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Portrait of Urban VIII - Sculpture
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Portrait of Cardinal Antonio Barberini
Judith and Holofernes
Narciso
Saint Francis in meditation
La Fornarina
Portrait of Henry VIII
Portrait of Pope Urban VIII Barberini - Painting
Portrait of Stefano IV Colonna
The Triumph of Divine Providence and the fulfillment of its ends under the pontificate of Urban VIII
Square staircase
Helical staircase
Allegory of Divine Wisdom
Portable tabernacle with the Pietà, scenes of saints and martyrs
Baptism of Christ
St. Mary Magdalene
Portrait of Urban VIII
Portrait of Beatrice Cenci
Mystical marriage of Saint Catherine and saints
Stories of the Passion of Christ
Portrait of Abbondio Rezzonico
Annunciation
Portrait of Urban VIII - Sculpture
Madonna with Child (Madonna Hertz)
Deposition of Christ in the tomb
Mystical marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
The suicide of Cleopatra
Portrait of Cardinal Antonio Barberini

Helical staircase

Francesco Borromini

Displayed in:

Barberini Palace

Barberini Palace

Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13 , Rome

Open now from 10:00 to 18:00

Verified profile

The staircase, designed by Francesco Borromini, serves the south wing of the building, and is complementary to that of Bernini, according to a principle that is not only aesthetic, but also distributive and functional. Accessible from the external portico, it led to the rooms of Cardinal Francesco Barberini and was intended for a more private circulation. It is helical, so it follows the principle of screwing around an axis of rotation, and has an oval plan, that is, it has a longitudinal flattening, allowing an easier climb than circular stairs. This model is codified in the sixteenth-century treatises by Vignola, Sebastiano Serlio and Andrea Palladio. Each turn is made up of 12 coupled Doric columns, whose capital is decorated with small bees (heraldic symbol of the family). The major axis measures 9.40 m, the minor axis 7.85 m. The light enters from the oculus at the top and from the windows of the facade. In the initial project, the staircase ended with a free ramp, then it is later raised above the top floor of the building to house the rich library of Cardinal Francesco, now transferred to the Vatican. The spiral structures, with all the design problems that derive from them, are particularly congenial to the eccentric spirit of Borromini, who re-proposes them in numerous drawings and in architectural details of other works.
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Details

Title: Helical staircase

Author: Francesco Borromini

Date: 1633-1634

Technique:

Displayed in: Barberini Palace

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