Guarini e i modelli romani: un rapporto da riconsiderare

Abstract

This study offers a fresh perspective on the potential connections between the Theatine architect Guarino Guarini and Borromini’s design for the chapel of the “Re Magi” at the Propaganda Fide college in Rome. Frequently cited in historiography as a potential influence on the dome of Sainte-Anne-la-Royale in Paris and the Teatini house of Saint Vincent in Modena, this connection is critically reexamined. The research thoroughly reviews the chronologies of Borromini’s construction timeline, Guarini’s travel routes, and the possible intersections of their biographies, ultimately concluding that it is highly improbable - if not impossible - that Guarini was directly aware of Borromini’s project. Furthermore, the study highlights that Guarini’s architectural choices are more plausibly linked to other Italian models that the Modenese architect would have certainly encountered.