What is the architecture of the Church of the Gesù in Rome?

The Church of the Gesù in Rome is the mother church of the Society of Jesus and serves as a precursor to the Baroque architectural style. Its famous façade is considered the first truly baroque façade, influencing countless Jesuit and other religious structures worldwide. The interior features significant artistic works, including the nave fresco Triumph of the Name of Jesus combined with stucco molding.

What we know

• The Church of the Gesù features a façade described as the first truly baroque façade. [1, 2]
• The church served as a model for innumerable Jesuit churches across Central Europe, Portuguese colonies, and other regions. [2]
• The nave of the church contains the Triumph of the Name of Jesus, a 17th-century fresco painting by Giovanni Battista Gaulli featuring both fresco and stucco molding. [5]
• The building is one of the great 17th-century preaching churches constructed by Counter-Reformation orders in Rome. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Saint Ignatius of Loyola?
• compared withWhat are other Baroque churches in Rome?
• a case in pointWhere is the Church of the Gesú in Philadelphia located?
• the bigger pictureHow did the Catholic Counter-Reformation influence sacred art?
• whenWhat happened to the Society of Jesus in 1773?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a Montreal parish share its name with a Roman landmark?The Church of the Gesù in Montreal is a Canadian Catholic parish sharing its name and heritage with the famous Roman mother church.

Sources

• [1]Church of the Gesù (Wikidata Q719794) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Church of the Gesù · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Church of the Gesù (Montreal) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Church of the Gesú (Philadelphia) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Triumph of the Name of Jesus · CC BY-SA 4.0