SAINT PETER'S, Interior - Bernini's Baldachin
- Audio File length: 2.30
- Author: STEFANO ZUFFI E DAVIDE TORTORELLA
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Language: English / USA
Now cross the large spaces of the basilica and head towards the main altar.
Let me immediately start with a premise: if you want to truly understand the spirit of the Baroque reconstruction of St. Peter's, you must concentrate on the bronze baldachin above the altar: all the basilica's magic starts from there. Without being intimidated by Michelangelo's immense dome, Bernini conceived a tall but agile structure supported by four helical, grooved columns. The form of these columns is together a tribute to and reconstruction of the basilicas from Emperor Constantine's era. The baldachin adds a note of movement and vivacity to the vast, solemn, but potentially static basilica atmosphere. The animation of the helical columns is enhanced by their dense grooves, clever gilding, and the effect produced by the baldachin's fringes on the top, which seem to be moved by the wind....