Domes of Rome

Domes of Rome
(the domes of S. Carlo al Corso and of St Peter's at sunset)
The skyline of Rome is characterized by a large number of domes. The Ancient Romans made use of vaults especially for covering the halls of their baths. The vault of the Calidarium of Caracalla's Baths was supported by four gigantic pillars: it was studied in depth in the XVth century by the humanist architects as it provided a model for vaults (of churches) to be built at the crossing of the nave with the transept. Diocletian's Baths had several round buildings covered by vaults, one of which still exists (San Bernardo alle Terme). The temple of Ercole Callaico was another model of vault studied in the XVth century. The most celebrated Roman dome was however the Pantheon, the design of which was echoed in many early Renaissance buildings, in particular by Antonio Palladio.

Pantheon and S. Teodoro
The study and the actual building of various forms of domes became quite intense in the first half of the XVth century in northern Italy and in Tuscany, but not in Rome, where the authority of the Pope was challenged by the local factions. The first dome built in Rome after many centuries (San Teodoro) was designed in 1453 by Bernardo Rossellino.

S. Maria del Popolo and S. Maria della Pace
Sixtus IV (1471-84) was the first pope who embarked on a large program of public works. Santa Maria del Popolo was built during his pontificate by the association of the Lombards in Rome and its dome, most likely designed by Andrea Bregno, takes after models of Lombardy (the picture shows also the dome of Cappella Cybo built by Carlo Fontana in 1687). Santa Maria della Pace was initiated under Sixtus IV, but the dome was built in the XVIth century between 1520 and 1525 and it shows the three main elements of a dome: the drum, the vault and the lantern. At this time Rome already had one of the finest domes, a model for all the architects, the Temple built by Donato Bramante in 1502 in San Pietro in Montorio.

S. Maria di Loreto and SS. Nome di Maria
The building of S.Maria di Loreto took place over a 60 year span. It was originally designed by Donato Bramante in 1507, but very little was built for many years. In 1534 Antonio da Sangallo the Younger completed the lower, cube-shaped part, which was covered by a temporary roof. The dome was designed in 1573 by Jacopo del Duca, a scholar of Michelangelo, who designed also the little bell tower. The elaborated lantern inspired many Baroque architects including Francesco Borromini. In the XVIIIth century a church, SS. Nome di Maria, was built next to S. Maria di Loreto and its architect, Antoine Dérizet, designed a dome very similar to that of S. Maria di Loreto, thus creating another couple of domes (other couples existing at the time were: Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto (in the background of this page); the two domes of Santa Maria Maggiore; Sant'Andrea della Valle and San Carlo ai Catinari (see below).

Madonna dei Monti and il Gesù
The greatest achievement of Giacomo della Porta is with no doubt the completion of St Peter's dome in 1590. Prior to that Giacomo della Porta had designed the domes of Madonna dei Monti and of Chiesa del Gesù. Both churches have a Latin cross shape and the domes can only be seen by moving to the side of the church or from higher ground (many pictures in this page were taken from the terraces of the Monument to Victor Emmanuel).

S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini, S. Andrea della Valle and S. Carlo ai Catinari
In the early XVIIth century the vertical development of the domes was increased in an attempt to improve their visibility. The dome of S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini, by Carlo Maderno (1614) ended up by being called Confetto succhiato (sucked comfit) because of its shape. Carlo Maderno also designed the second largest dome of modern Rome, that of S. Andrea della Valle (1622). The size and the shape of this dome are very similar to that of S. Carlo ai Catinari designed in 1620 by the monk Rosato Rosati. Because the two churches are not so far away, their domes form another couple (and add to the feminine side of the Roman skyline).

SS. Luca e Martina and S. Carlo al Corso
The only dome designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Rome was the elliptical dome of Sant'Andrea dei Gesuiti al Quirinale. The domes designed by Francesco Borromini in San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza and Sant'Andrea delle Fratte all departed from the generally accepted dome structure. Pietro da Cortona who was both a painter and an architect designed two more traditional domes: SS. Luca e Martina in 1644 and S. Carlo al Corso in 1668. The two lanterns in particular are very similar.

S. Agnese in Agone
Francesco Borromini initially designed the dome of S. Agnese in Agone, but Carlo Rainaldi who took over from him in 1657 reduced by one fifth the height of the vault. Notwithstanding this the vertical drive of the dome is such that S. Agnese with its two high bell towers can be considered the final design of the Baroque model of church.

