1. LAI TZEXIUAN (0318056) : Question 3
Church of Saint Vyes at La Sapienza, Rome
i. What is the form, or shape of the building?
The shapes of the building are rectangular shapes, equilateral
triangles, circle, and hexagon while the form is circular forms.
Shapes: Equilateral triangles, circle and hexagon
Descriptions:
The whole church is a rectangular shape building which consists ofseveral rectangular shapes and six
triangle shapes formed within a circle for the dome.
The rectangular shape atthe center of the building is the courtyard with a convex wall in front of the
church.
The architect of this building overlaps two superimposed equilateral triangles on a circle to form a
hexagon shape in the center of the church.
The hexagon shape of the dome also has concave and convex walls on it.
Figure 1 & 2 - Plan drawings ofthe building
2. Figure 3 - 3D Model of SaintVyes Church
Figure 4 - Dome ofSaint Yves Church
Form: Circular
Descriptions:
On top of the exterior part of the church consists of a circular form below of the lantern of the dome.
The spiral structure ofthe lantern leads the viewer's eye to look up and gives dynamism and lightness to
the lantern.
On top of the lantern there is a supple metal which holds a globe and on top of the globe is a cross.
The globe represents the world thatwe are living in while the cross represents the universal power of
the church.
The lantern which was designed bythe architect of this church, Francesco Boronimi was trying to show
the verticality of man that are trying to reach God.
3. Francesco's idea ofthe lantern had caused other scholars to speculate thatthe idea was based on the
Tower of Babel which are mention in the bible where the people of the earth became skillful in
construction decided to built a city with a tower that would reach heaven during long ago.
The lantern also symbolizes the Church's power to regulate chaos in the world.
Figure 5 Figure 6
Above the circular form of the church is a segmented stepped canopyconvex-walled lantern.
The lantern which are speculated thatthe design ofthe spire are based on a conch shell,the Towel of
Babel or the stinger of a bee which is the symbol of the Urban VIII's Barberini family.
Figure 7 -The Tower of Babel
4. Figure 8 -Symbol of Urban VIII's Barberini Family
ii. How the form or shape of the building contributes in making the
building historically significant and meaningful?
The Shapes:
Comparison between Saint Vyes Church and San Giuseppe dei Falegnami
The architect choose a plan on resembling the superimposed equilateral triangles which overlap the
circle and form a hexagon to form the Star of David.
The architect used the Star of David to representwisdom which ithad been recognized as a Star of
Solomon symbolizing wisdom atthat time.
Figure 9
The alternating points ofthe star are rounded off either concave or convex and form niches thatslope
upward to the dome.
The dome of the church is segmented into sixsections which each ofthem are decorated with the Chigi
family mountains or stars.
The lines intersect ata perfect circle at the apex of the dome thatforms the base ofthe lantern.
5. San Giuseppe dei Falegnami
Figure 10
Figure 11
This church was dedicated to Saint Joseph by the Congregation ofthe Carpenters who rented the
church of SaintPeter in Chains in 1540.
Before the church was built,there was the Mamertine Prison under the church.
The Mamertine Prison were prison for state and place for execution for recent centuries and it was also
the prison where SaintPeter was imprisoned there.
The church has a semi-dome which has the statues ofSaintPeter and Saint Paul
Between the floor and ceiling of the Mamertine Prison there is a room underneath which was the
"Chapel of the Crucified"of the sixteenth century.
Both Saint Vyes church and San Guiseppe dei Falegnami church has different significants and
representations.
6. Circular Form:
Descriptions:
The exterior circular form of the church locates atbelow the lantern which there are three pillars
symbolizing the Chigi family, the 'six mountains beneath a star'.
The decoration of 'six mountains beneath a star'in the interior of the church is to preserve the memory
of Pope Alexander VII, Fabio Chigi.
Alexander VII was a person who was very interested in arts as he reviewed the possible solutions for
the square which was to complete the SaintPeter's church with Bernini.
Alexander had his coatof arms all around Rome notonly on the buildings thathe build but also on many
of them that he had justrestored.
Alexander VII had artists who helped him developed decorations based on its own themes bybeliefthat
art would be respected.
The reason ofit is that Alexander VII was afraid that his formal coatof arms would notsurvive through
the dangers ofhistory.
Therefore the two elements ofhis coat of arms which Alexander VII thought the six mountains with the
star would representhim better.
The church was builtunder his predecessors and its shape took after the bee of Pope Urban VIII.
Figure 12 & 13
7. Referencing & Citation:
JOSEPH OF THE CARPENTERS IN ROMAN. BASILICA OF ST. MARK THE
EVANGELIST PARISH. Retrieved 30th September 2015, from
http://www.sanmarcoevangelista.it/index.php/s-giuseppe-dei-falegnami
(8 June 2014). St. Joseph of the Carpenters. ROMASEGRETA.IT The charm, the
curiosity, the mysteries. Retrieved 30th September 2015, from
http://www.romasegreta.it/campitelli/s-giuseppe-dei-falegnami.html
About St. Ivo alla Sapienza. St. Ivo alla Sapienza. Retrieved 30th September 2015,
from
http://heyevent.com/venue/3g4ydlawcrj7ka
Mary Fairchild. The Tower of Babel – Story Summary. The Tower of Babel – Bible
Story Summary. Retrieved 30th September 2015, from
http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/p/towerofbabel.htm
Salvatore Orru (2000). Church of “St. Ivo alla Sapienza”. ARCHITECTURE OF 1600
THE “BAROQUE”. Retrieved 30th September 2015, from
http://ospitiweb.indire.it/~caps0001/Orru/Borromini.htm
Roberto Piperno & Rosamie Moore. Alexander VII – Fabio Chigi. SIX MOUNTAINS
AND A STAR. Retrieved 30th September 2015, from
http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Monti.html
S. Ivo della Sapienza. italian-architecture.info. Retrieved 30th September 2015, from
http://www.italian-architecture.info/ROME/RO-018.htm
Saint Yves at the Sapienza. visita. Retrieved 30th September, from
http://www.myvisita.it/en/poi-culturali/saint-yves-at-the-sapienza.aspx
8. Kurt Nemes. Sant’Ivo, Rome. Sacred Destinations. Retrieved 30th September 2015,
from
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-sant-ivo
S. Ivo della Sapienza. Retrieved 30th September 2015, from
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/S._Ivo_della_Sapienza.html
(the PSER). And BORROMINI Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza. Retrieved 30th September
2015, from
http://www.skuola.net/storia-arte/rinascimento-romanticismo/borromini-sant-ivo-
sapienza.html
