Roma antica, sacra, moderna: The analogous Romes of the travel guide

The guidebook is not merely a registration of the city and its historical evolution or of the changing preferences of visitors but rather a device that selects and arranges aspects of the city—real as well as imaginary—into a coherent representation of that city. This is particularly the case in Rome, a city composed of three different entities: the ancient, the Christian, and—from the second half of the seventeenth century onward—the modern capital, each with their own monuments and histories. From the sixteenth century onward, Roman guidebooks use the categories of Roma antica, Roma sacra, and Roma moderna to define and represent these three components. In this essay, we argue that the changing application of these labels in the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries reflects not only the far-going physical transformation of the city during that period but also new ways of thinking about the identity of Rome. The reconfiguration of the three “Romes” in the space of the guidebook, operated by means of a continuous rearrangement of sections, illustrations, and descriptions, illustrates how successive authors and publishers attempted to fit the three well-established categories onto reality. An examination of how English visitors reacted to Rome will demonstrate how effective the categories of Roma antica, sacra, and moderna were in organizing the perception of the contemporary city and its analogs.published or submitted for publicationOpe

Rituele betekenisgeving bij de contrareformatorische kerkbouw: de eerstesteenlegging van de Sint-Pietersabdijkerk in Gent (1629)(prov. Oost-Vl.)

In dit artikel wordt aangetoond dat inwijdingsrituelen, zoals de eerstesteenlegging van de Gentse Sint-Pietersabdijkerk anno 1629, op een unieke manier kunnen bijdragen tot de kennis van kerkelijke architectuur. Hiervoor moet men zich toespitsen op de specifieke historische context van de ceremonie, met bijzondere aandacht voor de parafernalia die daarbij zijn geproduceerd. In dit artikel werden twee belangrijke bronnen over de eerstesteenlegging van de Sint-Pietersabdijkerk (i.c. een dichtbundel en een bouwmedaille) geanalyseerd, om te achterhalen hoe ze tot een beter begrip van de architecturale betekenis van één van de eerste koepelkerken in de Zuidelijke Nederlanden konden bijdragen. Er werd vastgesteld dat de eerstesteenlegging in Gent nauw aansloot bij de Italiaanse traditie van luisterrijke ceremonies, kaderend in de brede antiprotestantse beweging sinds het Concilie van Trente. De eerstesteenlegging werd benut om het gebouw nog vóór zijn voltooiing met betekenis te beladen. Dat was bij de Sint-Pietersabdijkerk van prioritair belang, omwille van de contrareformatorische boodschap die de kerk in zich moest dragen. Men kon niet wachten op de effectieve realisatie van het gebouw, omdat het antiprotestantse offensief immers toen, anno 1629, nodig was. Door de boodschap die de commemoratieve medaille en de bundel lofzangen samen uitdroegen, probeerde men dit effect te bereiken. Het gedicht gunt de toehoorder of lezer al een vooruitblik op de toekomstige kerk, door het beschrijven van de aanvoer van bouwmaterialen, de staat van het bouwwerk etc. Dit beeld werd ondersteund door de talrijk vervaardigde bouwmedailles die de geplande voorgevel toonden. De gelijkenissen met de medaille van de Sint-Ignatiuskerk in Rome bleken hier bijzonder frappant

Glorious temples or Babylonic whores : the architecture of church buildings in England 1603-1736 according to consecration sermons

This dissertation studies the ideas of church buildings held by the Church of England in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These ideas concern the status of the church building, its liturgical functions, its holiness, its aesthetic qualities and devotional functions. It will be examined how these concerns inform architectural design. In other words, this study traces the significance and perception of architecture for the church building of the Church of England. By examining how church buildings were charged with meaning it will prove possible to develop new perspectives on the role of their architecture. The present study will be conducted by means of an analysis of the representation and performance of church buildings in the Church of England in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Of particular interest for this study are documents related to important moments in a building’s existence such as the inauguration. The consecration of a church is a transitional event. By this ceremony the building is mentally set apart from its profane surroundings and dedicated to the worship of God only. Through the consecration the building acquires its significance of ‘church building’. The evidence related to the consecration ceremonies testifies directly and indirectly of the motives and the aims that led towards the erection of the building. Church of England consecrations are documented by sermons and prayers. Forty-two printed examples covering 1618-1736 have been retrieved. A thorough and systematic analysis of sermons preached at the church consecrations, offers the opportunity to reveal sensibilities to the buildings and architecture of the Church of England, enabling us to understand aspects of specific church buildings as well as more general trends in church architecture. Complemented with information from the official Church documents and architectural treatises, and contemporary resources relating to religion, architecture and devotion, the sermons will unveil the strategies at work in the design and use of churches. They will highlight the complexity as well as uniqueness of English church architecture in between 1602-1736

'Moral ornamentation' of English church architecture in the seventeenth century

status: publishe