Dome

Detail of the winged cherub's head in the pediment; Sant'Ivo is the Church of the University of Rome. The emblematic meanings associated with the shapes found at Sant'Ivo have been the subject of much dispute. St Yves, patron saint of lawyers, seems to occupy a secondary position. Symbolism relating to wisdom, to the Temple of Solomon as the house of wisdom and to the traditional name of the university has a more important role. Borromini chose an original configuration for the ground-plan: a triangle with the apexes cut away in a concave curve, while the centers of the sides bulge out to form large semicircles. This plan soars upwards to the lantern with enormous momentum. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 12/6/2007)