S. AGNESE IN AGONE
In the
eighth century a small chapel was built here, on the spot where, according to
tradition, St. Agnes was exposed naked and was covered by her hair that had
miraculously grown, only to be killed shortly afterwards
In 1123 the
chapel was converted into a small basilica by Callistus II (1119/24) with
entrance from today's Via dell'Anima
Reconstruction
began in 1652 by Girolamo Rainaldi (1570/1655)
and his son Carlo Rainaldi (1611/91) for
Innocent X Pamphilj (1644/55)
Continued
in the years 1653/57 by Francesco Borromini
(1599/1667)
“While
retaining the Greek cross plan designed by Rainaldi, Borromini demolished the
previously built part of the façade and built it on a concave plant pushing it
back towards the square. Two towers resting on the two side wings indicate the
desire to enhance the light mass of the dome set on a high drum. Since then the
type of the dome, the prototype of which dates back to that Michelangelo will
see a progressive reduction of mass and a tendency to be thinner and slighter
if taller” (Carlo Bertelli, Giuliano Briganti, Antonio Giuliano)
“The viewer
feels drawn into the cavity of the façade above which looms the concave mass of
the drum. Nobody can overlook the fact that Borromini, while employing the
traditional grammar of motives, repeated here the spatial inversion of the
façade of S. Ivo” (Rudolf Wittkower)
“In
architecture Baroque religious art curved forms, concave and convex, appear
more and more often to make communicable feelings and actions such as the
bodily presence, the attraction, the embrace” (Paolo Portoghesi)
It was
completed in the years 1657/72 by Carlo Rainaldi
with advice, especially for the interior, by Gian
Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) for Donna Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphilj after
the death of her husband, the pope's nephew Camillo Pamphilj
It was
owned by the Doria Pamphilj family until 1992 when it was granted to the
Vicariate of Rome
BELL TOWERS
Antonio
Del Grande (about
1625/79) and Giovanni Maria Baratta (known from
1644/d. after 1679) from a design by Francesco
Borromini
“Glory of
Paradise” 1670/89 by Ciro Ferri (1634/89) for
G.B. Pamphilj
Despite the
19 years which he had had to paint it, Ciro Ferri was unable to complete the
work and it was finished after his death by his pupil Sebastiano
Corbellini
PENDENTIVES
Magnificent
“Cardinal Virtues” 1668/71 first frescoes by G.B.
Gaulli aka Baciccio (1639/1709):
From the right
Baciccio
obtained the commission of the frescoes from the Pamphilj family thanks to Gian
Lorenzo Bernini. When they were shown for the first time they were accused of “lust”
for the sensuality and the attitude of some of the virtues
ABOVE THE
DOORS
Between
pairs of pilasters there are “Eight marble bas-reliefs with angels bearing the
attributes of saints venerated in the church” 1658/59 by Ercole Ferrata (1610/86) and Domenico
Guidi (1625/1701)
RELIEFS AND
STATUES ON THE SEVEN ALTARS:
In the
apses of the altars stuccos with “Angels and putti with attributes of the
saints depicted in the marble reliefs below” by Alessandro
Algardi (1598/1654) completed after his death by his pupils Domenico Guidi and Ercole
Ferrata from designs by Ciro Ferri
Interestingly,
the saints represented in the altars were all chosen from among the youngest
martyrs of the Christian church
From the right
“Death of S. Alexius
of Rome” in
front of Innocent I (401/417) after being recognized by the parents 1660/63 by Giovanni Francesco Rossi (known 1640/77)
Represents
the moment when St. Agnes remained miraculously unharmed by the flames
The chapel
is lined with ancient green Thessalian marble, which overlaps the ancient
yellow marble pilasters with capitals of marble from Carrara. The false
perspective is also made with extraordinary marbles such as coral breccia or
bardiglio
“It reminds for
certain aspects the S. Susanna by Duquesnoy, as also here the dress is
relatively smooth and supports the structure of the body, while the head is
derived as much from Duquesnoy as from classic Niobids. But no artist who
worked in 1660 in the orbit Bernini could return to the classical purity of
Duquesnoy in 1630. Following the example of the statues of saints by Bernini,
Ferrata represented a transitory moment, we are witnessing a dramatic moment:
the power of her prayers makes her immune from the holy fire. It creates a
formal and emotional restlessness, in stark contrast with the purist trends of
the thirties” (Rudolf Wittkower)
Stuccos
with “Musical Angels” 1662/64 by Paolo Landini
In the side
walls two pairs of “Alabaster oval medallions with faces of saints and popes”
not precisely identified
“Martyrdom of St.
