Galleria Borghese
Rome
1606
Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Rome
1280, 1725
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian sculptor, architect, and painter, celebrated as one of the most influential figures of the Baroque period. Born in 1598 in Naples and raised in Rome, Bernini demonstrated exceptional artistic talent from an early age, completing his first major commission, Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius, at just 20 years old. His dynamic sculptures, such as Apollo and Daphne and The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, are renowned for their emotional intensity, lifelike detail, and masterful use of marble to convey movement and texture. Beyond sculpture, Bernini transformed the architectural landscape of Rome, designing iconic works like the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square, the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, and the Cornaro Chapel. He also served as the chief architect of St. Peter’s Basilica, contributing to its majestic interior and designing the bronze Baldachin over the papal altar. He passed away in 1680.