The Urban Development of Rome in the Age of Alexander VII
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: September 16, 2002
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 446
ISBN-13: 9780521772648
Subjects: Architecture; History of art: BCE to c 500 CE, ancient & classical world; c 1600 to c 1700; History - General; Architecture, Baroque; Rome; Italy; Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings; Architecture / General; Architecture and state; Planning; 17th century; City planning; History
First sentence: Likewise the delicacy evident in his way of living is apparent in his inclination towards noble buildings with open views, noble not only in their architecture but also in their decoration; these are the only things that he cares for; . . . [at the Quirinal Palace] he added new quarters by remodeling those already there and by reducing the whole to a state of royal magnificence; and . . . he amplified a long wing of apartments for use by the papal entourage . . .
Description: "Dorothy Metzger Habel suggests that Alexander VII masterminded a new conceptualization of the city, which was grounded in the architectural formulae of late-antique Roman Asia. Under Alexander's watchful eye, Habel argues, architects and builders paid careful attention to the physical characteristics of particular sites and drew relationships between buildings within the urban fabric. These planning methods contributed formally and iconographically to the architectural future of Rome."--BOOK JACKET.