Church of Gesù
The church of Gesù , or church of the Saint Name of Jesus (in Italian chiesa del Gesù ) is a church of Rome (Italy), located not far from the piazza Venezia . Remarkable example of art Jesuit of the Counter-Reformation, it is also the church-mother of the Society of Jesus.
History
The church occupies a place chosen by Ignace de Loyola when it began its activity in Rome, shortly after the foundation of the Society of Jesus (1540). Paul III lived at the time with the palate of Venice. He concedes in 1541 with the Society of Jesus in 1540 the small church of Santa Maria della Strada - the vault close to its palate -, on the site of the current church. By lack of means, the church was not built the alive one of Ignace. Construction began only in 1568, under the généralat of François Borgia. the cardinal Alexandre Farnèse financed work.The foregrounds of the church, required by Ignace de Loyola, were drawn by Nanni di Baccio Biggio, an architect Florentin. In 1554, the plan was worked over again by Michel-Angel, then by Vignole (1568), according to two requirements:
- a great nave with a pulpit placed on the side, to facilitate preaching;
- a high altar raised for the celebration of the Eucharistie.
The plan of Gesù became a model for all the other churches Jesuits. The frontage was redrawn by Giacomo della Porta (1584), which also conceived the Coupole. The church was devoted in 1584.
Gesù at the XV century
A plan studied to be in agreement with the liturgical needs
The properly religious requirements, imposed by the spiritual reconquest, required an architecture adapted to the celebration of the offices, the centered, circular plan or in Greek cross was thus not adapted to this search for functionality of the building.
The church offers a plan in Latin cross models standard of longitudinal form; however, in order to for facility the sight faithful must be able to see the furnace bridge and hearing flesh of preaching the plan was treated to have a unit whose result remains coherent.
The hardly projecting transept on the level of the ground with thus be tiny room to its more simple expression. A cupola covers the crossing of this one, cupola assembled on a drum allowing a very good lighting.
The collateral ones disappeared, leaving a nave to a vessel bordered of a succession of small side chapels intended to offer spaces for the devotions personal.
The chorus far from major is reduced to a simple apse when him and its couvrement is ensured by a barrel vault.
On each side of crossed chorus two vaults oratories open used by the fathers Jesuits for their worships day laborers. The nave and the chorus are rates/rhythms by pilasters with the antique whose entablature supports a barrel vault lit by high windows.
Platforms giving on the nave are integrated with the vaults in the height of the order.
The frontage
At the beginning, the plans of Flat-bottom had been retained for the frontage outside, they took again the formula development by Sangallo at Santo Spirito in sassiac' is to be said two levels of unequal width with two superimposed orders, the volutes serving as the passages between the two levels.
The frontage, according to the drawing of Giacomo beyond Carried, is divided into two levels stressed by pilasters; reversed consoles deadening the difference in width of the two parts. In both cases, the linear aspect suitable for Sangallo would have disappeared in order to leave an aspect more animated with the composition, thus leaving place to sets of reliefs and rate/rhythm.
The first level takes again a ternary rate/rhythm, three lines of two pilasters are present on each principal side of the door which was magnifiée thanks to a decorative plank and with a pediment of semicircular form, itself surmounted of armorial bearings then an entablature and still a pediment. On my side two doors much less dominant receive a particular treatment all the same: they are surmounted by a pediment then above the statues whereas it are taken in the length between double lines of pilasters. The pilasters all are raised and their capitals are of a composite nature. They support the second level of rise about which we now will speak.
The second level is restricted on the sides using large volutes. The ternary rate/rhythm east began again once again, the windows when with them which are in the perfect alignment of the doors are decorated graces to pediments they also whereas they are taken between lines of doubled pilasters. As for the door, principal, largest of the windows in the center is flanked columns whose capitals are them also composite.
Finally columns and capitals support an entablature which itself maintains a last pediment coming to close the rise in this frontage like finalizing the unit rate/rhythm and grâcieux of this frontage.
Course
Painted by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, said It Baciccio, the central fresco of the vault of the nave represents the Triumph of the Name of Jesus in spectacular a Trompe-l'oeil. On the fresco, a marked zone of monogram “IHS” (Latin monogram " Jesus Hominum Salvator" (" Jesus saver of the hommes"), the point of view indicates which the spectator must adopt so that the perspective illusion is optimal. The furnace bridge of Ignace saint, in the left transept, strikes by the precious substance and gold superabundance (lapis lazuli, alabaster, marble, onyx, amethyst, crystal). It is the work of Andrea Pozzo and was built between 1695 and 1700. The remainders of the saint rest in a bronze ballot box gilded under the furnace bridge, works of Algarde. Four carved groups frame the furnace bridge. They represent:
-
the approval of the Society of Jesus, by Angelo of Rossi;
- triumph of the Faith on the Idolatry, Jean-Baptiste Théodon;
- the canonization of Ignace saint, Bernardino Cametti;
- the Religion triumphing over the Heresy, by Pierre the Large.
Vis-a-vis the vault of Ignace saint that of François Xavier is, of invoice much more sober. It was drawn by Pierre de Cortone and Carlo Fontana. Above the furnace bridge, a reliquary contains the right-hand man of the saint, brought back to Italy in 1614 on the order of the general Claude Acquaviva.
Antecedents and Posterity
Antecedents
Gesù is not entirely an innovative type of church, indeed it is inspired mainly by San' andrea of Mantoue built by Alberti. The plans, interior rises with the large arcades are similar to the plan of this church of Alberti. But Vignole took again the simply esthetic model of Alberti to transform it in order to adapt it to the requirements of the Counter-Reformation like those jesuitic in a liturgical preoccupation with a good progress.
More tardily, the church took again the paléochrétiens plans with regard to the form. The abandonment of the centered, circular plan or in cross Greek adored by the architects will leave room to the old more longitudinal form with linear circular space and directed much better thus allowing a simpler circulation as well as better seen furnace bridge and a better hearing at the time of preaching.
Finally and even more tardily the Roman esthetic guns return: one could see that thanks to the pediments, composite orders and other pilasters and columns, add to that the ternary rate/rhythm taking again the triumphal arches, privileged forms.
Posterity
The architecture of this church was taken again several times. One wanted besides to place it as being the prototype of a new style: the style Jesuit. However in spite of the fact that one finds many churches, colleges having this same organization of space because it corresponds to needs suitable for the order, the type of the frontage was diffused in a broad way good beyond the company.
Internal bonds
- Perspective Fresco
- Trompe-l'oeil