History of ArchitectureNottingham Trent University

Dr James McQuillan, RIBABaroque Architecture 2:

Guarini, Blondel & Perrault,Wren & Hawksmoor,

B. A. Vittone Bernini’sBaldacchino, St. Peter’s.

Guarino Guarini, CR, (1624-1683)

Camillo-Guarino Guarini was born in Modena, and joined the Theatine Order, being trained in Rome. He was a prolific writer on philosophy, mathematics and astronomy, with a posthumous treatise on architecture, edited by Vittone. He was called to Torino by the Duke of Savoy & Pr. of Piedmont, to design the Chapel of the Most Holy Shroud, between the nave of the Cath. of St. John, and the Palace.

The Chapel ofthe Holy

Shroud, Torino, possession of

the SavoyFamily, future

Kings of Italy. Is theShroud byda Vinci?

Palazzo Carignano, Torino, forThe Duke’s brother, based on

Bernini’s design for the E, Frontof the Louvre. Note stars in

brick , like Borromini in Rome.

Ch. of S. Lorenzo, beside Royal Palace, Theatine Hse.,

which GG designed. Very complicated combinationof structures, with fourlateral arches to carry

Dome above

Nicolas-François Blondel, 1617-1686

A soldier and sailor of the French Crown, he was Maréchal de Camp (brigadier-general) before he went into the Civil Service, being appointed to run the Academie royal d’Architecture in 1769.

He published the Cour d’Architecture in 167 and there he criticised Claude Perrault, who had proposed a simplified system of proportions in his edition of Vitruvius. He also criticised the use of double columns on the façade of the E. Front of the Louvre, by Perrault and others.

Blondel travelled across Europe to Constantinople ( a spy?), Rome and Malta where his brother

Mederico was a Knight & Archt. He advised on fortifications, and wrote a book on throwing

Bombes (shells), which was not correct. He was unable to overcome Perrault’s mistakes on proportion,

as he was not a mathematician, but a physician, and somehow allowed to build through Court power.

Claude Perrault (1613-1688)

Perrault was trained as a doctor and then published on Architecture, on

Vitruvius, 1673, and on the five orders,1688. The E. Front of the Louvre has

double columns and simplifiedproportions, later adopted everywhere.

Bernini’s design was not used.

Wren & Hawksmoor

Wren was the best geometer in England before becoming an architect – he visited France in 1666.

He tried to replan London, and built St. Paul’s there.

Great imaginationused to interpretGothic models ofvariety in spires.

Greenwich for the Power of RoyalNavy in early18th. century

Hawksmoor’s great power is manifest

in his work. Restored towers to W’minister Abbey.

B. A. Vittone, (1702-1770)

Bernardo Antonio Vittone was the last architect of the Baroque, trained at San Luca

in Rome. He edited the treatise of Guarini, and followed in his footsteps. Wrote two treatises

himself, and tho’ not the Royal Archt., built many Churches throughout Piedmont.

Convent in Bra, above,& Chiesa di Santo

Chiaraon left, Bra.

Town Hall in Bra, on Mediaeval core, rebuilt by BA Vittone, and detail of Altar,

Convent in Bra, right.

Santa Chiara Ch., Bra. in Convent outside the town.

Delicate and considered decoration and modelling,with use of double domes and spaces for light..