Pico believed that there was indeed an important correspondence between Solomon and Christ, but claimed that there were “false types” such as Judah’s king during the fall of Babylon, Zedekiah, who were of “the left hand”, and which presented a kind of demonic mirror of the type of Cabala through which God truly spoke. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”, The central design and iconography of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza roots the church in the phylogeny of the Old Testament and the Temple of Jerusalem. The Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza is the embodiment of this truth that reflects the divinity by which God designed the universe. The Ark of the Covenant was given to Moses on Mount Sinai in a prophetic vision, in which God tells Moses to “make [him] a sanctuary, that [he] may dwell in their midst.”[56]  It is this sanctuary that becomes the tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant sits, which God instructs Moses to build by sacred design. Borromini was affiliated with the Jesuits throughout his life and worked solely for them from 1646 until the end of his life in 1667 on the Collegio di Propaganda Fide. [46] Occulta concatenatio: “Secret or hidden connection”, Latin. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 9. This inscription denotes an important connection to the Old Testament and to King Solomon, who is the author of Proverbs. Wellingborough, Northamptonshire:            Thorsons Publishers Limited, 1977, Materials for the Study of The Apostolic Gnosis. Change ), Language Beyond Metaphor: The Structural Symbolism of Borromini’s Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza. Jerusalem: Yerid Hasefarim Publications, 2002, Godwin, Joscelyn. Cambridge, MA        and London England: Harvard University Press, 1989. 3)  The conjunction of these two elements is known as the most important symbol of universal cosmology. non pensare a quello di Ostia, con i suoi tre o quattro piani digradanti, noto De Coniecturis (On Surmises), (Minneapolis, Minnesota: The Arthur J. Banning Press, 2000), 183. However, it is important in researching Sant’Ivo that a bridge is built between the highly abstract intellections of Baroque academia and the physical structure of the church. The application of this geometry in the design of the drum appears both aesthetically and symbolically disconsonant within the scope of Roman Catholic architectural tradition. [59] Genesis 6:14-15. [64] fig. 1, An image of Kircher’s engraving showing the hieroglyphics of the obelisk, and also a photograph of The Fountain of Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, Rome. Although Kircher’s official post was as the head of the mathematics department at Collegio Romano, his polymathic interests encompassed everything from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics to acoustics. Alessandria, con la sua luce sulla sommità. Riproduzione Riservata, CONCORSO LETTERARIO: Lo confermerebbero anche i gabbiani Figures                                                                                   37. (Dordecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1994), 17, 36. Within the first Temple of Jerusalem, King Solomon, in the book of Kings, is said to have “carved cherubim and palm trees with open flowers”. In the Tetractys, 1+2+3+4=10, in which 1 represents a point, the number 2 represents a line, 3 represents a plane, and 4 represents the formation of a tetrahedron; a shape with four sides that rests in the third dimension. [66] Rowland, The Ecstatic Journey, p. 79. avverte anche e soprattutto all’esterno, con la sua conclusione nella lanterna, The letters of the Hebrew alphabet are thought to be the primordial elements by which God brought forth creation. Troy, N.Y.: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, School of Architecture.Du Prey, Pierre de la Ruffinière. I would like to acknowledge my sisters around the corner, Monica, Marta and Tina Grecchi, thanks for adopting me. Facciata dell'Oratorio di San Filippo Neri, Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (Amedeo Modigliani), I gatti nell'arte: 7 imperdibili dipinti da riscoprire, Dagli Uffizi alla Basilica di San Pietro, dal giovane Picasso a Dalì: la settimana in tv su Sky, Rai, Netflix, Sette capolavori inediti del MANN svelati in anteprima dagli scatti di Luigi Spina, Le iniziative online del Museo Diocesano Carlo Maria Martini. To my Godfather Raul Delgado, who loves me and always listens to me patiently, and who loves a good Manhattan, up with a cherry. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. The transmutation of elements in the alchemist’s crucible applies to the interlocking of spiritus and materia. [1]  This Orthodox principle is manifested within Sant’Ivo, as the church is connected to the Old Testament wisdom of King Solomon as a prefiguration and foundation of Christ. We match our unique designs and illustrations to create high-quality ceramic wall plates that can become true pieces of art in your collection. di The Christian Interpretation of the Cabala in the Renaissance. The startling Sant'Ivo sits at the far end of the courtyard of the Palazzo della Sapienza (house of knowledge), which until 1935 was the seat of the University Rome. 38-57, Du Prey, Pierre de la Ruffinière. [6]  This period, from 1560 to 1648, brought about a revivification of Catholic doctrine and ideas[7] through the synthetic knowledge of Neo-Platonism, Hermetecism and Kabbalah. Phonurgia Nova. stelle, la cui dimensione diminuisce man mano che si sale. Borromini’s method of architectonic expression embodies arcane mystical concepts. Connors, “The First Three Minutes”, 42. 