One of the most important Baroque artists in Rome, Gianlorenzo Bernini worked as a sculptor, painter, and architect in the Eternal City in the mid-17th century. From the galleries of the Borghese Museum to St. Peter’s Square and Basilica , Bernini’s magnificent sculptures and artwork appear in some of Rome’s top attractions.
Below, we explore Bernini’s greatest hits in Rome and where to find them. See Rome’s top Renaissance and Baroque artists to see where to view the works of greatest artists.
St. Peter’s Square
The wide, symmetrical and elliptical colonnade that amazes you as you enter Piazza San Pietro , or St. Peter’s Square, is thanks to Gianlorenzo Bernini. Commissioned by Pope Alexander VII, Bernini began work on the square in 1656 and completed it in 1667. Four rows of Doric columns form the two sides of the square. Above the colonnades are 140 statues representing saints, martyrs, popes, and founders of religious orders within the Catholic Church.
Borghese Museum
Bernini created some of the most iconic examples of moving Baroque sculpture for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, an avid patron of the arts and nephew of Pope Paul V. Visit the Borghese museum, the cardinal’s former summer mansion and you will see The Magnificent Apollo and Bernini’s Dafne, The Rape of Proserpina and David’s Artistic Interpretation.
Tip: if you want to visit the Borghese Gallery, reserved tickets are mandatory. Buy Borghese Gallery tickets in advance at Select Italy.
Rome fountains
Several beautiful fountains in Rome can be attributed to Bernini. The most famous is the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, a fantastic work that represents the four largest known rivers in the world. Others include the Fontana del Moro (the Fountain of the Moor), also in Piazza Navona; Triton and the “Bee” fountains in Piazza Barberini (near Via Veneto); and the Fontana della Barcaccia at the foot of the Plaza de España.
Capitoline Museums
Bernini’s work in the Capitoline Museums that attracts the most attention is his sculpture of Medusa . This marble depicts the Greek Gorgon with dozens of seemingly wriggling and moving snakes on her head, a fascinating feat considering the artist’s material.
Santa Maria della Vittoria
Fans of Dan Brown’s book and movie Angels and Demons will want to track down the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria , site of one of history’s suspenseful scenes. Inside the discreet church is Bernini’s work The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa , a confection depicting Saint Teresa in an enthusiastic moment when she is visited by an angel.
Basilica of Saint Peter
One of the grandest decorations of the spectacular St. Peter’s Basilica is the canopy, known as the baldachin or baldacchino . Bernini designed this bronze canopy with the twisted columns at the behest of Pope Urban VIII. Legend foreshadows that the massive amounts of bronze that were required to build the canopy were stolen from the roof and exterior of the ancient Pantheon.
Santa Maria Maggiore
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore , or Santa Maria Maggiore, is one of the four papal basilicas in Rome and Vatican City and one of the best churches to see in Rome. Visitors on the Bernini Trail will want to visit him to see his grave because the church is the artist’s final resting place.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated and edited by Martha Bakerjian.
