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The statue in the niche, Saint Ignatius of Loyola pointing to the word of the Bible; n July 1571 work began on the façade of Il Gesù, for which Cardinal Alessandro Farnese had favoured della Porta's design over those of Jacopo Vignola--who had largely designed the rest of the church--and Galeazzo Alessi. Della Porta also designed the high altar (1582) and the crossing (1584) of Il Gesù. Della Porta's design accentuated the verticality of the façade, thereby creating a strong central climax; this provided a precedent for successive Baroque façades. Il Gesù was the first permanent Roman church of the Jesuit Order. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 12/2/2007)