Italy played a central role in the development of church architecture in Western Europe. Early Christian congregations built in the basilican form, adopting secular building of the Roman period. Pisa’s cathedral shows us the flowering of its Romanesque style. Italy produced its own Gothic styles, seen in the contrasting cathedrals of Florence and Milan. Outstanding Italian architects led the Renaissance and Baroque styles in church architecture, from Brunelleschi's Santo Spirito in Florence and Alberti's Sant'Andrea in Mantua, Michelangelo's St Peter's in Rome to Palladio's San Giorgio Maggiore and Longhena's Santa Maria della Salute, both in Venice. We will examine individual churches and cathedrals representative of these contrasting styles to trace the course of this rich architectural development.
The course will combine presentations, based on a wealth of images and drawings, with group discussions, backed up by illustrated notes for each meeting.