By:
Brandon Shafer
Italian Architecture
Neoclassical
From about 1730 to 1925 AD, the Neoclassical architectual style was very popular in Italy and all over the world. It is often characterized as against Rococo and labeled New Classical Architecture for modern buildings. It brought back many of the classical styles that were prominent in the Greek and Roman days, and added a modern touch, both stylistically and technologically. People desired to achieve the purity of the art of Rome. Architects of the time depicted a geometrical architectural style that tried to involve the Greek and Roman ideas, while also emulating the eternality of the universe. This style was international, being in the White House, the Bank of England, and Old Museum in Berlin. The international appeal of this style emphasized how important it is to Italy.
History:
Background
Planar Qualities:
Styles
While during the Baroque period there were sculptured facades and such, this transformed into a more planar or flat style. They were more isolated and used the effects of light and shade. There was less emphasis on sculpture and decoration than the revived Roman and Greek style.
City Planning:
Even though this is not neccesarily a style, it was an important architectual improvement in cities, using a grid system, found in mordern cities such as New York City and Washington DC. This was very characteristic of Roman design, and can be found in many Italian cities.
Columns:
The columns of the Neoclassical era can be related to those of the Roman times because architects were trying to create the same pure style of the Romans. They are used as both structural support and for decoration, but unlike the columns of past periods, this is more used for support and trying to recreate the Greek and Roman style.
This Neoclassical structure shows how the use of columns and a simpler and purer style of architecture is used to create a Roman feel.
This arch outside of Milan corresponds to the Roman walls, and through the use of columns and its placement, it is clear why it represents the Roman times.
This church shows the Greek-Roman architecture through its entryway and its simplistic style over the entire building.
This, through the use of columns and the dome, shows how Roman architecture is put into a modern place with Neoclassical style.