About this Book

Bernini's Scala Regia is the paradigm of the Baroque aesthetic. Combining art and architecture, sculpture and decoration in an illusionistic ensemble, this monumental staircase served as the main entrance to the Vatican Palace, as well as the principal connection between the palace and St Peter's basilica. The monument also encapsulates the essence of Bernini's working procedure as architect and designer as well as his creative response to both structural challenges and iconographic concerns. This book is the first complete account of the Scala Regia in the context of the long building history of the Vatican Palace, the history of St Peter's, and the architecture and sculpture of Bernini.