7. The interpenetration of philosophical ideas with the church as aedificium is found in the relationship between Borromini’s knowledge of craft and design, and within the esoteric theories of the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. An image looking upward through the drum to the dome of Sant’Ivo. Architectural Forms and Philosophical Structures. Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza (lit. Any group of Hebrew letters placed together forms a projectional concurrence that, when seen on a conical cross section interacts with one another to create geometric form. The average Roman cubit also measures 1 1/2 ft. First discovered by Pythagoras, the solids were thought of, as in the Autiot, to contain cosmological meaning. Nel 1632 Francesco Borromini fu incaricato da papa Urbano VIII di completare la costruzione della chiesa di San’Ivo alla Sapienza, che doveva costituire la cappella dell’Università. The effect of this when it is applied to the drum of the dome is that the form of the regular hexagram is interpolated with outward swinging arcs on the corners and apses at the middle. Revisiting the Solomonic Symbolism of Borromini’s Church Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza. Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza is a church in Rome. It is possible that the obscurity of the Biblical transliteration of the pentagonal shape spoken of in the book of Kings linguistically pertains to another meaning revealed through the syntax of the Hebrew language. And concerning the diminished correspondence in Zedekiah anyone can conjecture, if he is profound in the Cabala.” (p. 541, 11>51). ( Log Out /  il più possibile un’area quadrata. Tempe, Arizona: Medieval and Renaissance Texts       and Studies, 1998, Glazerson, Matityahu and Manevich, Zeev. [8] José Antonio Maravall, Culture of The Baroque; Analysis of a Historical Structure (Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1975), 77. The Evolution of Traditional Religious and Philosophical Systems, (Tempe, Arizona: Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, 1998), 523. [11] For further research into Borromini’s study of acoustics within oval rooms, and especially in reference to San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, refer to Leo Steinberg’s dissertation, Borromini’s San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, A Study in Multiple Form and Architectural Symbolism (New York: Garland Publishing, 1977), 282. [5] see Ingrid D. Rowland, The Ecstatic Journey. The Tetractys exists as a triangular number, meaning that when its geometry is projected it forms triangles. In ogni spicchio si The Holy Scriptures, Revised In Accordance With Jewish Tradition And          Modern Biblical Scholarship. 6), Borromini inscribed passages which exemplified the idea of wisdom; “Sapientia aedificavit sibi domum“, “Excidit columnas septem” and “Proposuit mensam suam“. [16] refer to Anna Maria Partini, Athanasius Kircher è l’Alchimia (Rome, Italy: Edizioni Mediterranee, 2004), 37. [9] Kircher, Phonurgia Nova (New York: Broude Brothers, 1673), “prodigiosorum Cauʃæ, novâ & multiplici experimentorum exhibitione enucleantur; Instrumentorum Acuʃticorum, Machinarúmq, ad Natura propotypon adaptandarum.”, (preface, first page [unnumbered]). Matityahu Glazerson writes that geometry exists within the Hebrew alphabet because of harmonic quadruples within the linguistic formation of Hebrew letters placed together. The church is dedicated to St Yves, patron saint of lawyers. [67] see Hendrix, The Relation Between Architectural Forms, 11. Borromini himself was not only an architectural designer, but also a skilled craftsman as well, who gained experience in the mason’s yard at less than ten years of age. ... Paolo Portoghesi, Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza. & Thomas Simcox Lea D.D., Gematria. However, further scrutiny of the religious and philosophical undercurrents of Borromini’s time reveals a logical coherence to this plan. [4] see Joscelyn Godwin, Athanasius Kircher. Language Beyond Metaphor: The Structural Symbolism of Borromini’s Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, _________________________________________, 1. Il Borromini intende celebrare, per mezzo del papa regnante, l’autorità della Chiesa Romana attraverso cui la Sapienza Divina attua i suoi fini. [44] S.A. Farmer, Syncretism in the West: Pico’s 900 Theses (1486). [52] quoted in Hendrix, Architectural Forms, 65. [18]  This alchemical model is also a representation of the hexagrammatic geometry of Sant’Ivo, and is recurrent by variance of definition throughout the seventeenth-century philosophy. [19] fig. [29] fig. Kircher’s academic study among the Jesuits during the counter-reformation was specifically aimed at counteracting what was considered the heresy of Protestantism. 14:17, Mk. The Geometry of the Hebrew Alphabet. 