Page "Baroque architecture" Paragraph 30

The same concerns with plasticity, massing, dramatic effects and shadow and light is evident in the architectural work of Pietro da Cortona, illustrated by his design of Santi Luca e Martina ( construction began in 1635 ) with what was probably the first curved Baroque church facade in Rome.

These concerns are even more evident in his reworking of Santa Maria della Pace ( 1656-8 ).

The facade with its chiaroscuro half-domed portico and concave side wings, closely resembles a theatrical stage set and the church facade projects forward so that it substantially fills the tiny trapezoidal piazza.

Other Roman ensembles of the Baroque and Late Baroque period are likewise suffused with theatricality and, as urban theatres, provide points of focus within their locality in the surrounding cityscape.