Emerentiana”
1668/1709 by Ercole Ferrata who made the lower
part. It was finished after his death in 1709 by Leonardo
Retti (active 1670/1709)
Emerentiana
was the foster sister of St. Agnes and she ended up being stoned to death
during the funeral of her sister
“The clear
and simple tripartite arrangement seems the result of a dogmatic application of
Algardi's principles. While the type of the saint also shows here a careful
study of the S. Susanna by Duquesnoy, and while some characters are clearly
inspired by the relief of Attila, Ferrata returns for the figures of the
attackers and of the mother and child to the most classic of Baroque painters,
Domenichino. The sculptural principles applied by Retti in the upper half of
the survey are in contrast with those of the lower half” (Rudolf Wittkower)
1720/21
from a design by Carlo Rainaldi executed by Francesco Moderati (about 1680/after 1724) with “Four
columns of ancient green marble” maybe from the destroyed Arch of Marcus
Aurelius on Via del Corso
“Three
putti” by G.B. Maini (1690/1752) holding a
cartouche with the phrase Among born of women there is none greater than
John for G.B. Pamphilj (Innocent X) who had wanted the main altar to be
dedicated to the saint who bore his name
“Angels” in
1856 stucco on the pediment by Antonio Della Bitta
(1807/about 1879)
Continuing
from the high altar towards left:
The relief
was originally commissioned in 1660 to Giuseppe Peroni (about 1626/63), a pupil of Algardi who died leaving
the life-size model that was taken up by Raggi
“The
influence of Algardi is to be located in the middle division and in the
differentiation between the calm faith of the pope and the excited crowd on the
right. The individual style of Raggi is evident in the extremely elongated
proportions of the figures, the slender build, the elegant movements as well as
in the fall of drapery, which reveal a restless and nervous temperament.
Contrary to Ferrata, Raggi refused the lessons learned by Domenichino. Compared
to the terse composition of the relief of St. Emerentiana, the figures in the
work of Raggi appear crowded in complicated groups almost confused. It goes to
show his indifference for the classical dogma of clarity expressed with a minimum
number of figures. On the other hand, the magnificent angel with a palm,
absolutely Bernini-like shows the sweetness and tenderness of feelings,
characteristic of the art of Raggi” (Rudolf Wittkower)
Statue of “St. Sebastian” 1717/19 by Pietro
Paolo Campi (known 1702/40), a student of Pierre Legros
The poor
young Maltese sculptor died shortly after the start of the work which was
finished by Ercole Ferrata with Giovanni Francesco Rossi in a rather academic way, a
far cry from the plastic feeling of the brilliant Caffà
The model
in terracotta of this relief is in Palazzo
Venezia
“Caffà can
be considered the most important personality of the generation after Bernini,
but he died too young to achieve a leading position and to exert a role in the
development of Italian sculpture. (...) His teacher, Ercole Ferrata, had
introduced him to the style of Algardi, but far more decisive for him was the
impression created by the works of Bernini: that character in them of final achievement
was certainly of great importance for the process of maturation of the younger
artist. Once convinced of the validity of the style now developed, he was bent
on perfect it to virtuosity, soften it, refine it in aesthetic terms. (...)
Since this, the oldest known of his works, Caffà goes beyond Ferrata, adopting
the illusionistic 'bottom to top' typical of Bernini's reliefs. In the apparent
recklessness of the model, in which constantly the level of projection changes,
and in the dissolution of the constituent links, there is in embryo a new
concept - which is late Baroque - of the relief” (Rudolf Preimesberger -
Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Treccani)
RIGHT OF
THE ALTAR OF S. SEBASTIAN - CHAPEL OF S. FILIPPO NERI
Restored
1859 by Andrea Busiri Vici (1818/1911) with
decorations by Annibale Angelini (1812/84)
Vault “Virgin
Mary receives S. Filippo Neri in heaven (known as St. Philip Neri in English)”
about 1663 by Francesco Allegrini (1587/1663)
From the
chapel it is possible to enter the crypt of the monumental tombs of Pamphilj
arranged in 1864 by Andrea Busiri Vici
LEFT OF THE
ALTAR OF S. SEBASTIAN - CHAPEL OF St. FRANCES OF ROME
Here,
according to tradition, the saint was baptized
Altar and baptismal
font of St.
Agnes consisting of a block of stone from the old oratory. At the sides “Angels”
by Andrea Bolgi (1606/56)
ABOVE THE
ENTRANCE
The Pope's body
was buried in the crypt of the Pamphilj to the right of the altar. For days
after his death the corpse had been in a warehouse for tools of the Basilica of
St. Peter at the mercy of mice to the neglect of the family
Above
beautiful “Choir” by Carlo Rainaldi 1659/62 with
“Angels caryatids” by Domenico Poli and Isidoro Baratta
Organ of
1914 that replaced the seventeenth century one of which some elements were
reused
1658/66,
designed by Francesco Borromini
Fresco on
the vault “Glory of St. Agnes” 1664 Paolo Gismondi aka
Paolo Perugino (1612/85)
Frescoes
in the presbytery “Stories of Mary” 1660 by Francesco
Allegrini (1587/1663)
Angels and
holy water fountain 1666 by Andrea Baratta
(about 1595/1666)
CRYPT
Three rooms
derived from the Circus of Domitian (81/96) with fornix (from fornix derives
the verb fornicate) which is traditionally considered the brothel of the story
of St. Agnes
The three
rooms were rearranged in 1885 by Andrea Busiri Vici
(1818/1911)
It is
believed to be the place where, according to tradition, Saint Agnes was killed
with a sword thrust in her throat immediately after she revived the young man
who had fallen dead during an attempted rape against her
“Roman
floor mosaic”
On the walls
“Traces of
medieval frescoes” maybe of the thirteenth century, covered in 1893 by Eugenio Cisterna (1862/1933), who imitated the style
of early Christian art deemed appropriate in those spaces, and perhaps inspired
by the earlier thirteenth-century frescoes
Above the
altar
Relief
“Miracle of the hair of St. Agnes” designed in 1653 by Alessandro
Algardi (1598/1654) and executed in 1663 by Giovanni
Buratti
