Palazzo Barberini

The Revolutionary Plan: Rather than employing traditional palace models (either the Renaissance quadrangular courtyard or the linear façade), Maderno conceived an unprecedented H-shaped plan consisting of two parallel wings connected by a grand central hall that interpenetrates both wings vertically. This innovation solved a crucial problem: how to create a monumental urban palace while preserving the Sforza villa (which occupied part of the site) and maintaining access to the suburban gardens beyond. The H-plan allows the palace to function simultaneously as an urban seat of power and as a suburban villa—it dissolves the boundary between city and countryside that traditional palace design had maintained. The Cour d'Honneur: The space between the two forward-projecting wings creates a forecourt (cour d'honneur) that invites approach and creates a transitional zone between the street and the palace interior. This forecourt—inspired by Renaissance palace models like the Palazzo Farnese—provides theatrical staging for ceremonial arrival. Yet unlike the Farnese courtyard (which is entirely enclosed), the Barberini courtyard remains partially open, creating a more fluid, less fortified impression. The Central Hall and Two-Story Salone: The heart of Maderno's design is the two-story central hall (the salone) that extends vertically through both levels and receives its primary identity from the vaulted ceiling decorated by Cortona. This dual-height space creates what Baroque theorists called "theatrical space"—a compressed interior zone that nonetheless reads as monumentally expansive. The hall functions as a reception space, a circulation hub connecting the various apartment suites, and—through the ceiling fresco—a site of visual and spiritual transcendence.

Bernini's Grand Staircase: Bernini's square staircase in the northern wing represents classical principles executed with Baroque grandeur. The staircase employs a rigid geometric order: a square plan with flights rising at right angles. The walls are articulated with classical pilasters and cornices; the vault is coffered in the manner of classical Roman architecture. Yet despite its classical vocabulary, the staircase achieves theatrical effect through scale, materials, and the dramatic frames it creates for the moving figure. Each landing provides a vista; each level offers new perspectives. The staircase functions as a sculptural composition—Bernini conceived it as one would a piece of three-dimensional sculpture, thinking in terms of volume, mass, and visual impact. Borromini's Elliptical Staircase: Borromini's spiral staircase (completed c. 1633–1634) in the southern wing represents a radical departure from classical precedent. The staircase spirals upward within an elliptical plan (9.40 meters on the major axis, 7.85 meters on the minor); the double-twisted Doric columns are decorated with the Barberini family symbol (the bee). The spiral creates a gentle, almost organic ascent—easier on the legs than a circular spiral would be, yet more dynamic than a conventional staircase. The space unfolds as one ascends; new vistas emerge at each turn. Where Bernini's staircase is monumental and static (one comprehends its entire form from a single viewpoint), Borromini's is kinetic and progressive (one must move through it to understand its form). The Architectural Competition: The placement of these two staircases side by side creates an unprecedented opportunity for direct comparison. Visitors can experience both within the same palace, understanding immediately the contrasting philosophies. Bernini's approach: classical refinement, sculptural plasticity, monumentality. Borromini's approach: mathematical innovation, spatial complexity, organic dynamism.

The Three-Story Composition: Maderno's façade presents three stories articulated by superimposed classical orders (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian—following the Renaissance convention established by the Colosseum). Yet rather than employing the Renaissance vocabulary of solid walls and recessed openings, Maderno employs what one observer termed "glazed arcades"—three tiers of large, arched window openings that create an impression of transparency and permeability. This Venetian-influenced design (derived from Venetian palazzo windows) creates the illusion that the massive palace structure is almost dematerialized, replaced by a screen of openings and light. Pietro da Cortona's Revolutionary Achievement: The ceiling fresco of the salone represents one of the most influential works of Baroque painting. Executed between 1632 and 1639, the 400-square-meter fresco covers the barrel vault and employs a revolutionary compositional strategy. Rather than employing the quadri riportati (framed panels) of the Sistine Chapel or Palazzo Farnese—where painted scenes remain visually distinct within architectural frames—Cortona creates a unified illusionistic field in which figures seem to float in an infinite celestial realm. The vault appears to dissolve; the architectural boundaries of the room seem to vanish. Figures break through painted architectural elements into the viewer's space; clouds swirl in continuous motion; the eye cannot find rest but rather circulates continuously through the composition.