BERNINI THE MASTER TOUR – ROME

“Gian Lorenzo Bernini” was an architect, sculptor, and urban planner who lived in seventeenth century Italy and worked in Rome almost all his life. He is considered the greatest artist of the baroque movement and his work has inspired other artists for many years after his death.

In the square “Piazza Navona” you will see the beautiful “Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi”, the fountain of the four rivers, designed by Bernini and built between 1648 and 1651. In the fountain you can see four huge figures that are personifications of what were the four most important rivers in the world at that time: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Río de la Plata. The four men representing the rivers have the dynamic poses that are Bernini’s trademark. The four rivers are set around a great obelisk decorated with hieroglyphs built in the first century. There are many sculpted animals hidden in the fountain, so you should look at it from all angles. See if you can spot the lion drinking from the pool, or the leaping horse. During the Bernini the Master tour you will visit two more squares where you can find fountains by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, like the “Fontana della Barcaccia” in the beautiful “Piazza di Spagna”, and the “Fontana del Tritone” in “Piazza Barberini”.

The Bernini the Master tour will also take you to some beautiful basilicas and churches. The “Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo” was restored by Bernini, who added baroque elements. The tour will also take you in front of the “Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva”, a rare example of gothic architecture in Rome, where you will see an obelisk placed on the statue of a small elephant designed by Bernini. Finally, in “Santa Maria della Vittoria” you will see “The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa”, perhaps the statue Bernini was most proud of. The statue was inspired by an event in the life of the Saint as she described it. An angel points an arrow to the heart of Saint Teresa, who has an expression of bliss on her face. The statue is in front of many rays of light made with gold-colored bronze. The Bernini the Master tour also includes a visit to the “Borghese Gallery”, one of the most beautiful art galleries in Italy. The Bernini statues you will see here are “The Rape of Proserpina” (“rape” as in abduction), the “David”, and the famous “Apollo and Daphne”.

The Bernini the Master tour will also take you to “Saint Peter’s Square”, the beautiful square in front of “Saint Peter’s Basilica” in “Vatican City”. The wide colonnade was designed to give the impression of a maternal hug, embracing the faithful in the Catholic Church. This square really shows the skill of Bernini as an architect and urban planner. This tour is perfect for people who are interested in art and in learning more about the most beautiful statues and fountains in Rome.