Episode 325 - Borromini’s Church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza

04/09/25 • 19 min

Borromini began construction on another of his architectural masterpieces, the church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome, Italy, in 1642 for Pope Urban VIII. His curvilinear façade, bulging drum, and spiraling lantern are all eye-popping aspects of his design. But it is the extraordinary floor plan of the church which makes it unique – an equilateral triangle with semi-circular niches along its sides and corners cut off by inward swinging arcs.

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Episode 324 - Borromini’s Oratory of the Filippini

In 1637, Francesco Borromini designed and began building an oratory – a place for public worship and musical performances – for the followers of St. Phillip Neri, known as the “Filippini.” The façade of this oratory is another of Borromini’s visionary architectural projects with its curved plan and unorthodox sculptural elements.

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Episode 326 - Borromini’s Sant’Agnese in Agone (Piazza Navona)

In 1653, Borromini was asked by Pope Innocent X to take over the building of his family church of Sant’Agnese in Agone in Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. The result was a revolutionary façade design that tragically was not realized according to Borromini’s plans.