This article presents "Ludovica the Blessed" in the Church of San Francesco a Ripa.

The beauty of "Ludovica the Blessed" glowing in the dark night is tremendous.

Bernini has perfect control over the lighting. He has also calculated how the light will illuminate the sculpture. You can never reproduce that with light. You can see why Masumi Ishinabe was so careful.

It was indeed a wonderful experience. It may be a minor spot in Rome, but it is a very impressive church. I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the Trastevere area.

This time, we would like to introduce two angel statues installed on the Ponte Sant'Angelo in front of Castel Sant'Angelo.

In this article, I will talk about such an angel statue by Bernini. In fact, the original of this work is housed in another church, which is also wonderful!

The quality of the angel statue I saw in the original was completely different. I could see that it had been polished, and above all, the dynamism of the garments conveyed was something else.

And strangely enough, for some reason, these two angel statues reminded me of the Wind God and Thunder God of Sanjusangendo in Kyoto. Perhaps the miraculous rippling of the angels' robes reminded me of my favorite wind god and thunder god.

In this article I will discuss Cathedra Petri, located in the apse of St. Peter's Basilica.

The Cathedra Petri is the most important part of this cathedral. It too was designed by Bernini. This article looks at the meaning behind this Bernini masterpiece.

St. Peter's Basilica is still a special place.

No matter how many times I come here, I am always impressed. And it was Bernini who created this wonderful space. The Cathedral is the highlight of a Bernini visit. I hope that many people will experience the theatrical space created by Bernini.

Bernini took pleasure in overcoming adverse conditions to create beautiful works of art, saying, "If you want to know what a person is capable of, you have to put him in a difficult situation."

The Scala Regia, adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica, is Bernini's architectural masterpiece that is well known to those who know it.

Under difficult and challenging conditions that would make an architect weep, he created a staircase that could be described as a miracle.

Although not open to the public, I was able to visit these stairs on a special occasion. I will discuss it in this article along with my experience at that time.

A huge square stretches in front of St. Peter's Basilica. This square is so famous that the Vatican is often referred to as this square, which was also designed by Bernini. Bernini not only designed the sculptures, but also had an outstanding sense of architecture.

Moreover, the current St. Peter's Square is actually unfinished. Bernini's original architectural plan was abandoned due to financial difficulties and other political circumstances in Rome. If this plan had been carried out, the Vatican would have been a much more attractive theater space. This article introduces the story behind the Vatican. I am sure you will be surprised if you read it.

In this article, I will discuss the "Spiritual Manipulation" meditations of Ignatius de Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, who greatly influenced Bernini's art, and the Church of Jez, his headquarters.

The Jesuits were the order to which Xavier belonged. And I was surprised to learn, too, that the Jesuits were founded in 1534, and were officially approved by Pope Paulus V in 1540, a rather recent date. Xavier was one of its founding members. When we think of the Jesuits, we tend to think of colonial strategies and political aspects, but in fact, there was also a strong emphasis on meditation and religious practice. And Bernini was a man who valued such religious practices in his daily life, and this was clearly expressed in his works. I think this is a very important point.

Pope Innocent X died, and his successor, Alexander VII, was another figure of great scale. With the arrival of this man, Bernini entered his second golden age.

In the articles to come, we will introduce Bernini's masterpieces such as the Pheasant Chapel, St. Peter's Square, the "Cathedra Petri" and "Scala Regia" in St. Peter's Basilica, and San Tandrea al Quirinale.