Turin could not be called the Baroque capital if Guarino Guarini, sent by the father general of the Theatines to supervise the renovation of the church of San Lorenzo had not arrived there in 1666.
After barely 17 years, he had overturned the severe architectural lines of the Savoy capital, scattering pearls of wonder.
Born four hundred years ago in Modena, more precisely on 17 January 1624, Guarino Guarini was an architect, theologian, mathematician, philosophy and astronomy scholar. He had the opportunity to train in Rome with Francesco Borromini, observing the construction sites of San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane, the Oratorio dei Filippini and Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza. His studies devoted to the theory of light, which made him a precursor of the wave theory formulated by Huygens, had great impact on his architectural style, where light plays a central role.
The breathtaking beauty of his most famous works, which at the time literally redesigned Turin’s "skyline", is due to the centrality and variety of ways in which light features in inside spaces.
The Royal Church of San Lorenzo and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, with their daring domes at the limit of structural balance, are his absolute masterpieces. These are the buildings that immediately catch the eye of any visitor walking through Piazza Castello.
The outcome of his association with Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy Carignano, who fell in love with Guarini’s innovative solutions, is Palazzo Carignano, which thanks to the play of concave-convex lines of its façade and its internal staircase, is the true icon of Piedmontese Baroque.
Guarini also designed the oval hall at the entrance of Turin’s inhabitants’ most beloved church, the Sanctuary of the Consolata, which Filippo Juvarra and Carlo Ceppi would also later work on.
His least known, but no less interesting, work is the Church of the Immaculate Conception, located in Via dell'Arsenale on the corner with Via Lascaris. It is a totally unexpected masterpiece, because from the outside it is impossible to imagine the dynamism and extraordinary brightness of the interior.
So what are you waiting for? Come to Turin, Guarino Guarini's Baroque jewels are always included in the guided tours that our school organises for students.
Discover everything Turin has to offer:
- Ruchè from Castagnole Monferrato and the beautiful village of Montemagno
- Discovering Turin, the capital of Liberty
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- Let's visit Turin with our precious guide tour Vera
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Turin
The welcoming friendly atmosphere of our school will make you feel at home and you can relax with your classmates in the small gardens of the adjacent pedestrian area.
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