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Bramante was probably the
best known of the High Renaissance architects, and was definitely
in favor with the Church hierarchy in Rome. To the left, we see
Bramante's most famous work, The Tempietto (c. 1502-11),
which translates to "little temple." True to Renaissance
architectural style, the Tempietto relies less on ornamental
detail and more on defined space. In other words, the placement
and design of the structure was more important the all the "fluff"
that got stuck to the exterior. The Doric style colonnade gives
a vertical thrust that is carried on by the bannisters , the
pilasters and finally the ridges of the dome. It is a balanced
structure, that, by the way was supposedly built on the same
site that St. Peter was crucified.
Bramante was also placed in charge of designing the new
St. Peter's Basilica. The original plan (below and left) shows
a circle plan inside of a square, with a facade on each of the
four corners. The coin, pictured below, shows what the facade
was intended to look like. It was a massive plan in which Bramante
claimed that he would, "place the Pantheon on top of the
Basilica of Constantine." However, the project was a slow
one, and Bramante died soon after the ground breaking. Michelangelo
was then called upon to finish the design, which looks much like
it does today. |