Genius at the Vatican: Rome 1450–1650
Olivier Bernier, author.

Power, money, and a taste for the beautiful: the Renaissance popes knew just what mattered. Palaces, gardens, paintings, frescoes: only the best would do to make Rome the most glorious city in Europe. With the help of artists like Fra Angelico, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Borromini, Popes Alexander VI, Julius II, Clement VII, and Paul III created the dazzling environment in which their status, and also their vices, could be enjoyed to the full.

This Week's Topic:

The Great Age of the Baroque: Il Gesù to Borromini, the Carracci and Caravaggio to Guido Reni