Santa Bibiana
Santa Bibiana is a church in Rome. It is noteworthy in several respects. Thus, the facade is the first building Gianlorenzo Bernini, and the high altar of the church also contains his first religious sculpture. In it, the earliest frescoes of Cortona Pietro da in his then new style.
Location
The church is located in the XV. Roman rione Esquiline about 650 meters northwest of the Porta Maggiore.
History and Architectural History
According to tradition, was at this point since 363 a church before as specified by the Liber Pontificalis under Simplicius in the year 468 a new church was built. It was probably around 1220 under Pope Honorius III. replaced by a basilica, but this is not yet finally clarified. The building fell into disrepair in the following centuries, until the section of Santa Maria Maggiore in 1624 a renovation began in the return to early Christian traditions during the Counter Reformation. In August 1624 this remains were found, they are regarded as relics of St. Bibiana. According to the findings Pope Urban VIII took the work itself. He commissioned the then 26 -year-old Gian Lorenzo Bernini with a thorough restoration - but it should be the old form ( forma vecchia ) be maintained - and the design of the facade. It is conceivable that the newly elected Pope wanted to present in the jubilee year 1625 this church with the public, so a kind of " prestige project ". The contract for the painting were also the only 28 years old Pietro da Cortona and Agostino Ciampelli. Work on building and frescoes were completed in 1626.
Appearance
The church is famous for its unique façade. Bernini built a two-story and three-axis portico façade, where he kept the width of the basement upstairs. Carlo Maderno had this facade type previously used in the construction of the facade of St. Peter's Basilica. Striking is the strong emphasis on Mittelrisalites. The basement is divided by three arches, the piers are pilasters of the Ionic order presented. Upstairs the structure is maintained, but now no longer in arcades form the side walls to be broken with simple windows, while in the central part of the facade of a shrine mounted above the window and a small balustrade was pre hidden. The capitals follow a modification of the Tuscan order, the central projection is crowned by a broken pediment. This particular emphasis of the center window as the stage is explained by the religious- cultic custom that from there was once a year on the feast day of the Saints, December 2nd, the people the head relic shown. Balustrades and flames vases decorate the top of the facade.
Affairs
Through the basilica basic structure of the small church, it has three ships, it is covered flat. The eight columns, paired together, are antique. Left of the entrance is a further small ancient column; it should be the one where the saint was martyred.
The windowless clerestory contains on the left side of the first cycle of frescoes by Pietro da Cortona, the right side was painted by Agostino Ciampelli. Both frescoes depict scenes from the life of St.. Bibiana. Da Cortona showed here for the first time its new, antique-style fresco style, influenced, inter alia, of Polidoro da Caravaggio: the martyrs are represented as ancient heroes. This fresco made da Cortona shot to fame and the new style became trend in Roman art.
The high altar is again a work of Bernini, the figure of Saint Bibiana shown in the altar is his first religious sculpture. It represents the saint at the moment of immediate driveway dar. in the sky The austerity of the architecture of the altar stands in tension with the moves saints depicted. Bernini calculated the drama, especially the light guide exactly: a specially opened chute allows light to fall on the sculpture and the Holy emerge even stronger. An incorporated in the high altar alabaster urn containing the relics.