(jazzy music)
(jazzy music)

Female: We're high up on a hill overlooking Rome,
Female: We're high up on a hill overlooking Rome,

one of the seven hills of Rome, the Janiculum hill,
one of the seven hills of Rome, the Janiculum hill,

in a small courtyard looking at
in a small courtyard looking at

Bramante's small but important building, the Tempietto.
Bramante's small but important building, the Tempietto.

Male: This is one of the treasures of Rome.
Male: This is one of the treasures of Rome.

It's actually one of my favorite buildings
It's actually one of my favorite buildings

in the entire world.
in the entire world.

It's tiny.
It's tiny.

In fact, I'm not even sure I feel comfortable
In fact, I'm not even sure I feel comfortable

calling it a building.
calling it a building.

It's a marker.
It's a marker.

Female: The Tempietoo marks the site of
Female: The Tempietoo marks the site of

the crucifixion of St. Peter.
the crucifixion of St. Peter.

Male: Or what Bramante and the Church
Male: Or what Bramante and the Church

thought was the site of the crucifixion of St. Peter.
thought was the site of the crucifixion of St. Peter.

Female: Right, and in fact, if you go inside,
Female: Right, and in fact, if you go inside,

there's a hole that marks the spot in the ground
there's a hole that marks the spot in the ground

where the cross was placed.
where the cross was placed.

St. Peter was crucified upside down.
St. Peter was crucified upside down.

By marking the site, by making such
By marking the site, by making such

a beautiful structure here,
a beautiful structure here,

the Church is, in a way, saying
the Church is, in a way, saying

the office of the Papacy goes back
the office of the Papacy goes back

to St. Peter, the very first Pope
to St. Peter, the very first Pope

who got that job from Christ himself.
who got that job from Christ himself.

Male: It's interesting that it's Bramante
Male: It's interesting that it's Bramante

who's designing this space because Bramante
who's designing this space because Bramante

will also be one of the principle architects
will also be one of the principle architects

responsible for the other major site in Rome
responsible for the other major site in Rome

that is associated with St. Peter,
that is associated with St. Peter,

the Basilica of St. Pietro in the Vatican,
the Basilica of St. Pietro in the Vatican,

the site where Peter was buried.
the site where Peter was buried.

Both of these become markers,
Both of these become markers,

but this is a tiny little structure where,
but this is a tiny little structure where,

of course, St. Peter's is enormous.
of course, St. Peter's is enormous.

Female: This looks back to a kind
Female: This looks back to a kind

of early Christian building called
of early Christian building called

a martyria, or a marker of the site
a martyria, or a marker of the site

associated with an early Christian martyr.
associated with an early Christian martyr.

Male: Those were round buildings.
Male: Those were round buildings.

It's interesting that Bramante's borrowing
It's interesting that Bramante's borrowing

both from that early Christian tradition
both from that early Christian tradition

but also borrowing directly from Antiquity.
but also borrowing directly from Antiquity.

In fact, in Rome itself, if you go to the Forum
In fact, in Rome itself, if you go to the Forum

you can see a small round temple to Vesta,
you can see a small round temple to Vesta,

which is not so dissimilar from this.
which is not so dissimilar from this.

In fact, it's surrounded by columns.
In fact, it's surrounded by columns.

Female: That's right. Both the ancient Greeks
Female: That's right. Both the ancient Greeks

and the ancient Romans employed the circular plan.
and the ancient Romans employed the circular plan.

Bramante's very consciously going back to those,
Bramante's very consciously going back to those,

He's consciously going back to the ancient
He's consciously going back to the ancient

the ancient Roman writer, Vitruvius,
the ancient Roman writer, Vitruvius,

who wrote a great treatise on architecture
who wrote a great treatise on architecture

and on correct proportions in architecture,
and on correct proportions in architecture,

which Bramante is really following here in the Tempietto.
which Bramante is really following here in the Tempietto.

Male: Bramante really is in love with
Male: Bramante really is in love with

the ideal geometries of Antiquity,
the ideal geometries of Antiquity,

especially of ancient Greece.
especially of ancient Greece.

This building is a radial building.
This building is a radial building.

It's a round structure.
It's a round structure.

It's very much unlike the traditional
It's very much unlike the traditional

cruciform church which is based on
cruciform church which is based on

the ancient basilica.
the ancient basilica.

It's interesting because Bramante also used
It's interesting because Bramante also used

a kind of ideal geometry in the other building
a kind of ideal geometry in the other building

we were talking about, in St. Peter's Basilica,
we were talking about, in St. Peter's Basilica,

which was originally a perfect cross.
which was originally a perfect cross.

Female: Right. It was Greek cross,
Female: Right. It was Greek cross,

employing the circle and the square.
employing the circle and the square.

This interest in pure geometric forms
This interest in pure geometric forms

is something that we really see in the High Renaissance.
is something that we really see in the High Renaissance.

Male: Let's talk about that relationship
Male: Let's talk about that relationship

between ideal ancient geometry and the divine
between ideal ancient geometry and the divine

because I think that was really important
because I think that was really important

at this moment that we call the High Renaissance.
at this moment that we call the High Renaissance.