55, No. This is clearly evident however in Borromini’s studies for Sant’Ivo. The Platonic solids were considered in Neo-Platonic thought to be the generative constituents of the universe. Gematria. Minneapolis,     Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1975, Partini, Anna Maria, Athanasius Kircher e l’Alchimia. [15] Kircher, Phonurgia:  “Varias hujus prodigiosæ curae rationes & caufas varii affignant. The grammar and architectural phrasing of Sant’Ivo stems from the cosmological basis of language found in the study of Gematria, and the masonic employment of cubits as a system of measurement; in this sense, our inquiry into the “architectural language” of Sant’Ivo is much more than a metaphor; it becomes the very substance by which the church is constructed. Plate Cupola Sant'ivo Alla Sapienza (roma) Plates are the centerpiece of the Fornasetti catalogue. Also, to Pope Benedict XVI, for inspiring me with his sharp intellect and piercing my soul with his beautiful faith. Glazerson believes that the Hebrew alphabet, as we have seen, contains three properties, “number, form and idea”;[57] the number being the Autiot, the form being that which is the fundamental structure of all things, and the idea being its Kabbalistic attribution to certain theological or ideological principles. 13:55; Mark 6:3. [4]  As a scholar who claimed the command of twelve languages including the study of hieroglyphics, Kircher believed that all languages descended from Hebrew. Pictures of the church on Wikimedia Commons are here. This home is represented by Sant’Ivo, as a sacred house of wisdom in which this Ark of the Covenant that was passed down to Moses and then to Solomon is kept. Much of the Rabbinical wisdom within this paper is due to his incredible depth and breadth of knowledge, and to many discussions we had over coffee about the nature of Kabbalah and the mystical and eternal nature of the Hebrew language. Roma: Edizione a cura di       Alessandro Martini, MDCCXX (1720), Connors, Joseph. What this represents is the longer section pushing or stretching out the shorter section into space. 1988. Through Gematria, the language of this scripture is thought of as something beyond a method of description; it becomes a cosmological framework by which to interpret the Solomonic meaning of Sant’Ivo. 'San Ivo alla Sapienza (Università di Roma)') è una cattolica romana chiesa a Roma.Costruito nel 1642-1660 dall'architetto Francesco Borromini, la chiesa è un capolavoro di Roman barocca architettura.. La chiesa è sul retro di un cortile a 40, Corso del Rinascimento; il complesso è ora utilizzato dall'Archivio di Stato di Roma. progetto verso l’alto, con lo slancio della cupola che con la sua luminosità Architecture as Language. At its top, the famous lantern finishing in a 2)  Kircher discusses how divine energy flows through the “Sephirotic channels”, and how through Platonism, the explication of the Ten Sephirot weaves everything together that they constitute; astrology, alchemy and everything that flows to God above. [33] For scripture pertaining to this aspect of the life of Christ, refer to the Gospels of, Matt. It is an   understanding of the word of God that created the heavens. It is in this inner sanctuary that we not only find God’s covenant kept in a physical Ark, but the knowledge of the word of God as that which permeates everything, and as the fabric of everything that exists. A connection also exists between “the theology of the Sacred Books…and [a] symbolism of an architectural or geometrical nature”,[32] and it is this connection that is at the very crux of our investigation of Sant’Ivo. The subject of eidos describes the idea of form which embodies a manifested structure of reality that is beyond transitory states. inondante suggerisce l’idea di una altezza irraggiungibile. una metamorfosi definita da Wittkower anamorfica. Anthony Blunt, Borromini, (London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1979), 120. Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza is a 17th century Baroque collegiate church with a postal address at Corso del Rinascimento 40 in the rione Sant'Eustachio. Within the book of Kings, there is a specific passage that becomes a clue into an arcane interpretation of Hebrew scripture known as Gematria. 55, No. To Elizabeth Anne Riedel, who is constantly shining the most elegant of God’s light. Blau, Joseph Leon. Thus Hebrew mathematics is also done by calculating together various letters according to their ascribed value. His Uncle Maffeo Barberini, later patronized Borromini in the design and construction of Sant’Ivo during Papacy as Urban VIII. As the inner sanctuary is intended as the place to set the Ark of the Covenant,[30] so does Borromini’s church become the embodiment of these ideas. Also, S. A. I would also like to acknowledge Emanuele and Chiara Mereghetti, for being buoni amici, as well as brilliant minds and gentle hearts. Accordingly, Kircher devoted the second half of Turris Babel to the study of linguistics. Francesco Borromini’s church Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, built in Rome in 1640, reaches far beyond the classical vocabulary and formalist traditions of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The palmo is an Italian form of measurement commonly used among architects and builders during the settecento. According to José Antonio Maravall, “the Jesuits became a pure expression of baroque mentality, which notwithstanding, was present with no less force in other spheres.”