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The Jesuits: Il Gesu and Sant'Ignazio as Triumphant Churches |
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by hlc / 09.16.2004 |
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Personal Observations |
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In researching for this presentation I really enjoyed learning about the Jesuit Order. Their role in missionary work, the academics, and the Counter Reformation were so crucial to the survival of the Catholic Church. It would be a very different history for the church without Sant’Ignazio and the Order he created. I also liked learning about the Baroque style. The drama, emotion, and color of Baroque art really captivate me. Il Gesu has been my favorite church in Italy thus far.
My first visit to the two churches was also really surprising. The outside of both Il Gesu and Sant’Ignazio are deceiving because they give no clues as to what the inside of the church will look like. When I stepped into Il Gesu for the first time I was in awe of the grandiose and ornate adornments, the bright colors, the decoration cluttering almost every square inch of space, and of course the nave painting. The photographs of the ceiling don’t do justice to the illusion of perspective that Baciccio has created. Also, the different components of Il Gesu (architecture, painting, sculpture) really do work together and emit a sense of unity. I also really liked the statues in the Chapel of Sant’Ignazio that were flanking the urn of Saint Ignatius.
When I entered the church of Sant’Ignazio I expected the interior to look very similar to Il Gesu. I was surprised however, by the differences between the two. Sant’Ignazio seemed brighter than, and not as crowded with decorations as Il Gesu. Standing on the yellow disk in the middle of the nave I could really experience the effect of Pozzo’s painting, but once I moved from that spot, the perspective was thrown off and something just did not quite fit. Pozzo’s false dome was amazing as well; at first, I did not believe that the surface was completely flat.
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