Mannerism in the Mid to Late 16th Century

Mannerism is a fairly modern term developed to describe a period between Renaissance and Baroque (around 1520-1600). It marks a change in attitudes toward proportion, balance, artifice, and shapes in spaces. For example, the use of ovals instead of circles introduces ideas of dynamic versus static. A sense of movement is created, and this goes back to the focus on humans and emotion. We begin to see a departure from the orderly reign of Renaissance rules. Mannerism, or at least the term, is about creating a surreal environment of emotional unrest. This may have been in response to the turmoil of the times, which included the Sack of Rome and the plague. Week 8 will explore concepts of Mannerism in Rome, Florence, and Northern Italy.

Palazzo Massimi alle Colonne, 1535

Located in Rome and built by Baldassare Peruzzi (1481-1556), Palazzo Massimi features several Mannerist innovations.
-curving facade, remarking on the dynamism in oval shapes
-unequal distribution of space in the entrance portico
-pilasters paired with columns
-inventive frames
-lack of horizontal and vertical divisions
The Palazzo Massimi ascends from the plastic lower levels to flatter upper stories, with a sucessful sense of animation. It is presented within the rippling facade.

Villa Giulia, 1551-55

Built for Pope Julius III, Giulia exemplifies the liminality between city and country. The villa, located just outside Rome, was meant to serve as a respite from the heat of summer. Jacopo da Vignola (1507-1573) headed the design, while Bartolomeo Ammanti and Giorgio Vasari contributed. Villa Giulia is similar to Bramante's Belvedere courtyard for Pope Julius II. Here we have a playful inner courtyard with karotids and maze like pathways.

Farnese Palace

Commissioned by Cardinal Farnese, this Palace was renovated by Jacopo da Vignola (started in 1530, continuing through 1553-56). Located in Caprarola, in the midst of a verdant landscape, Farnese Palace is an example of the integration of architecture with nature. It has two formal gardens one for winter and one for summer; and as it first designed by Peruzzi and Sangallo the Younger, it features a pentagonal plan used earlier as a fortress.



This design shares similarities with Bramante's Belvedere courtyard and House of Raphael. Note the following:

-grand stair case at entrance, innovative and useful in accomodating coaches

-more elaborate fenestration on the facade

-increase in ornamentation

-circular, colonnaded courtyard

-rusticated base

-ionic orders above a story with no columns

-bays and niches

-paired columns in the courtyard

-complex layering

-contrast between complex lower story and flat upper story

With the design of Farnese Palace, Vignola succeeds in classicizing Mannerism.

Via Pia, Michelangelo

Constructed in Rome, 1590, Porta Pia served as the gateway in and out of the city of Rome. As a commission by Pope Paul IV for civic improvement, it was natural that questions arose as to how something of this nature should be represented. Michelangelo seems to have decided on coded meanings and metaphors. He has created a piece using a variety of architectural tools. Certainly Mannerism is well represented here with:
-broken pediments and lintels
-festoons
-pedimented windows in brackets
-short pilasters
-rusticated piers with pilasters
Michelangelo was influenced by the theatrical genres of the time; he chose to portray this gate as more dramatic than functional.

Casino Pius IV, 1560-63

Commissioned by Pius IV, the Casino was built by Pirro Ligoria (1515-1583). This structure is something of an anomaly, since it is only meant to exist as a small house for leisure it does not extend to the great size of other buildings we've seen. It also belies several things, one-the number of stories, while it may seem that there are three or more there are only two. Also, while the exterior is sumptuously decorated, the inside is rather simple. What I believe to be the main interest here is the archaelogical approach to decoration, with the detail of relief. You can see that the surface is treated differently than other buildings, there is a sensitivity to the depiction of museum like findings and the 3 dimensional sculpture. Located in Rome, these two structures are facing each other on opposite sides of the oval courtyard. This layout makes an ideal setting in which to take advantage of cool breezes and the sounds of nature.

Pitti Palace and Boboli garden, Florence

In 1558, Cosimo de Medici asked Bartolomeo Ammanati to improve upon his purchased Pitti Palace. Construction would last through 1570, and several important ideas came into fruition. Ammananti was by trade a sculptor and an architect, we have seen his work in the Laurentian Library and the Villa Giulia. With Pitta Palace, Ammanati expanded the block with arms in the rear toward the garden, making a stronger imposition. The garden itself is laid axially on the slope of a steep hill. It has taken on a more formal design, while also incorporating some of the native wilderness in the area. By putting these elements together, Ammanati has moved forward in the direction of a park environment.
The facade is typical of other Palazzo's we've seen, there are no orders, rusticated throughout, and it maintains certain Renaissance rules. The courtyard facade, however, is entirely different and unexpected. First of all, the courtyard has a sense of being sunk in while the hulking arms tower over. This sets the stage for the usual Mannerist playfulness. In the back there are now orders, but they are quite surreal. Ammanati gives us superimposition, his own version. There are three different orders, and the capitals are clearly representative. However, the columns themselves are sculptural, with a feeling of rippling under the surface and projecting out 3 dimensionally. The stories are heavily rusticated, this works in two ways, it offers plasticity and also contrasts the columns in a gesture of anti-classicization. Also notable here, the articulation of voussoirs. The entablature is serving two functions simultaneously, creating a sculptural sense of animation.