Church of the Gesu Reflection

Julie Hagopian
14 April 2011
Engaging Places
Bridgette Knowles

When in Rome, Stay as the Romans Do

The first time I came to Rome two years ago, I remember paying fifteen Euros to see the Sistine Chapel, fighting the crowds of tourists at the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, and I had my picture taken with one of those fake gladiators outside the Colosseum. And yet, even after seeing all of these ancient wonders, I still felt that Rome had somehow escaped me. To me, it was one of the most beautiful and wonderful places in the world, but it was elusive. I was the typical tourist and nothing more; I was there for a moment, and then I was gone. And I had this feeling that I would never truly experience the Eternal City the way Romans do. However, that all changed after my semester of studying abroad in Rome.
I enjoy traveling, and I enjoy seeing all of the main attractions that every city around the world has to offer. Nevertheless, there is always a stronger feeling of accomplishment or sensation of assimilation when one finds a “secret” place of delight in whatever city they are exploring. When I say secret place, I am simply referring to a public place that is in no way hidden or private, but rather is a place of delight that is overlooked by the average tourist. These places are everywhere in Rome and they come in all shapes and sizes; a local bar lost in the crowds of Trastevere that has (in my opinion) the best cappuccino around, a typical restaurant that sells whole pizza’s twice the size of my head for only five euros, or a small church in Palazzo Altieri that has the most beautiful and intricate interior. This church in particular, the Church of the Gesu, was what I chose for my Delight in Architecture subject because it is what I believe to be one of Rome’s hidden gems that someone got lost in the appeal of all of Rome’s major attractions.
The Church of the Gesu, located in Palazzo Altieri between the Pantheon and Piazza Venezia, is one of the most delightful places I have been in Rome. From the very first moment one enters the Church, they are greeted with its simplest and largest figure: the mirror. This long and rectangular mirror is angled on a low angle and reflect the entire canvas of the ceiling so that the viewer is able to see the whole painting. It allows the viewer to interact with the large ceiling in a much more personal way and exploit’s the beautiful intricacies of the paintings. Despite the few people waiting in line to view this mirror, the Church is barely crowded until 5:30 pm: when the light show begins. The light show consisted of a man telling a story in Italian, and as he spoke different sculptures and painting would light us. Then at the end of the story, the picture on the left alter slides down to reveal a hidden gold sculpture behind it. After that, the whole church lit up so that all the beautiful murals, paintings, and sculptures were in full view.
For whatever reason, this Church found a special place in my heart from the very first time I stepped inside of it. It was such a nice retreat from all the hustle and bustle and noise of everyday life in a city, and I found myself some days just sitting in there for hours on end contemplating whatever was on my mind. And every time I went, I would light a candle for all my friends and family at home that I missed; my time spent in this church was time that I spent thinking about all the things I was grateful for, and all the things I was regretful for. It gave me my very own retreat in the heart of Rome, and I think it would be a great place to experience for all those who are visiting Rome for only a few days. I find it ironic how such a small Church like this had the greatest impact on me than any other piece of art, architecture, or landscape in Rome, and I would love to share its impact with everyone around me. But then again, I would also be a bit saddened if this Church became a major tourist attraction, and there were lines and crowds of people pushing through its wooden doors. So I think it best if I just share this church with a few of my close friends, and leave it here in Rome as I found it: my little secret.
And rather than little, my semester studying in Rome has actually helped me to think big and look at architecture on a bigger scale. All of the projects we have done in studio at Temple University in Philadelphia have all been rather small infill projects, with the exception of one urban scale project. However, with the two studio projects that I have completed in Rome, I feel like I have finally grasped the concept of site and how to make my architecture site specific. I have started using the natural landscape more often than usual, and I find that this method can also be used to find simple solutions to complicated problems. And I find that I enjoy using the landscape as a main design tool because it helps me better understand my projects as urban scale projects and makes me aware of how my architecture will affect its surroundings. I am very excited to now take all these new things I have learned and hopefully apply them to my next and final studio semester.