Dome

Close view of decorative framework, depicting upper portion with cherubs; In 1634 Cardinal Francesco Barberini helped Borromini to gain his first commission as an independent architect, the monastery and church of S Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (or S Carlino) for the Discalced Trinitarians, who had established themselves there in 1611. The monastic building, complete with cells, refectory and library, was finished by 1636, but work on the church could not begin until 1638. The monastic building with its small courtyard was created first to meet the Order's most pressing needs; the courtyard design is notable for the convex curvature of its corners and its pairs of monumental Doric columns. In his designs for the low upper storey of the courtyard, Borromini was apparently influenced by Bramante's cortile at S Maria della Pace, Rome (1500). He subsequently clad the stark external walls of the living-quarters with a spacious grid of flat pilasters. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 12/9/2007)