecture, and was profoundly influenced by the movement. Roman baroque architecture was widely based on Classical symmetry and Renaissance styles, but broke many of the architectural rules, creating a far richer and more elaborate style, preferring grandiosity and opulence rather than Renaissance classicism and elegance. Putti, or child cupids and chrubs, were popular in Baroque architectural design. The city is famous for its many huge and majestic Baroque squares (often adorned with
obelisks), many of which were built in the 17th century. The principal squares are
Piazza Navona,
Piazza di Spagna,
Campo de' Fiori,
Piazza Venezia,
Piazza Farnese and
Piazza della Minerva. One of the most emblematic examples of
Baroque art is the
Fontana di Trevi by
Nicola Salvi. Notable 17th-century
baroque palaces are the
Palazzo Madama, now the seat of the
Italian Senate and the
Palazzo Montecitorio, now the seat of the
Chamber of Deputies of Italy.
[edit] Neoclassical Rome
The Fontana delle Naiadi in the Neoclassical Piazza della Repubblica.
In 1870, Rome became the capital city of the new
Kingdom of Italy. During this time,
neoclassicism, a building style influenced by the architecture of
antiquity, became a predominant influence in
Roman architecture. During this period, many great palaces in neoclassical styles were built to host ministries, embassies, and other governing agencies. One of the best-known symbols of Roman neoclassicism is the
Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II or "Altar of the Fatherland", where the
Grave of the Unknown Soldier, that represents the 650,000 Italians that fell in
World War I, is located.
[edit] Fascist architecture
The Fascist regime that ruled in Italy between 1922 and 1943 developed an architectural style that was characterised by its links with ancient Roman architecture. The most important Fascist site in Rome is the
E.U.R district, designed in 1938 by
Marcello Piacentini. It was originally conceived for the
1942 world exhibition, and was called "E.42" (
"Esposizione 42"). The world exhibition, however, never took place because Italy entered the
Second World War in 1940. The most representative building of the Fascist style at E.U.R. is the
Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (1938–1943), the iconic design of which has been labelled the cubic or Square Colosseum. After World War II, the Roman authorities found that they already had the seed of an off-centre business district of the type that other capitals were still planning (
London Docklands and
La Défense in Paris). Also the
Palazzo della Farnesina, the current seat of Italian Foreign Ministry, was designed in 1935 in Fascist style.
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