Emergence of Baroque Architecture

Timeline

1. 1563–1580Rome · LazioThe Council of Trent (1545–1563) required the Catholic Church to strengthen faith education and emotional appeal in architecture and imagery; religious orders such as the Jesuits promoted new church designs, laying religious and political motives for Baroque spatial drama and ornate decoration.
2. 1584Chiesa del Gesù (Jesuit church) · RomeThe facade of the Jesuit church completed by Giacomo della Porta established the Baroque church exterior paradigm with tiered pilasters, a recessed center, and strong light-and-shadow contrast; the interior was continued by Vasari's disciples, becoming a model replicated by Jesuit and Catholic churches across Europe.
3. 1585–1590Rome and Florence · ItalyIn early planning for St. Peter's Square in Rome and facade renovation experiments in several Florentine churches in the late 1580s, architects began employing elliptical plans, dome lighting, and integrated stucco sculpture decoration; Baroque architecture moved from facade decoration to overall spatial arrangement, paving the way for the age of Bernini and Borromini in the 17th century.