One of Bramante's earliest commissions possibly as early as 1502, Donato Bramante (1444 – 1514)
The so-called Tempietto is a small commemorative martyrium, in the courtyard of the church of San Pietro in Montorio. It is considered a masterpiece of High Renaissance architecture. Originally patronized by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. , the Tempietto is one of the most harmonious buildings of the Renaissance. It is meant to mark the traditional spot of St. Peter's martyrdom.
The dome was modified in the 17th century
this chapel was planned with a circle of columns surrounding it, and the small tample was a part of an internal courtyard of the church beside it, the columns surrounding the temple were never actually realized, and as a result, it appears very isolated then one might imagine had it was completed as originally designed in that project bramante intended to position the temple in an external space
In that project Bramante intended to place the temple in an outdoor space that already exists and was already ready to receive such a building, a concept quite radical and daring as the Temple itself. In fact, his nickname seems very appropriate and well deserved
Equally amazing and brilliant is the principle of "wall sculpture" in the temple that is in the interior of the church balcony. In fact they were never seen such deep niches, carved by enormous masses of material, from the days of Brunelleschi's Santa Maria degli Angeli. These cavities were offset by the convex shape of the cupola and cornices projecting beyond the dome itself.
As a result, the temple had much more weight and influence than is contained in its modest size.
The purpose of the Temple of the project was only to indicate the place where Saint Peter was crucified (a theory that has never been proven to be true).
Rather than copy and repeat motifs of classical antiquity, Bramante used his knowledge of perspective and volume to create this elegant and harmonious building. He also redesigned the surrounding courtyard, but his project was never completed.
The temple is a circular building with steps leading to the Doric columns and a balustrade from there, to a lovely drum and an elegant dome. Here, finally, there is a building that speaks of reason and civilization, rather than fear and domination of religion. Of course, religious intolerance continued but the architecture did his best to watch or go towards a more civilized world of that ordered by the Church at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
This gem is in miniature San Pietro in Montorio (so called from Mons Aureus for the characteristic of his golden marl soil), the church dedicated to the martyrdom of the Apostle.
Passing the door of the convent is the construction, lonely and monumental despite its small size: arouses in visitors a sense of mystery to that aspect of the ancient warrior wrapped around itself, imprisoned in his splendid armor. Perhaps there is guarding a secret, you'd think. Described as "the prose of the architectural principles of Vitruvius", since both Bramante had studied the works of the great Roman architect of the first century BC the mighty ruins of ancient Rome and gifts, in reality it has nothing theoretical or even less canon expresses only the happy creative vein of a sixteenth-century painter and architect who was able to give his buildings coloristic relationship of light and shade provided and lyrically never seen before. Now the little warrior of stone is tight, almost a prisoner of the narrow space of the courtyard and what of him immediately catches the eye are the columns, his strong legs planted with the crown of the tiny porch that come to light over the gloom enveloping The cylindrical body of the warrior-temple, standing out of the shadow of the compartment door and windows.
The whole construction is sturdy and yet lightweight underscored by projecting cornices and above the balustrade prepared rigorously symmetrical and the clear light effect, ready to repeat the underlying pace of sixteen Doric columns supporting the entablature.
The drum that emerges, punctuated by rectangular niches alternate with others in the form of a shell, holding the cap of the dome covered by ribs just mentioned, as a lightweight helmet placed on the head of an imaginary warrior.
The lantern that adorns the apex seems to give the illusion, for its size, that the temple is lower than it actually is, confirming the author's intention of making a stable solid and powerfully Temple.
Nevertheless, all transmitted across the calm balance of classical forms collected and enclosed, just excited and ready to move and lead to a more daring solution, foreshadowing the future of the Baroque ideation.
The "full body pictorial space" represented Bramante's the link to the bizarre genius of Borromini.
Bramante, the height of his artistic maturity, in fact, was an innovator and experimenter of his time.
Growing up in the magic of Urbino, where the court of the Montefeltro family, patrons of the greatest artists of the era such as Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca, was all the fervor of works to which the young Bramante had assisted no doubt, soon gave start-up and fed his penchant for studying painting and architecture. Then Milan's friendship with Leonardo, who affectionately called Donino, gave him the passion for research and bold solutions to unusual and this was then fed to Rome, where he arrived in 1499 from the study and admiration for the 'ancient Roman architectural art.
Vasari told how Bramante free to wander to Rome practical thoughts, lonely, cogitative, finding remains of the ruins, majestic and severe. They were the source and the spark that inspired his creation of architect and sometimes even a poet.
Donato Bramante was one of the main architects of the High Renaissance in Italy: it was definitely included in the same category of Michelangelo and Raphael. Educated as a painter, began his career as an architect in Milan where he settled in 1482, or according to other sources, in 1474. In his plan for the church of Santa Maria, near Saint Satyr, in 1488, used a false perspective in the painting of the apse to create a perception of depth, which is used for the first time in architecture.
Bramante left Milan in 1499 and moved to Rome, where he remained until his death, being always employed by Pope Julius II. Here, under the influence of classical antiquity, his style became more monumental and less ornamental. His two biggest projects, but could not complete because of his death, were the plans for St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and the Vatican Palace. Bramante was able to blend together the idea of classical antiquity with those of Christian inspiration: his expressive sculptural grandeur planted the foundation for more elaborate baroque architecture of the next century.
The influence of Bramante was expressed in his classic and into the main ideas of the Renaissance that he moved to his colleagues and his many students in Rome.
Some of his most famous work beyond the temple in San Pietro in Montorio was Our Lady of Consolation, Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Cortile del Belvedere and, naturally, the Greek Cross project for St. Peter's Basilica, which was not brought to deadline for his death in 1544: the project was made later by several other architects and was later turned into Latin Cross to include all the various religious services. (For more information on the modification of its plan for the Basilica of St. Peter, see my previous "History of Architecture, Urbanism and Religious of St. Peter in the Vatican)
The Temple of Vesta at Tivoli
The temple of Vesta is the most famous monument of ancient Tibur, was what in 1700 was portrayed by most Italian and foreign artists. The temple seems to have been dedicated to Tiburno, the hero who would give the city its name and whose sacred grove (lucus) was located, as recalled by Papini Statius, in the vicinity of the falls, for others, the temple would be raised to Hercules, the patron god of the ancient Tibur, still others argue that it was dedicated to Vesta, and finally some are inclined to believe that it was built for the tenth Sibyl, the note Albunea.
The round temple of 'Acropolis, said of Vesta, the elegance of its lines and the picturesque scenery, isolated rocky outcrop above the Acropolis, has become the symbol of the city. The cult of Vesta, goddess of the hearth, was entrusted to the Vestal Virgins, priestesses who had to keep the sacred fire lit in the center of the temple and were just in the city, a representative of all respect: Cossinia, buried little more than the 'Acropolis , on the banks of the Aniene.
The building has these characteristics: Corinthian peripteral m diameter 14.25, on a high concrete podium m.2, 39 and covered by a work of travertine square. On it stands the round cell that has a single door and two windows, tapered at the top (there is only one on the right) around which an ambulatory m wide 2.78 adorned with 18 columns (there are only 10 today) of the Corinthian order, which are based on an Attic and 18 have grooves whose depth fades as the column approaches the capital of the Corinthian- italic. They, then, are topped by an entablature decorated with ox skulls and travertine alternating festoons. In the back wall, it is converted into a shrine, formerly closed by two wooden doors.
It is supposed that here was the only preserved the Sibylline books was, precious sacred text guarded building with a statue of the deity. The legend says that a statue of Sybil laying hold of the precious volume was recovered from the waters of the Aniene.
