The Spada Chapel

The chapel that Borromini designed to commemorate the family members of the Oratorian Bernardino Spada is one of the most extraordinary inventions of the great architect, who in this poignant proposal for a funerary chamber that has nothing macabre about it, but only the subtle melancholy of thoughtful meditation, did not disdain to adopt some procedures typical of Bernini's inventions (just as the sculptor who supplied the figures of the Spada was a follower of Bernini); the meticulous care taken in evoking the domestic atmosphere finds figurative expression in the spectacular skill with which he treats the marble almost as if it were decorative silk; the pensive figures of these conversations that know no barriers of time are rendered by Fancelli with acute psychological insight and a sense of drama.