[8]  The Jesuit order is known for their keen interest in all intellectual research. Jewish Christians and Christian Jews. Corso del Rinascimento, 40, Rome 00186, Italy. Athanasius Kircher in Baroque Rome (Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago, 2000), I, 27. Revisiting the Solomonic symbolism of Borromini’s Church of Sant’Ivo all Sapienza. And by the measurement of cubits, it is in this inner sanctuary that the Ark rests which we once again find hidden the symbol of the Seal of Solomon. Within the geometry of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, there are seven points that exist within the shapes of the other letters (excluding the letters that are made up of the same amount of lines). Christ is spoken of in the book of Hebrews as the Creator of the world, which through His body the world is designed. [46]  This connection could be found through the exegetical practice of reading into Biblical scriptures according to Gematria. Conclusion                                                                           32, 8. 216-232, 224. Borromini was a scholar of such arcane seventeenth-century philosophies such as Neo-Platonism and Kabbalah, and had a large library that by the end of his life contained almost a thousand works by authors such as Nicolas Cusanus, Marsilio Ficino, Thomas Aquinas, Plotinus and Plato. It is the Word manifested as creation that forms an intercursus between the learned study of sacred scripture and the knowledge contained therein, allowing the architect and mason to design the structure of the church according to the word by which God created the world, in order to make manifest a holy and consecrated edifice out of that which does not appear, and by making the unseen seen. La progettazione fu condizionata dalla preesistenza del cortile e del palazzo realizzati da Giacomo della Porta. Culture of the Baroque; Analysis of a Historical Structure. The root of which is the instructions given to Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant, which is eventually housed in the First Temple of Jerusalem by King Solomon. The Ark represents the vessel in which God carries the truth that he bestows upon humankind. As Solomon was king of an earthly domain, so is Christ represented as heavenly King within the iconography of Sant’Ivo; these two concepts of heaven and earth come together once again in the churches central design. 2, An image of the Ten Sephirot. As the Ten Sephirot represent the ten emanations by which God brought the universe into being, Kircher applies this as a model for how God brings light and harmony into the world. 8, from Carlos Suarès’ The Song of Songs, “The Cipher of Genesis”. The church’s centrally-planned design, with its exquisite entablatures and Corinthian-crowned pilasters, echoes the ornate elegance of the seventeenth-century. During the Counter-Reformation, ideas of universalism became increasingly important as a way of re-strengthening the church against the division of Protestantism, which broke away from the tradition of the sacraments and the intellectual understanding of God, and sought to know Christ solely through faith alone. sembra calare dall’alto come un mantello, ma ha un’incredibile spinta verso And it is by the dimensions of this cross that the church is measured. The numerical attributions of the Autiot ascribe each letter with an archetypal definition that is generative (causational) of forms of existence, and one aspect of these forms is the principle of geometry. He was then employed by Carlo Maderno in his late teens and early twenties sculpting the decorative putti above the portico of Porta Santa in St. Peter’s Basilica. Leone, Ivo e Pantaleo, che dal 1870 fu adibita ad altri usi, e ai nostri giorni è stata riaperta al culto. “The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.”. It is in the Holiest of Holies where we find the evidence of an arcane symbol; a symbol which represents the interlocking of humankind with God. Applied to music in a Neo-Platonic framework, these ten strings of universal harmony are also known as the Harmonia Decachordia. & Frederick Bligh Bond F.R.I.B.A., Materials for the Study of the Apostolic Gnosis,  (Wellingborough, Northamptonshire: Thorsons Publishers Limited, 1919), 8. This is typified by the iconography of the dove holding the olive branch, representative of the bird’s second trip back to the Ark after being the released from its open window after the initial flight of the raven. Chiesa di sant'Ivo alla Sapienza. [29] (fig. [30] 1 Kings, 6:19. La cupola di S. Ivo alla Sapienza. [3] see  John Hendrix, Architectural Forms and Philosophical Structures (New York: Peter Lang Publishing Inc., 2003), 52. [34], This passage speaks of Christ as the formation and structure of all things; as both the source of creation as well as creation made manifest. [42]  The letter Beth (ב) represents that which is necessary as a physical structure to support all creation. -Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei, Terram enarrant gloriam Dei. Projective geometry is invariant under projectivity, meaning that as the geometric form is seen from different angles, the form does not change. The design of Borromini’s church embodies historical roots in the Old Testament, the wisdom of King Solomon, as well as the physiognomy of the first Temple of Jerusalem. [20] Joseph Connors, “Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, The First Three Minutes”, The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol.