works are the symmetrical curved colonnades of St. Peter’s, the facade of Barberini’s palace, and the arsenal at Civita Vecchia. Late in his career Bernini designed a series of three churches, culminating in the domed Sant’ Andrea al Quirinale, 1658-1670, in Rome” (Giovanni 1).
Perhaps the most impressive architectural design wrought by Bernini was for the piazza in front of St. Peter’s. Just like Michelangelo, Bernini had to mold his design to other structures already present, like the Egyptian obelisk and a Maderno designed fountain. The piazza consists of a long axis and an enormous oval encircle by colonnades that connect to the front of St. Peter’s via two divergent wings. Two of the colonnades consist of four files of large Tuscan columns which end in extremely Classical temple fronts. The encircling nature of the colonnades is meant to symbolize the welcome given to worshippers by the Roman Catholic Church.
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