Bernini and the Bell Towers Research Paper
... The story of the bell towers of St. ... Peters, and Paul V orders the addition of bell towers on either side. ... When Maderno dies, however, Gianlorenzo Bernini becomes the architect to St. ... After cracks appear in the façade, Bernini’s reputation is under close scrutiny. ... The story of Bernini and his bell towers begins when Paul V ascends the papal throne in 1605. ... In Sarah McPhee’s Bernini and the Bell Towers, she states that building and rebuilding of new St. ... It is assumed that the two bell towers were intended, as the few designs that survive from the competition all showed them, however the location and whether or not they involved new construction or reused portions of the basilica is not clear. The façade block was completed on July 7, 1612; the same year that Paul V ordered the addition of the two towers. Paul V believed that the towers would make the façade appear larger and more proportional to the scale of the older portion of the church, suggesting that he made his decision based on aesthetic grounds. But, in the towers were described as reinforcements for the façade, suggesting that the decision was made based on structural grounds. ... His foundations for the towers were completed, but he left Paul V apprehensive not only about the troubles of the foundations, but also with the shortcomings of Maderno’s façade, and his design for the bell towers. On February 5, 1629, under the reign of Pope Urban VIII, Bernini assumed the title of architect to the basilica of St. ... First, since Bernini was the sole architect to the basilica, we must consider his previous architecture experience. It was clear that Bernini was interested in architecture, but did he have the training to complete this project successfully? Bernini had assumed the title of architect to St. ... At this time his experience was considerable, but he also associated himself with a structural engineer to be sure that his towers would be sound. The younger brother of Bernini, Luigi also helped with the technical knowledge that Gianlorenzo did not yet possess. ... Bernini was under the close scrutiny of the Congregation while designing and excavating St. ... In January of 1637, Bernini is finally allowed to begin construction on his bell towers. Master builders were consulted before construction began, and they assured pope, architect, and Congregation that Maderno’s façade was stable enough to hold the towers that Bernini had designed. The first level of Bernini’s tower went up in 13 months, and was finished for the Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, in 1639. ... At this first sign of trouble, Bernini is temporarily isolated. The choice to proceed with Bernini’s extravagant and extremely tall towers is suddenly attributed to him alone. As with the crack in Michelangelo’s dome, Bernini’s reputation is under attack once again. Another interesting fact is the disappearance of Luigi Bernini during the first year of construction of the bell towers. ... Luigi did play a significant role as an engineer in this project, and one scholar has suggested that his absence may play a small part in the failure of Bernini’s first tower. The skepticism of Bernini’s skill soon subsides, and construction on the north tower begins almost immediately. ... Many of the papal projects throughout the city, besides the work on the bell towers of St. ... The design for the bell towers was not only shaped by Bernini’s evolving plans. The expectations and desires of his institutional patron also helped to mold the design for the towers. Urban VIII died in 1644, while the bell towers were still incomplete. His death left both Bernini and the fate of his bell towers in a very awkward state. The bell towers were not discussed again until Innocent X Pamphili ascended the papal throne, and his first act in regards to the bell towers was to call Bernini before him to explain the cracking façade. Bernini explained that he had built his tower on top of a foundation built by Maderno, and that should be reason enough to believe they would be secure. Also, he told them that Urban VIII had wanted to be sure that the foundations were strong enough to hold Bernini’s towers, so he called for two master builders that assured him it was safe to proceed with the construction of the tower. Bernini had thought that the cracking was the result of naturally settling foundations.