Domes
The table contains a list of historical churches with a dome:

Name (key) Location - (Rione ) Notes

Chiesa del Bambin Gesù (o di San Bernardo ai Monti) I-Monti Hardly visible from the street

Chiesa del Gesù IX-Pigna Shown above

Chiesa della Maddalena III-Colonna Not visible from the street

Chiesa della Madonna dei Monti I-Monti Shown above

Santuario alla Madonna dell'Archetto II-Trevi Not visible from the street

Chiesa del Nome di Maria I-Monti Shown above

Chiesa Nuova (S. Maria di Vallicella) VI-Parione The dome is visible in the View

Chiesa di San Bernardo alle Terme I-Monti -

Chiesa di San Carlo ai Catinari VIII-Sant'Eustachio Shown above

Chiesa di San Carlo al Corso IV-Campo Marzio Shown above

Chiesa di San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane I-Monti -

Chiesa di San Giacomo in Augusta (o degli Incurabili) IV-Campo Marzio Hardly visible from the street

Chiesa di San Giovanni dei Fiorentini V-Ponte Shown above

Chiesa di San Giovanni della Malva XIII-Trastevere An 1846 addition

Chiesa di San Giovanni in Fonte (Battistero Lateranense) I-Monti -

Chiesa di San Giovanni in Oleo X-Campitelli -

Chiesa di San Nicola da Tolentino II-Trevi Hardly visible from the street

Chiesa di San Nicola dei Lorenesi VI-Parione Not visible from the street

Chiesa di San Paolo alla Regola VII-Regola Hardly visible from the street

Chiesa di San Patrizio (e Isidoro) III-Colonna Hardly visible from the street

Tempietto di San Pietro in Montorio XIII-Trastevere -

Chiesa di San Pietro in Vaticano XIV-Borgo -

Chiesa di San Rocco IV-Campo Marzio -

Chiesa di San Salvatore in Lauro V-Ponte The dome is visible from Castel Sant'Angelo

Chiesa di San Silvestro al Quirinale II-Trevi -

Chiesa di Santa Costanza N.A. -

Chiesa di Santa Dorotea XIII-Trastevere The dome is visible in the View

Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Agone VI-Parione Shown above

Chiesa di Sant'Agostino VI-Parione Covered by an ordinary roof

Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Martiri (o della Rotonda) VIII-Sant'Eustachio The Pantheon (shown above)

Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli IV-Campo Marzio -

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Concezione a Campo Marzio IV-Campo Marzio -

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pace V-Ponte Shown above

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Quercia (o dei Macellari) VII-Regola Not visible from the street

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Rotonda (o dei Martiri) VIII-Sant'Eustachio The Pantheon (shown above)

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Scala XIII-Trastevere Covered by an ordinary roof

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria II-Trevi -

Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte VII-Regola -

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Pianto VII-Regola -

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Popolo IV-Campo Marzio -

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Rosario N.A. -

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto I-Monti Shown above

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Aquiro III-Colonna Not visible from the street

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Campitelli X-Campitelli -

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Montesanto IV-Campo Marzio -

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Traspontina XIV-Borgo Hardly visible from the street

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova) VI-Parione The dome is visible in the View

Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore I-Monti -

Chiesa di Santa Maria Scala Coeli N.A. -

Chiesa di Sant'Ambrogio della Massima XI-Sant'Angelo Not visible from the street

Chiesa di Sant'Andrea dei Gesuiti al Quirinale I-Monti -

Chiesa di Sant'Andrea della Valle VIII-Sant'Eustachio Shown above

Chiesa di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte III-Colonna -

Tempio di Sant'Andrea sulla Via Flaminia N.A. -

Chiesa di Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri XIV-Borgo -

Chiesa di Sant'Antonio de' Portoghesi IV-Campo Marzio Shown below

Chiesa di Sant'Apollinare VI-Parione Not visible from the street

Chiesa di Santa Pudenziana I-Monti Shown below

Chiesa di Sant'Eligio degli Orefici VII-Regola -

Chiesa di San Teodoro X-Campitelli Shown above

Chiesa dei Santi Celso e Giuliano V-Ponte Covered by an ordinary roof

Chiesa dei Santi Claudio e Andrea dei Borgognoni II-Trevi -

Chiesa dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo X-Campitelli The dome covers a chapel

Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola IX-Pigna Painted dome in the interior

Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina X-Campitelli Shown above

Chiesa di Sant'Isidoro (e Patrizio) III-Colonna Hardly visible from the street

Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Marcellino a Via Merulana I-Monti -

Chiesa di Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza VIII-Sant'Eustachio -

Chiesa di Sant'Omobono X-Campitelli Shown below

Chiesa di Santo Stefano Rotondo I-Monti -

Chiesa della Trinità degli Spagnoli IV-Campo Marzio Not visible from the street

Chiesa della Trinità dei Pellegrini VII-Regola The dome is visible in the View

- Sinagoga XII-Ripa -

a) S. Antonio dei Portoghesi; b) S. Omobono; c) S. Pudenziana Other Directories

Go to or to The Coats of Arms of the Popes or to My Home Page on Baroque Rome or to My Home Page on Rome in the footsteps of an XVIIIth century traveller