If you draw a circle, no matter how good an artist you are,
If you draw a circle, no matter how good an artist you are,

it's always going to have some imperfections.
it's always going to have some imperfections.

But looking at that circle, we can be prompted
But looking at that circle, we can be prompted

to imagine something where there's no deviation,
to imagine something where there's no deviation,

where there's no imperfection.
where there's no imperfection.

So geometry was thought by the ancient Greeks,
So geometry was thought by the ancient Greeks,

and again in the Renaissance, to be a vehicle
and again in the Renaissance, to be a vehicle

by which we could imagine the perfection of heaven.
by which we could imagine the perfection of heaven.

Female: So Bramante, like many other artists
Female: So Bramante, like many other artists

of the High Renaissance, is really interested
of the High Renaissance, is really interested

in this pure circular plan.
in this pure circular plan.

Here, of course, the focus of this circle
Here, of course, the focus of this circle

is that important site of the crucifixion of St. Peter.
is that important site of the crucifixion of St. Peter.

As we look up at this building, we have the steps
As we look up at this building, we have the steps

from the stylobate that lead us up toward
from the stylobate that lead us up toward

the circular colonnade, the cylinder or the drum,
the circular colonnade, the cylinder or the drum,

and then the dome on top.
and then the dome on top.

We really have this focus on a center
We really have this focus on a center

and that would have been even more true
and that would have been even more true

if Bramante had designed the courtyard
if Bramante had designed the courtyard

as he wanted to with a colonnade around it.
as he wanted to with a colonnade around it.

Male: One can imagine the amplification
Male: One can imagine the amplification

if this was surrounded by yet another colonnade
if this was surrounded by yet another colonnade

with a series of radial niches, that would have been
with a series of radial niches, that would have been

a kind of conversation between the space
a kind of conversation between the space

around the building and the central structure itself
around the building and the central structure itself

that I think would have been unprecedented.
that I think would have been unprecedented.

All of those elements that you mentioned:
All of those elements that you mentioned:

the stylobate, the steps, the colonnade,
the stylobate, the steps, the colonnade,

and of course the dome, are all elements
and of course the dome, are all elements

that come from Antiquity.
that come from Antiquity.

The artist was really careful to get these things right.
The artist was really careful to get these things right.

If you look at the columns themselves,
If you look at the columns themselves,

this was the Doric order.
this was the Doric order.

It's not the Doric that we see from ancient Greece;
It's not the Doric that we see from ancient Greece;

not what we would see on the Parthenon.
not what we would see on the Parthenon.

This is a Roman variant instead.
This is a Roman variant instead.

It's called the Tuscan order.
It's called the Tuscan order.

We can see columns like this embedded
We can see columns like this embedded

in the side of the first level of the Colosseum
in the side of the first level of the Colosseum

where, unlike the Greek Doric order,
where, unlike the Greek Doric order,

these columns are not fluted.
these columns are not fluted.

They have even more of a sense of mass and solidity.
They have even more of a sense of mass and solidity.

Female: And true to the Doric order, we see
Female: And true to the Doric order, we see

triglyphs and metopes in the frieze
triglyphs and metopes in the frieze

just above the columns.
just above the columns.

Bramante's really capturing an authentic
Bramante's really capturing an authentic

Doric order here.
Doric order here.

Male: Although he does sometimes allow
Male: Although he does sometimes allow

for some variation.
for some variation.

For instance, the Greeks and the Romans
For instance, the Greeks and the Romans

would not have, inside their colonnade,
would not have, inside their colonnade,

put plasters that pair with the columns.
put plasters that pair with the columns.

These were maximizing the radial quality
These were maximizing the radial quality

by aligning the true columns with the false columns.
by aligning the true columns with the false columns.

Female: So there's a real rhythm that
Female: So there's a real rhythm that

Bramante's creating here.
Bramante's creating here.

What makes this so High Renaissance to me is its grandeur.
What makes this so High Renaissance to me is its grandeur.

Even though it's so small, there's a real
Even though it's so small, there's a real

sense of monumentality.
sense of monumentality.

In a way, this is the architectural equivalent
In a way, this is the architectural equivalent

of Michelangelo's figures in the Sistine Chapel;
of Michelangelo's figures in the Sistine Chapel;

a real sense of the heroic,
a real sense of the heroic,

looking back to Classical Antiquity,
looking back to Classical Antiquity,

and celebrating a kind of humanism.
and celebrating a kind of humanism.

Male: There is a kind of self assurance
Male: There is a kind of self assurance

in the High Renaissance;
in the High Renaissance;

this idea that man can actually produce
this idea that man can actually produce

exemplars on earth of the perfection of the heavenly.
exemplars on earth of the perfection of the heavenly.

Even though this is such a small building,
Even though this is such a small building,

I think its monumentality comes from its great ambition.
I think its monumentality comes from its great ambition.

(jazzy music)
(jazzy music)