Baroque architecture, beginning in late 16th-century Italy, combined Renaissance elements with dramatic forms and complex designs to express the power of the Catholic Church amidst the societal shifts of the Protestant Reformation. Notable figures include Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Francesco Borromini, whose works in Rome defined the style’s emotional intensity and grandeur, particularly exemplified by the facade of St. Peter's Basilica and the Palace of Versailles. The style emphasized elaborate decoration and the use of chiaroscuro to create dramatic lighting effects, influencing architecture and art throughout Europe.