A Book in Stone: S. Ivo alla Sapienza

Abstract

Certain architectural works have been legitimised by the history of man; if re-examined they can provide additional interpretative hypotheses that could spark potential explanations about the reasons for their form. One of the most paradigmatic examples is the church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza designed by Francesco Borromini. The study focuses on understanding its physiognomy and initiating a research that could lead to a creative and generative theory about the church after examination of books on theology, humanities and philosophy. We know that Borromini had roughly 1,000 books in his personal library, so it is very likely that he was influenced by several branches of learning; theology, philosophy and poetry may have inspired and sustained the sense of secular or spiritual Knowledge, which he then instilled in the design of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza (which means knowledge). Based on these premises the study examined in-depth the exterior and interior of Sant’Ivo and evaluated several literary works, three in particular: The Consolation of Philosophy by Severinus Boethius, The Celestial Hierarchy by Dionysius the Areopagite, and above all, the canticle of Paradise in the Divine Comedy that provided new, stimulating interpretations of the building.