Through the utilization of vibrant colors and intricate designs, architecture in ancient and baroque periods of Rome portray various architectural innovations in order to demonstrate the cultural and physical change of Rome. As Ancient Rome focuses its architecture for the benefit of its citizens, modern Rome during the Baroque period utilizes modern techniques for visual enhancement rather than functional use. However, during both periods of time, the architecture remains fairly constant in its grand visuals and tall buildings in order to provide Rome with a luxurious outlook.
Ancient Rome is characterized by average roman citizens who looked to live fairly simple lives and survived through their own labor and employment. There were not massive amounts of people who could afford luxurious homes, furniture, or clothing and they would have to go through strenuous hours of work to maintain a stable life. One piece of architecture that had a significant impact in Ancient Rome was The Baths of Caracalla. They were built between AD 212 and AD 216 under Septimius Severus and it was known that building baths for the public helped give leaders popularity and power from the public.
Specifically, the Baths of Caracalla were built by brick and had enormous walls surrounding the area and included several swimming pools, cold baths, large gardens, a stadium, shops and libraries. As previously stated, the enormous walls that surround the area are significant because it enhances Rome’s ability to portray detailed and expensive looking architecture for its citizens. Furthermore, the Baths of Caracalla were an open space and free to the public to relax after a long day of work. Again, since most of Rome’s citizens in Ancient Rome were fairly poor, they did their own work so they needed a place to come and relax. Additionally, Bussagli states “A fundamental feature of the baths was the luxurious decoration, which included mosaic flooring and rich marbles…” (Bussagli 135) in order to emphasize the complexity of the colors in the Baths of Caracalla.
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For an architectural piece in Ancient Rome, The Baths of Caracalla used a lot more color and detail than many of the other architectures during that time. For example, some of the pictures revealed visual descriptions of judges and athletes from competitions with the use contrasting colors and bold highlights (Bussagli 135). These mosaic details were important because they helped roman citizens appreciate the complexity of the Baths so that the leader can receive more popularity. The architectural significance in Ancient Rome is seen through the Baths of Caracalla because it represents the daily lives of the ordinary roman citizens and portrays the old techniques used for construction such as creating enormous structures to exemplify the magnitude of the building.
On the other hand, The Baroque period in Rome represents a time when architecture leads to renovation and enhances the wealthy aspects of the Catholic church. Specifically, one architecture that changed Rome in the Baroque period was the Santa Luca e Martina by Pietro da Cortana. Bussagli states “Pietro da Cortana’s important architectural achievement, is notable for its curvature, recessed central section, and sculptural effects…from the interplay between plasters and columns” (Bussagli 457).
Primarily, Cortana’s curvature features in Santa Luca e Martina changed Rome’s architectural history because it was one of the first ones to utilize curves in the buildings. This is significant because the curves mark a difference between ancient Rome and the Baroque period because it shows a development in the technique in building architecture. Furthermore, the Santa Luca e Martina interior structure is coated with white stucco to enhance the white, classic color to the church. The church on the second level is a basic white color with a spacious area while the lower level of the church is decorated with a rich context and utilizes many colors to provide a vibrant environment. Additionally, the columns on the exterior of the Santa Luca e Martina are fixed into the walls which is unique because it does not create a grand spacious entrance like many other churches during this period.
Also, even though the building itself is relatively large, Cortana focuses on having low vaults on the inside of the church which contrasts many large, enormous buildings that are already located in Rome. This is important because it shows that Rome’s architecture is significantly different from Ancient times and that Rome does not need enormous buildings to portray the rich complexity and details. Santa Luca e Martina enhanced the modern architecture in the Baroque period by providing a new look for curvature, intricate patterns and colors inside the church, and focuses on the wealthy aspect of the Catholic church.
Through the progression of architecture in ancient Rome to the Baroque period, one can visualize similarities between the Baths of Caracalla and Santa Luca e Martina. Even though, the Baths of Caracalla were built during Ancient Rome, the structure still represented wealth as if it were the Baroque period. Bussagli states “…gave a feeling of Baroque wealth and abundance” (Bussagli 135) in order to portray the theme of wealth in both pieces of architecture. Both the Baths of Caracalla and Santa Luca e Martina indulge in vibrant colors in the interior portions to illustrate the wealth and intricacy of Rome and its culture.
This similarity is significant because it depicts the consistency in the importance of representing wealth through architecture in Rome after many years. Moreover, another similarity between the two is the size of the exterior structure relative to the size of people. Both the Baths of Caracalla and Santa Luca e Martina use large walls to attract roman citizens in order to show them that the building is very wealthy and significant. These similarities prove that Roman architecture stayed consistent in the use of color and size of buildings because both structures are a place for people to come together so the buildings must be vibrant and large in size.
Even though the Baths of Caracalla and Santa Luca e Martina address the theme of wealth in similar ways, they also encounter several differences that depict the change in architecture in Ancient Rome to the Baroque period. First, the complexity level in design in the exterior is relatively greater in the Santa Luca e Martina because as time went by, the intricacy in details increased. The Santa Luca e Martina has sculptures on the top of the building that enhances the development of architecture in modern Rome. Also, it has curvy features in the shape of the buildings which is different than the squared features in the Baths of Caracalla.
This is historically significant because the varied architecture represents the change in importance of the citizens. During Ancient Rome, citizens were untroubled if their leader presented them with a place where they can meet and relax but in the Baroque period, citizens expected more intricate details on the buildings because Rome was more open to the modern world and wanted to show its wealth and reformations. As the mindsets of the citizens changed, the architecture also varied as seen by the outer simplicity of the Baths of Caracalla and intricate precision of the Santa Luca e Martina.
As time goes on from Ancient Rome to the Baroque period, the architecture develops to include massive amounts of intricacy and new designs but also stays consistent with the bold colors and the theme of wealth. Whether it is ancient Rome or the Baroque period, the Baths of Caracalla and the Santa Luca e Martina tend to represent similar celebrations of wealth. Architecture in Rome is not only seen as a symbol of prosperity but also as a place of importance that it utilizes no matter the social status of the people.
