Pope Francis: gift of Bernini drawing to Kenya’s President
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis gave a drawing by architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, of the project for the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, to the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, on Wednesday. The Holy Father conveyed the present during the course of his meeting with Kenyatta in Kenya, at the beginning of a three-country visit to the continent of Africa that is to include Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic.
Below, please find the official description of the drawing
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Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Naples 1598 – Rome 1680)
Project for the Bell towers of St. Peter’s Basilica
Pen and wash drawing in brown and gray on ivory paper
The accurate drawing, identified as an autograph of Bernini by Brauer and Wittkower in 1931, depicts the project for the façade of the Basilica of St. Peter according to the idea of Carlo Maderno, but with the variation of two tall bell towers that departed directly from the ground.
The final project by Maderno called for two bell towers at the two extremities of the façade, but positioned at the height of the base of the drum of the dome.
The execution of the work was assigned to Bernini who began around 1637. In 1641, upon completion of the first bell tower, it was necessary to partially demolish it for reasons of statics. The artist was bitterly criticized for having underestimated the risks and endangering the entire Basilica. The disappointment was such that he fell ill, also for fear of losing the trust of the Pontiff.
In 1646, under Pope Innocent X Pamphili, a special Congregation of Cardinals was instituted to face the problem of the façade, and the greatest architects present in Rome were called upon to present their proposals. In spite of the efforts undertaken, the graphic documentation and the engravings that pictured the façade with the bell towers, these were no longer executed and, in 1646, with the parts of Bernini’s first bell tower extant, they were completely demolished.
These projects are for the most part today kept in the Vatican Apostolic Library, under the codice from which this present sheet was drawn.