Mostly Fountains:
a tour of Bernini’s Baroque Rome
Gian Lorenzo Bernini,
1598-1680
Self-portrait
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was a
brilliant:
• Sculptor
• Architect
• Urban Designer
• Scene Designer
• Theatrical author
• Painter
He was born in Naples but
lived most of his life in
Rome, where he worked as
an artist under 8 different
popes. He died in Rome at
the age of 82.
In St. Peter’s Square Gian Lorenzo Bernini had the idea of constructing a
colonnade in an oval form to symbolize the open arms of an embrace from the
Catholic Church
In our tour of Bernini’s Rome today, however, we’re not going to go to St.
Peter’s Cathedral, but we’ll stay on the other side of the Tiber River.
River
We’re going to
imagine taking a
short BAROQUE
TOUR of a selection
of Bernini’s works,
including some of
his most famous
fountains.
Where shall we start? Let’s
start with the sculpture “The
Ecstasy of Saint Theresa”.
It is found in the Church of
Saint Mary of the Victory, on
the Twentieth (XX) of
September Street.
In this work the sculptor
combined:
•Masterly sculpture of details
•Light effects
•Painting
•Spirituality and sensuality
•Theatrical setting
Bernini designed the entire
chapel as well (the Cornaro
Chapel).
Here the total effects are more visible, including the lighting
How about looking at a
fountain now?
If we turn right and walk
down to Bissolati Street,
we can take the number
492 bus to Navona
Square and maybe have
some ice cream, too.
Here we can find one of
Bernini’s most beautiful
fountains:
The Fountain of 4 Rivers.
The Danube River is near a
horse and flowers which
represent the fertile plains
near the Danube River
Rio de la Plata, with silver
coins to represent the color
of the South American river:
“plata” (silver in Spanish)
The Nile River is near
a lion and a palm
tree representing
Africa. His head is
covered to indicate
that the source of
the Nile was still a
mystery
The Gange River holds a long
oar to demonstrate that the
river is navigable
In one of the two other
fountains in Navona Square,
the central figure of the
Fountain of the Moor is also
by Bernini, showing a figure,
known as the “Moor”, twisting
the tail of a fish or dolphin
We leaving Navona
Square and walk east to
the Pantheon, Rotonda
Square (in English
“round”). Crossing
Rotonda Square we can
see Minerva Square on
the right with a little
elephant carrying an
obelisk on his back.
The elephant was also
designed by Bernini.
Part of the inscription on the pedestal reads:
“. . .it is proof of a strong mind to sustain solid wisdom”
Walking from the Pantheon
towards the east,
east soon we
will be on a main shopping
street, Corso street. We turn
left on Corso Street. Then we
turn right on Triton street,
and walk up the hill until we
come to Barberini Square.
Here we see one of Bernini’s
most famous fountains, the
Triton Fountain.
Fountain
The triton is blowing into a
conch shell, seated on a large
flatter shell held up by four
dolphins.
The Triton was the
messenger of the sea,
son of Poseidon
(Neptune). He had the
upper body of a human
and the tail of a fish.
He carried a large
twisted conch shell,
which he could blow into
to calm or raise the
waves.
waves
Bernini was fascinated by
water and by its capacity
for metamorphosis. The
curved Baroque contours
of the sculpture are
Baroque elements that
recall waves and water.
The way the water shoots up,
up then falls
falls, is blown by the wind,
wind bounces
off of the fluted shell at the base of the Triton, and catches the light,
light
were all effects carefully studied by Bernini.
Across the square there is a
mini fountain Bernini decorated
with bees, which were the
symbol of the Barberini family.
From Barberini Square if we walk down Sistina Street we get to the Spanish Steps...
. . .where we can see the “Old
Old Boat Fountain”
Fountain
created by Bernini to commemorate a legendary
flooding of the Tiber River in 1598.
At this point,
we can walk up
through Villa
Borghese to
the museum
“Borghese
Borghese
Gallery”
Gallery
. . .where we find one
of his most beautiful
sculptures: the statue
of Apollo and
Daphne. The
sensation of spiral
movement is very
suggestive.
The details of the leaves and hair are
incredible, as the nymph Daphne is
transformed into a laurel tree to escape
from Apollo. Do you remember the
myth?
Who remembers the story of when
Hades fell in love with Persephone
and abducted her? Why do we have
winter and spring today?
Homework: Write in the letters on the map of these works by Bernini. Use a big felt-tip
pen. In class we’ll ask each other how to get to these places (in English)
A. The statue of
the Ecstasy of
St. Theresa
B. Fountain of the
4 Rivers
C. The Elephant at
Minerva Square
D. The Triton
Fountain
E. The little Bee
Fountain
F. The Old Boat
Fountain
G. The statue of
Apollo and
Daphne
H. The statue of
the Abduction
of Persephone
For example: “If I’m at the Pantheon, how do I get to the
Fountain of the Four Rivers?” “You turn left, and . . .”