Bernini vs. Borromini - 1 - The Four Rivers' Fountain

The two Geniuses of the Baroque in Rome, Bernini and Borromini, were divided by an unfriendly rivalry, which had outbursts which remained famous among Roman people. 

The two artist often competed to obtain the assignment of the construction of buildings, fountains and statues, but, more than anything else, they competed to be considered the best artist operating in Rome. 

Bernini was considered by far a better artist, given the marvelous artworks he adorned Rome with during all his life, while Borromini prided himself with his superior technical knowledge. being more of an Architect, and less of a Sculptor. This difference became especially evident when Bernini was appointed the construction of the 3 fountains in Piazza Navona, with the one in the middle of the square being the famous "Four Rivers' Fountain" (depicting the Tiber, The Nile, the Hindus and the Rio de la Plata), right in front of the church of S. Agnese in Agone, built by Borromini. 

Bernini started his work, but got stuck at a given point, because he did not manage to get water flowing from the fountain, and could not figure out why. His rival Borromini, being a great techinician, knew the solution to the problem, but he declared that he would rather be torture than telling his arch rival how to fix it.  Bernini was desperate, but he came up with one of his great ideas: he paid some people to invite him to dinner, and made him drunk. Under the effect of alcohol, the intoxicated artist revealed that the problem was in one of the pipelines bringing water to the fountain. Armed with this insight, Bernini performed the necessary adjustment, and, to his rival's astonishment, made the water spring out of his brand new artwork.

Not satisfied with this victory, Bernini enjoyed also some revenge over his rival: looking at the statue facing Borromini's church's façade, you can notice the man is in an odd position, gesturing as if he is prefenting the church from falling down, or scared by the building's ugliness. 

La Barcaccia - Stranded at the Foot of the Spanish Steps

In Piazza di Spagna, right at the foot of the Spanish Steps, lazily lying in the middle of the beautiful square and somewhat separating the flow of people coming from the shopping street Via (dei) Condotti and the ones coming down from the steps, there is an unusual sculpture of a boat: not a special nor especially beautiful boat, just one of those boats used to cruise on the river.


The credit for this artwork, completed in 1610, goes once again to the great sculptor G. L. Bernini, who was hired by the reigning Pope Urbano VIII Barberini (in the picture in the front part of the boat it's visible the Shield of the Barberini family, with the 3 Bees, with the Triregnum (Papal crown) and the crossed keys, symbol of Papal dignity). The Pope wanted to provide the area with a new fountain, after the expansion of the Vergine Aqueduct, and no location could be better than that one, since it was right on the water pipelines. In fact, the nearby street "Via dei Condotti" translates exactly as "Pipeline street".


Bernini once again starts his work wanting to provide the city with another demonstration of his genius and creativity, and, remembering that in the previous disastrous flood of 1598, one of the many that scourged Rome until the construction of the walls along the Tiber in 19th century, a river boat was carried all the way there by the flood, and when the water retreated, the boat remained there. Roman people immediately called the sculpture "La Barcaccia" ("The Bad Boat") and started loving this fountain remembering the times when Rome was often victim of floods.
Bernini (Penguin Art and Architecture)

The Little Elephant in Piazza della Minerva - A Revenge Made of Marble

The great Sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, master of the Baroque in Rome, was hired to build a pedestal for a small Egyptian obelisk that was found during some excavations in Rome (probably as part of an ancient Circus), because the obelisk itself was not tall enough to stand in the middle of Piazza della Minerva. 


The great artist started his work, but he was annoyed by the crowds, who gathered around him, attracted by the great fame of the Maestro. Bernini, who did not love popularity, shouted at people: "What is so interesting to look at? I am not an elephant!" Because elephants were exotic animals who attracted crowds at the time... 


During his work, a bitter discussion arose between the artist and the Abbot of the Dominican Convent, which is right on the square... 


From these 2 events the great artist got the inspiration for his artwork: a white elephant with an angry face, dressed in Egyptian way to blend with the obelisk style, but looking backwards with hatred and pointing his ass right towards the convent, as a sign of despising against the nagging Abbot.


Here is how Bernini made a revenge out of a block of marble...
Bernini