So far entering the churches of Rome I have often asked to observe a small track, some small detail, for example I can think of the column inside Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
In many other cases, I will do so (run out to buy you a telescope!). Today, however, I will try to surprise you with something very, very big.
We are located in St. Ignatius square, opposite the church of St. Ignatius of Loyola (right inside), more or less halfway between Via del Corso and the Pantheon. This area is truly amazing: every corner really makes me think of some ideas for a post of ” Italy Rome Tour Blog”.
But today’s topic we will find within the Church of St. Ignatius.
If you really want to have fun, entering the church, remember to follow the little “journey” that we now describe.
When you step look carefully at the geometry of the marbles on the floor and stand right in the middle of the nave, where these geometries form (… ie: they indicate) a circle in marble.
Now, look up. What you see is the extraordinary and immense fresco by Andrea Pozzo, made at the end of 1600, which seems to “break” the ceiling, making it look twice as high! It describes, in a truly three-dimensional, a sort of “virtual other church,” leaning over the real one.
An illusionistic effect anything bad, but the figures painted on the ceiling (“The saga of the Jesuits”), although they are painted “3-D”, we know that there are and so the brain (not the eye) instinctively brings us back to the “2-D”.
In fact, a question remains: the windows are true or draw?
Now, however, concern to the floor and go a bit further to the altar at the center of the church. There is a second point in the marble, indicating that there is something to see. But what? If we raise our eyes we see nothing unusual: the columns, the ceiling, the huge dome (not bad: they are 17 meters in diameter!)
Now let’s move a few steps to the left or right … hey! The dome, fold!!
In fact, the dome is drawn! It ‘s another painting by Andrea Pozzo!
The prospect of the dome will only work on that disk of marble moving elsewhere dome assumes a track “impossible”, revealing the fiction.
This dome of the game perspective is truly impressive, live assure you that it is difficult not to be deceived.
Here we entered it into the magical world of the Roman Baroque. Now go ahead alone, but ensures that … not to crash into some wall!