Carlo Rainaldi

Rainaldi, Carlo (1611–91). Rome-born architect who adopted aspects of late Mannerism and Baroque. The son of Girolamo Rainaldi (1570–1655—the architect of the Church of Santa Teresa, Caprarola (from 1620), and the Palazzo Pamphili, Piazza Navona, Rome (1645–50)), he worked with his father (Chief Papal Architect, appointed in 1644 by Innocent X (1644–55)) on the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, Piazza Navona, Rome (from 1652). Borromini took over in 1653, but was sacked in 1657, after which Carlo Rainaldi was recalled, although Bernini and Cortona were consultants. To Rainaldi the plan, front, and huge piers are credited Other buildings include the brilliantly articulated Santa Maria in Campitelli (1662–75), the front of Sant'Andrea della Valle (1656–65), and the apparently twin churches (1662–79) flanking the axis of the Corso in the Piazza del Pòpolo (one church (Santa Maria in Montesanto—Bernini replaced Rainaldi in 1673) has an elliptical dome to make it appear the same diameter as the dome of its ‘twin’ because the sites are of different size).

Bibliography

Eimer (1970–1);
Fagiolo dell'Arco & and Carandini (1977–8);
Fasolo (1961);
Norberg-Schulz (1986);
Placzek (ed.) (1982);
Jane Turner (1996);
Varriano (1986);
Wittkower (1982)

Carlo Rainaldi , 1611-91, Italian architect of the high baroque. He followed in the steps of the great Roman masters of baroque building, Bernini, Borromini, and Cortona. Largely dependent upon them for his designs, Rainaldi developed a heavier and more austere style that was widely imitated. Most of his work is in Rome. One of his first important buildings was the Church of Santa Maria in Campitelli (1663-67). With the assistance of Carlo Fontana, he completed during this period the facade of Sant' Andrea della Valle, which had been begun by Carlo Maderno. His greatest project was the planning of the Piazza del Popolo and the twin churches at the focal point of the plaza. Bernini and then Fontana took over the design of the church at the left, Santa Maria di Monte Santo, but Rainaldi was mainly responsible for the construction (1675-79) of the other church, Santa Maria de' Miracoli.