Oratory of St. Filippo Neri
The Oratorio of St. Filippo Neri ( Italian Oratorio di S. Filippo Neri , often Oratorio dei Filippini , according to a source also Oratorio dei Filippi ) is a building complex in Rome . It was essentially created in the 17th century and is considered to be one of the main works by Francesco Borromini . Both the oratorian order commissioning him and the building itself gave its name to the musical genre of the oratorio . The building is famous for its south facade. It also contains the Biblioteca Vallicelliana , the oldest public library in Rome.
location
The building is located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in VI. Roman Rione Parione , right next to the spiritually and structurally closely related Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella , known as Chiesa Nuova .
History and building history
After the establishment of the Order of the Oratorians by Saint Philip Neri in 1561 and confirmation by Pope Gregory XIII. In 1575, the founder of the order placed great emphasis on spiritual exercise by singing simple folk tunes as well as scenic singing. Therefore, in addition to the new building of Santa Maria in Vallicella , a new building of a suitable building with appropriate rooms was necessary. After a competition, Paolo Marucelli was initially commissioned by the Order. He developed plans from 1620 to 1627 and carried out the work from 1629 to 1637. In May of that year, for reasons unknown, perhaps because of another competition, Borromini was initially appointed as the second architect. Marucelli refrained from further execution in the same year. Borromini provided the south facade, the main hall, some of the inner courtyards, the refectory , the staircase, the library and the clock tower on the north side. Except for minor details, the construction work was completed in 1650, and according to another source not until 1662. The last work on the clock tower was completed in 1652 by Camillo Arcucci .
From 2010 to 2011 Borromini's facade was restored.
facade
The most famous part of the building is the south facade. Borromini received strict instructions for them from the Order. Except for small elements, he was not allowed to use marble for the design, as this would have impaired the effect of the new church facade next door. The use of full columns was also prohibited for the same reason. In order to still create a uniform effect on the facade, Borromini had the yellowish bricks burned specifically for the facade and put them on with extremely narrow joints. As a result, despite the brick construction, the facade appears uniformly “as if it were made from one piece”.
The facade is five-axis and two-story, the width is the same on both floors, the basement is slightly higher than the upper floor, but the effect is reversed by the high windows on the upper floor, which dominates the facade. The four outer axes, each separated from one another by pilasters , two next to the middle one, are concave in their large form, but when viewed individually they are placed flat in the facade. It is noteworthy that the capitals of the lower half of the storey are hardly or not at all. This is not a mistake, but deliberately planned. The capitals of the upper pilasters are designed in a slight modification of the Corinthian order . The opposite convex shape of the lower central axis with the portal flanked by two three-quarter columns was remarkable and trend-setting for the Roman facade architecture. This element of opposition between the concave and convex forms ultimately culminated in the complete dissolution of the facade as a surface at Santa Maria della Pace . The cranked cornices take over the structures of the axes, the bracket-shaped curved triangular gable above the central three axes of the facade was a complete novelty in Roman architecture. The niche above the small balcony on the upper floor of the central axis is also noteworthy. The depth effect of the niche is achieved and created using illusionistic architectural elements; in fact, it is just as flat as the surfaces next to it. The effect of the facade is inviting and welcoming, which, according to Borromini's own words, was the intention of this construction.
Interior
Borromini not only had to observe the strict requirements for the facade, he also had to solve another architectural problem. A corner pillar of the cloister , which had already been built next to Santa Maria in Vallicella , made a regular distribution of the interior windows impossible, and the corner location of the property resulted in further structural problems. Borromini solved the problem by designing the interior spaces completely independent of the facade. The main room of the actual oratory, the Sala Borromini , is positioned across the facade and shifted, only the windows of the two left and middle axes belong to this room. Due to the parallel position of the hall to the facade, it can only be reached via a vestibule . He concealed the fact that a regular distribution of the windows was not possible by varying the spacing of the inner pilasters in the main room and - beyond that - giving them the appearance of an "ornamental motif". The corners of the room are rounded, its simple solution to the corner problem. He made the bands of the ceiling emanating from the pilasters in the form of a skeleton structure. This construction is seen as "one of the most permeable room creations of the 17th and 18th centuries". Musical performances are performed in this room to this day.
He gave the refectory an oval shape. This had the advantage that the "empty areas" could still be used for a small spiral staircase compared to the originally planned rectangular shape of a room. Borromini also designed the washbasin in this room; like the other rooms of the oratorio, he understood it as a unit.
The inner courtyards contain convexly profiled colossal pilasters. Borromini was able to compensate for the difference in height between the sacristy and the oratory. Carlo Rainaldi completed the arcade arches .
On the first landing of the “grandiose” staircase, also by Borromini, is a model of a marble relief made of stucco , the original of which is now in St. Peter's Basilica . It depicts the meeting between Pope Leo I and Attila .
literature
- Wolfgang Braunfels : Small Italian Art History . DuMont Buchverlag, Cologne 1984, ISBN 3-7701-1509-0 .
- Marco Bussagli (Ed.): Rome - Art & Architecture . Könemann, Cologne 1999, ISBN 3-8290-2258-1 .
- Ursula Verena Fischer Pace: Art Monuments in Rome . 2 volumes. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1988.
- Stefan Grundmann (Ed.): Architectural Guide Rome. Menges, Stuttgart / London 1997, ISBN 3-930698-59-5 .
- Rolf Tomann (Red.): The art of the baroque. Architecture, sculpture, painting . Könemann, Cologne 1997, ISBN 3-89508-991-5 .
- Johann M. Wiesel: Rome. An art and travel guide . 7th edition, Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-17-005633-6 .
- Manfred Wundram (Ed.): Reclams Art Guide, Italy . Volume V. Rome and Latium . Reclam, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-15-008679-5 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Bussagli (Ed.): Rom - Art & Architecture , p. 510.
- ↑ Braunfels: Small Italian Art History , p. 429.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Grundmann (Ed.): Architekturführer Rom , p. 211.
- ↑ a b c Wundram (Ed.): Reclams Kunstführer , p. 246.
- ↑ a b c Wiesel: Rome. An art and travel guide , p. 221.
- ↑ Grundmann (Ed.): Architekturführer Rom , p. 210.
- ↑ Grundmann (ed.): Architekturführer Rom , pp. 210/211.
- ↑ Felix Thürlemann, University of Konstanz ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A b c d e Bussagli (Ed.): Rom - Art & Architecture , p. 511.
- ↑ a b Verena Fischer Pace: Kunstdenkmäler in Rom , p. 444.
Coordinates: 41 ° 53 ′ 54 " N , 12 ° 28 ′ 7.5" E