Architecture & Urbanism in the Age of the Baroque

(4 Credits)

An architectural history of Europe, circa 1600–1750, with emphasis on the social, cultural, and historical conditions that shaped the built environment. Palaces, churches, villas, gardens, and urban spaces such as streets and piazzas are studied in terms of the life that went on in and around them. Themes under discussion include the pursuit of status through architectural patronage; the use of buildings to communicate political power or religious authority; the role of ceremony and spectacle in shaping architectural space and design; the interconnections between the arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture; and the dissemination of the baroque style throughout Europe and beyond. Special attention is given to the contributions of Bernini, Borromini, and Cortona in Rome; Guarini and Juvarra in Piedmont; Mansart, Le Vau, and Le Nôtre in France; Fischer von Erlach, Neumann, and the Asam brothers in Germany and Austria.