- Address: St Peter's Basilica, Piazza S. Pietro, 00120 Vatican
- Creation: 1623-1634
- Opening: 1634
- Height: 29 m
- Architectural style: Baroque
- Architect: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini
Baldachin Bernini is an architectural and sculptural composition of the Vatican , a canopy over the altar of the main church of the Catholic world - St. Peter's Cathedral . The composition was made by one of the most outstanding Baroque masters Lorenzo Bernini. Its construction was carried out in 1624-1633. under the reign of Pope Urbano VIII.
The location of the canopy inside the cathedral and the concept of composition
Today Bernini's canopy is a famous landmark . It is set right in the middle of the hall of the cathedral under a round hole in the dome, this place is called the sidetrack. The canopy evokes both monumental and graceful execution. It becomes, as it were, the link between the enormous scale of the cathedral and the disproportionately small growth of believers.
Baldahin is located above the burial place of St. Peter. At the burial (crypts) there are unquenchable lamps, 95 pieces. This place has always been highlighted in the cathedral with the help of architectural solutions: columns, canopies, elevations were used. In the 17th century a canopy was erected, which is the most refined repetition of the venerable ancient architecture, which is not peculiar to baroque, but it is logical, considering who was the customer of the architectural and sculptural composition.
Architectural forms-canopies were typical for the altars of ancient Catholic churches. Such canopies symbolized the fabric canopy (baldacchino (it.) - literally "silk fabric from Baghdad"), which was carried over the head of the pope on important church holidays. His own masterpiece, Bernini, thus created, according to the tradition of ancient models, artfully recreating a similar structure of the Old Basilica of Constantine's authorship.
Power and grace of the canopy
Baldahin has an impressive height - about 29 m - and is the world's largest building of bronze. It took a lot of material to create it. Part of it was brought from Venice, they also removed bronze from the dome of the cathedral. But this still was not enough. Then the pope ordered to remove the bronze from the portico of the Pantheon, for which some believers condemned the construction. On the statue of Pasquino next to the square. Navona even had an inscription stating that Bernini would finish what the barbarians had done. By the way, the composition had a co-author, whose name is not reflected in the work - no less famous architect of the time Borromini.
The authors realized the ideal ratio of the height and dimensions of the canopy with the dimensions of the cathedral itself. The twisted bends of the columns are skilfully braided with a bronze laurel and express the idea of endless growth and development. The grace of the structure is emphasized and an interesting game of black and gold colors, as both the bronze columns and the gilded canopy are covered in black. This should speak of the importance and splendor of the church.
Bernini modified his canopy a few times at the project stage. As a result, it represents four upward spiraling curved columns, the tops of which are crowned with statues of angels supporting a ball and cross (symbolize the world redeemed by Christianity).
Columns are placed on high marble pedestals. On the upper part of them are also seen bees, which are the heraldic symbol of the Barberini family, since the canopy was built under the reign of Pope Urban VIII (Barberini). Before this work, Bernini was engaged in sculpture. Baldakhin became his first creation in the field of architecture. Fused in perception with a magnificent dome of the work of Michelangelo, he is an architectural and sculptural masterpiece recognized by the whole world.
An unforgettable experience
And in the years of creation, and nowadays the canopy Bernini amazes even tourists far from the sphere of art, causing a strong emotional effect. It's amazing that the cathedral is so wide open and up its space that the giant canopy from the entrance, and even more so from the dome, seems not so great. For the sake of this breathtaking sensation, everyone who visited St Peter's Cathedral is advised to visit one of the most beautiful and most important places on the planet and enjoy the splendor of Bernini's work.
Important information
To see the canopy, you need to visit St. Peter's Cathedral, located on the square with the same name. To do this, take metro A line to reach Ottavio station and cross St. Peter's Square. The entrance to the cathedral is free of charge, 7 euros will be paid only by those who want to climb the dome. By the way, from there a wonderful view opens, allowing you to see the nuances of Bernini's work.
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